Pratihara Art Uncovered: Newly Found Sculptures in Dhodiya, Ashoknagar, MP

Abstract: Dhodiya village is located in Mungaoli tehsil of Ashoknagar district in Madhya Pradesh, India. It is situated 42km away from the Tahsil headquarter Mungaoli. The archaeological explorations and excavations carried out at various sites in the region take back the existence of man here from the prehistoric age. In the sixth century BC, this region was under Avanti Mahajanapada. In later periods, this region remained under the rule of various dynasties, including Ṡiṡunaga, Nanda, Maurya, Ṡuṅga, Sᾶtavᾶhana, Shaka, Gupta, Gurjara-Pratihar, Rashtrakut and Parmar. During the Maurya, Gupta, and Parmar periods, there was unprecedented development of Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu sculptural art in the Mungaoli region. During archaeological exploration, about 15 sculptures have been found in the Dhodia village which belong to the Gurjara-Pratihar period (Mid-10th century C.E.). These images represent the importance of religion, art, and culture in this region.