Kahaum pillar is an structure located in

Khukhundoo Khukhundoo (old name is Kakandi Nagari), is a small town in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India, approximately east of Deoria city near the border with Bihar state on Deoria Salempur road in Deoria district. Kakandi Jain Circuit ...

in the state of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

, and dates to the reign of

Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

ruler

Skandagupta Skandagupta ( Gupta script: ''Ska-nda-gu-pta'', r. c. 455-467) was a Gupta Emperor of India. His Bhitari pillar inscription suggests that he restored the Gupta power by defeating his enemies, who may have been rebels or foreign invaders. He ...

. The 5th century an pillar known as ''Kahaum pillar'' was erected during the reign of

. This pillar has carvings of Parshvanatha and other tirthankars with Jain Brahmi script.

Description

Kahaum pillar is a grey-sandstone was erected during the reign of

. According to inscription of the pillar, the pillar was erected by the Skandagupta in the Jyeshtha month of year 141 of the

Gupta era The Gupta era is a historical calendar era that begins from c. 318–319 CE. It was used by the Gupta emperors, as well as their vassals and their successors in present-day northern India and Nepal. It is identical to the Vallabhi era (or Valabh ...

(A.D. 460–61). The pillar was erected by Skandagupta upon receiving counsil from

Madra Madra (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-western South Asia whose existence is attested since the Vedic period. The members of the Madra tribe were called the Madrakas. Location The Madras were divided into -Madra ("northe ...

. There is a on the pillar with writing with characters belonging to eastern variety of Gupta alphabet similar to that of Samudragupta inscription of Allahabad Pillar. The inscription is written in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

language, and written in verses except for the first word ''siddhaṁ''. The inscription defines reign of Skandagupta as peaceful and describes him as "commandar of a hundred kings". The inscription also has an adoration to Arihant of

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...

. There is carving of five

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (Sanskrit: '; English: literally a ' ford-maker') is a saviour and spiritual teacher of the '' dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a '' tirtha'', which is a fordable pass ...

kayotsarga Kayotsarga ( , pka, काउस्सग्ग ) is a yogic posture which is an important part of the Jain meditation. It literally means "dismissing the body". A tirthankara is represented either seated in yoga posture or standing in the kayo ...

posture — one in a niche square face, two below the circular stone and two on the pinnacle of the column. These images are identified to be of Rishabhanatha,

Shantinatha Shantinatha was the sixteenth Jain tirthankar of the present age (Avasarpini). Shantinatha was born to King Vishvasena and Queen Aiira at Hastinapur in the Ikshvaku dynasty. His birth date is the thirteenth day of the Jyest Krishna month of the ...

, Neminatha, Parshvanatha and Mahavira. According to inscription, these images were carved by Madra who is described as devotee of ''

dvija Dvija (Sanskrit: द्विज) means "twice-born" in ancient Indian Sanskrit. The concept is premised on the belief that a person is first born physically and at a later date is born for a second time spiritually, usually when he undergoes the ...

'', ''

guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

'' and ''

yati Yati, historically was the general term for a monk or pontiff in Hinduism and Jainism. Jainism In the late medieval period, yati came to represent a stationary monk, who lived in one place rather than wandering as required for a Jain monk. The t ...

''.

Inscription

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{{Authority control Jain art Gupta art Gupta and post-Gupta inscriptions Buildings and structures completed in the 5th century 5th-century inscriptions Sanskrit inscriptions in India