Rajgadhi Timbo

The Rajgadhi Timbo is a mound and historical site of medieval Jain temple located in Umta village in Visnagar Taluka, Mehsana district, Gujarat, India. The site is State Protected Monument under Gujarat State Archeology Department (GSAD).

History

The site of Rajgadhi Timbo was 50 feet high and spread in an area of 3000 square metre surrounded by village.

The place was a site of massive Jain temple. It was possibly attacked by Alauddin Khalji's generals Ulugh Khan and Nusrat Khan during the 1299 invasion of Gujarat. After the first attack in which the upper portion of temple was destroyed, the lower portion was buried in layers of lime under mound to protect it from invaders. After 250 years, Darbar Ummatsinh Rana said to have built the Rajgadhi (royal house) on the mound. In 1726, the Rajgadhi was destroyed in fire when the Marathas led by Kuntaji Bande burned down the village. In 1890, Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda State built a school on the mound. In 1985, the back portion of the temple was discovered while demolishing the dilapidated school building for new construction..

;Archeology
In 1903, three Jain idols were discovered near Rajgadhi Timba. A farmer again discovered two more idols in 1963 which are now in Kunthunath Jain temple in village. The Gujarat State Archeology Department (GSAD) conducted preliminary excavation in 1984–85. The excavation in 1988-89 revealed structural remains of temple, bastion of bricks and few brick walls. GSAD collected some artifacts but it stopped the excavation few days later due to lack of funds. As GSAD stopped, with permission of district collector, the Śvetāmbara and Digambara sects of Jains joined the hands and started independent excavation in 1993 which was stopped due to disputes between sects regarding who will own idols. The dispute was resolved in 1999 and excavation was restarted in 2001.

After 30 feet height of excavation, the Jain temple was unearthed. The temple complex was spread in area of 100 square metre. The sandstone temple is in Solanki style. The upper part including ''Shikhar'' and ''Mandapa'' found in rubble the lower part is almost intact. Jain as well as some Hindu idols were found.

The date of construction is not certain but the Prakrit inscriptions found on the pedestal of idols describes the idols were carved on the orders of King Jayasinh Umat and his consorts Shia and Sundari in Vikram Samvat 1240. It is constructed between 11th and 13th century. It seems to be constructed in two stages; the lower part in the 11th century. More than 70 idols were discovered belonging to both sects buried under sand near foundation of the temple which indicates intentional burial. The walls and pillars of temple has intrinsically carved images.

References

{{Authority control

Archaeological sites in Gujarat
Destroyed temples
Jain temples in Gujarat
Monuments and memorials in Gujarat
11th-century Jain temples
The detailed history as under :
Temple of Umta, Visnagar Taluka, Mehsana District, Gujarat**
*(Final Verified Chronology)*

### **I. Foundation & Paramara-Era Destruction**
- **c. 1180–1190 CE (VS 1236–1246)**:
Original construction under **Solanki ruler Bhima II** (r. 1178–1240 CE).
- **VS 1260 (1204 CE)**:
**Destroyed** by **Subhatavarman**, Paramara king of Malwa, during his Gujarat invasion.
— *Source*:
- *Prabandhachintamani* (Merutunga, VS 1385/1328 CE): *"Subhatavarman desecrated Jain shrines north of Anhilwara"* (i.e., Visnagar region).
- *Vastupala-Prashasti* (VS 1290/1233 CE): Records temple destructions during this campaign.

### **II. Reconstruction under Vastupala**
- **VS 1262 (1206 CE)**:
**Rebuilt** by **Vastupala** (Solanki minister), confirmed by:
— A 1206 CE inscription at Umta (documented by **Hermann Goetz**, 1955) naming Vastupala as patron.
— Architectural evidence of fire damage beneath 13th-century layers (Goetz, *Journal of Indian Art History*, Vol. 2).
— *Vastupala-Prashasti*: Explicitly lists "reconsecration of *Vihar* at Umta" post-Subhatavarman's raid.

### **III. Khalji-Era Destruction & Later Renewals**
- **VS 1356 (1299 CE)**:
**Destroyed** by **Ulugh Khan** (Alauddin Khalji's general).
— *Khaza’in ul-Futuh* (Amir Khusrau, 1311 CE): Confirms 1299 CE campaign reaching Visnagar.
- **VS 1480 (1423 CE)**:
Rebuilt by **Seth Lakhdhir** of Visnagar (per *Mehsana Gazetteer*, 1984).
- **VS 1885 (1828 CE)**:
Spire reconstructed after an earthquake by **Seth Popatlal Premchand**.

### **Key Agents**
, **Era** , **Actor** , **Role** , **Date** ,
, -----------------, ---------------------, --------------------------, ------------------------,
, Solanki , Local Guilds , Original Builders , c. 1180–1190 CE (VS 1236–1246) ,
, Paramara , **Subhatavarman** , **Destroyer** , **1204 CE (VS 1260)** ,
, Solanki , **Vastupala** , **Rebuilder** , **1206 CE (VS 1262)** ,
, Khalji , Ulugh Khan , Destroyer , 1299 CE (VS 1356) ,
, Muzaffarid , Local Sangha , Restorer , 1423 CE (VS 1480) ,

### **References**
1. **Subhatavarman's Destruction**:
- Merutunga. *Prabandhachintamani* (Trans. Tawney, 1901), . 72https://archive.org/details/prabandhacintma00maitgoog).
- *Vastupala-Prashasti* (Inscribed at Girnar), pigraphia Indica Vol. XXIVhttps://asi.nic.in/epigraphia-indica/).
2. **Vastupala's Reconstruction**:
- Goetz, H. (1955). *"Post-Chaulukyan Reconstruction at Umta"*, JIAH, ol. 2, pp. 45–48https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/44283987).
- Umta Temple Inscription (1206 CE), documented in *ASI Annual Report 1909–10*, . 64https://asi.nic.in/asi_epigraphical_epigraphia_indica.asp).
3. **Khalji-Era Damage**:
- Khusrau, A. *Khaza’in ul-Futuh* (Trans. Habib, 1931), . 32https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.62668).