Nagari or Nagri, once a splendid city during the Mauryan and Gupta Periods and an important seat of learning, philosophy, literature and economics is now nothing more than a forgotten chapter in the history of Akhanda Bharat. This city has been mentioned in the Mahabharat as one of the regions conquered by Nakula in the legendary Digvijaya Parva of the Sabha Parva wherein, Nakula was sent to the west to expand the Pandava Empire following which the Rajasuya Yagna was held in the presence of Bhagawan Krishna and others at Indraprastha.
In fact, this ancient site called locally as Madhyamika Nagari (which is its original name) is a repository of information about the religious and social practices, cultural traditions and customs and art and architecture of the people and land since the early Vedic Period.
Historical records claim that this prosperous city had an abundant supply of silver drawing the attention of the Greek invaders. People moved from the north west borders to this place which later became a part of the Shunga Empire under Maharaja Pushyamitra who succeeded in chasing away the Greeks.
Ancient inscriptions in Brahmi script and Sanskrit language found in Ghosundi dating back to 200 BCE – 150 BCE have revealed that a Ashwamedha Yagna was performed by a king named Sarvatat of Parasara Gotra who also commissioned the temple of Sankarshana and Vasudeva in Narayana Vatika. This inscription is said to be the oldest of its kind found in Rajasthan that makes a clear reference to the Vaishnava influence in this region at that period.
Fragments of broken pillars found on either side of the Berach River mention the Vajapeya Yagna and the erection of a Yupa and the construction of a Vishnu Temple in the 5th century.
The entire city called as Narayana Vatika became a fortress under Sarvatat Gajayana and remained impregnable when the Muslim barbarian Akbar attempted to attack it. His elephants were held captive in this place that came to be known as Hathi Bada.
The temple designed for the worship of Bhagawan Sankarshana and Bhagawan Vasudeva is enclosed by a stone wall and covers a large area. It is highly likely that the idols were consecrated on a high platform. The traditional pillar or Garuda Sthambha in front of the temple was later removed by Akbar who also used the massive stones from the outer walls of the city to build a lighthouse.
Archaeological excavations conducted over the years have uncovered copper coins, seals, fragments of pottery, stones, sculptures and figures of great antiquity, two carved pillars of the Gupta Period with the lion and bull capital respectively, stupas of moulded bricks and terracotta adorned with animal, human and floral motifs, fluted pillars, red and grey ware, fortifications of moulded bricks and clay plaques, limestone and stone, terracotta seals, human figurines and others and an ivory seal with swastika and taurine symbols and copper antimony rods and rings.
Written by Lakshmi Subramanian
sahasa.in 
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