Holy Abu

Author(s): Jayantvijay
Publisher: Yashovijay Jain Granthmala

Page 47

Kiv
[Moby Abu
the six pieces from Patan in the Baroda Museum discuss ed by Dr. Goetz in the Baroda Museum Bulletin (Vol. VII PP, 24 ff figs. 1-7).
It is therefore certain that Vasishthashrama is an old site, the surface finds show that it is at least as old as the sixth or seventh century A. D. and is probably much older.
With this new light, the mediæval legends of the origins of the Rajput clans of Pratihāra, Parmāra, Solanki, or Chauhaṇa, from the sacrificial fire-pit of Vasishtha assume fresh importance; the probabilities are :
(1) Where these clans or their original ancestors, united at Abu in a conference at the sacred old Aryan site of Vasishtha for a revival of Hindu rule and culture after the Huna invasion ?
(2) Or was it an Aryanisation of different nonAryan tribes or leaders, sanctioned in this Ashrama by the monks and pandits in charge of the Ashrama, after the Huna invasion? These sects would either be the ancient Nāgas, Bhillas, Kirātas, Mundas, Shabaras and others living in this area and even the Shakas of Western India (or there were Hunas as well amongst them).
The first hypothesis would mean that the Gurjaras and others were Aryans originally, the second that they were non-Aryans. The problem still lies unsettled but a definite ray of hope, supplied by these earlier sculptures, lies in the possibility of our striking at more surface finds or unearthing buried remains which have immense possibilities.
For various reasons, I believe that a site on Mt. Abu or in the Abu-Bhillamāla area, selected for excavation, would be largely helpful to Indological studies. Besides showing us something about the material culture of the Kshatrapas and the Gurjjara-Pratihāras, it might help us