Epigraphical Profile & Archaeological Context
Location & Site:Urwahi Valley & Gopachal Cliff, Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh
Historical Period:Tomara Dynasty of Gwalior (15th Century CE)
Patron Sovereign:Raja Dungar Singh & Raja Kirti Singh
🖋️Primary Inscriptional Text
Devanagari Script • SanskritOriginal Text Transliterated in Devanagari / Regional Script:
संवत् १५१० वर्षे वैशाख सुदी... तोमर वंशे श्री डूंगरसिंह राज्ये भट्टारक गुणभद्र...
Romanized Transliteration (IAST):
Saṃvat 1510 varṣe vaiśākha sudī... Tomara vaṃśe Śrī Ḍūṅgarasiṃha rājye Bhaṭṭāraka Guṇabhadra...
Scholarly English Translation:
“In Samvat 1510, during the illustrious reign of Tomara King Dungar Singh, the colossal standing image of Bhagwan Rishabhanatha (57 feet tall) and hundreds of Jina icons were consecrated by Bhattaraka Gunabhadra of the Kashtha Sangha.”
🔬Historical & Epigraphical Significance
Documents the creation of the largest cliff-cut Digambara colossi in northern India, recording the resilience of Jain patronage in the face of medieval geopolitical upheaval.
Primary Epigraphical Citations:
- Cunningham, Alexander, Archaeological Survey of India Reports, Vol. II, pp. 364–368, 1871
- Dwivedi, H.N., Gwalior ke Tomar, Vidya Mandir, 1976
Associated Archaeological Monument:
Explore MonumentsGwalior Fort Rock-Cut Colossi (Urwahi & Gopachal)
Hundreds of colossal unclad Digambara Tirthankaras hewn directly into the sheer vertical sandstone cliffs of Gwalior Fort. In the Urwahi Valley stands a monumental 57-foot standing Rishabhanatha, demonstrating the structural resilience of Digambara art.