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Introduction]
originals of the age of Vastupala-Tejapāla. It is not known who first built the fort though Siddharāja is credited with its original construction in legends giving the account of Siddharaja and Hiradhara the architect of the Dabhoi fort. Vastupala-Tejapāla are said to have built the fort and this may be thoroughly repairing an older fort with much decorative sculpture added to it. Some sculptures on the Mahudi gate, especially the bold reliefs of about eight Shaiva Sadhus on the interior side-walls, can be assigned to the age of Kumarapala and may be even slightly earlier. These sculptures have not attracted the attention of historians or art-critics. Dr. Stella Kramrisch first drew my attention to these figures. I have suggested that the figures might represent chief saints of the Natha-sect, the inference being based on the fact that at least one of them, Matsyendranatha, can be identified with confidence, since a big fish (matsya) is shown behind his back. History of the Lakulisha-Pashupata sect, which originated at Karavana (in the Latadesha, not far off from Dabhoi) and which was popular and prominent in Western India even upto the Solanki age, has not been satisfactorily recovered, nor do we know much about their pantheon and religious literature; but it is highly probable that most of the gods and goddesses on the Dabhoi gates follow the iconographic traditions of this sect. It is also interesting to find these Natha saints given prominence on the Mahuḍī-Gate, Dabhoi. A study in this direction of the Dabhoi gates will throw some new light on Indian Art and Culture. Coiffure and costume of all these figures including those of different Tantric gods and goddesses are also noteworthy.
This will convince the reader that fresh critical studies, of the various monuments in Gujarat and the whole of Western India, in the light of researches of the past few
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