Editing Hindu temple architecture (section)

===Early structures===
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=450|caption_align=center
| align    = right
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| header=Temple of Vāsudeva in Besnagar (2nd century BCE)
| image1   = Besnagar lower levels BSN 3 next to the Heliodorus pillar.jpg
| caption1 = Initial excavations
| image2   = Elliptic plan of the Temple next to the Heliodorus pillar, Besnagar.jpg
| caption2 = Elliptic plan of the Temple
| footer_align = center
| footer=Excavation of the huge Temple of [[Vāsudeva]] next to the [[Heliodorus pillar]] in [[Besnagar]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Approaches to Iconology |date=1985 |publisher=Brill Archive |isbn=978-90-04-07772-0 |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UesUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA41 |language=en}}</ref> The Temple measured 30x30 meters, and the walls were 2.4 meters thick. Pottery remains assigns the site to the 2nd century BCE.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ghosh |first1=A. |title=Indian Archaeology 1963-64, A Review |date=1967 |publisher=ASI |page=17 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.3416858 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/3416858}}</ref> Further excavations also revealed the outline of a smaller elliptic temple structure, which was probably destroyed by the end of the 3rd century BCE.<ref>{{cite book |title=Indian Archaeology -- A Review 1964-65 |date=1965 |pages=19–20, BSN-3 |doi=10.5281/zenodo.1442629 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1442629|author1=Archaeological Survey Of India }}</ref> The platform and the base of the [[Heliodorus pillar]] are visible in the immediate background.
}}
Remains of early elliptical shrines discovered in [[Besnagar]] (3rd-2nd century BCE)<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shaw |first1=Julia |title=Buddhist Landscapes in Central India: Sanchi Hill and Archaeologies of Religious and Social Change, C. Third Century BC to Fifth Century AD |date=31 August 2013 |publisher=Left Coast Press |isbn=978-1-61132-344-3 |page=40 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jzkyBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA40 |language=en}}</ref> and [[Nagari, Rajasthan|Nagari]] (1st century BCE), may be the earliest known Hindu temple structures, associated to the early [[Bhagavata]] tradition, a precursor of [[Vaishnavism]].<ref name="SVM">{{cite book |last1=Mishra |first1=Susan Verma |last2=Ray |first2=Himanshu Prabha |title=The Archaeology of Sacred Spaces: The temple in western India, 2nd century BCE–8th century CE |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-19374-6 |page=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CtDLDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ray |first1=Himanshu Prabha |title=The Apsidal Shrine in Early Hinduism: Origins, Cultic Affiliation, Patronage |journal=World Archaeology |date=2004 |volume=36 |issue=3 |page=348 |doi=10.1080/0043824042000282786 |jstor=4128336 |s2cid=161072766 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4128336 |issn=0043-8243|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Shaw |first1=Julia |title=Buddhist Landscapes in Central India: Sanchi Hill and Archaeologies of Religious and Social Change, C. Third Century BC to Fifth Century AD |date=31 August 2013 |publisher=Left Coast Press |isbn=978-1-61132-344-3 |pages=176–177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jzkyBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA176 |language=en}}</ref> In [[Tamil Nadu]], the earliest version of the [[Murugan Temple, Saluvankuppam]], north-facing and in brick, appears to date from between the 3rd century BCE and 3rd century CE.<ref>{{cite news|title=New finds of old temples enthuse archaeologists|author=N. Ramya|date=1 August 2010|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/New-finds-of-old-temples-enthuse-archaeologists/articleshow/6242174.cms|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915014729/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-08-01/chennai/28281794_1_inscription-shore-temple-oldest-temples|url-status=live|work=[[The Times of India]]|archive-date=15 September 2012}}</ref>

In Besnagar, the temple structures have been found in conjonction with the [[Heliodorus pillar]] dedicated to [[Vāsudeva]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Ashish |title=Heliodorous Pillar of Besnagar- Past and Present (pp. 13-19) |journal=Heritage and Us |date=2013 |volume=Year 2 |issue=1 |pages=15–16 |url=https://www.academia.edu/3360811}}</ref> The archaeologists found an ancient elliptical foundation, extensive floor and plinth produced from burnt bricks. Further, the foundations for all the major components of a Hindu temple – ''garbhagriha'' (sanctum), ''pradakshinapatha'' (circumambulation passage), ''antarala'' (antechamber next to sanctum) and ''mandapa'' (gathering hall) – were found.<ref name="MDK92">{{cite journal |last1=Khare |first1=M. D. |title=THE HELIODORUS PILLAR—A FRESH APPRAISAL, BY JOHN IRWIN ( AARP—ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH PAPERS—DECEMBER 1974 ) A REJOINDER |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |date=1975 |volume=36 |pages=92–93 |jstor=44138838 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44138838 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref> These sections had a thick support base for their walls. These core temple remains cover an area of 30 x 30 m.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Indian Archaeology: A Review 1963-64|last=A.|first=Gosh|publisher=Archaeological survey of India|location=Calcutta|pages=17}}</ref> The sections had post-holes, which likely contained the wooden pillars for the temple superstructure above. In the soil were iron nails that likely held together the wooden pillars.<ref name="MDK92"/> The superstructure of the temple was likely made of wood, mud and other perishable materials.<ref name="MDK92"/>

The ancient temple complex discovered in [[Nagari, Rajasthan|Nagari]] (Chittorgarh, Rajasthan) – about 500 kilometers to the west of [[Vidisha]], has a sub-surface structure nearly identical to that of the Besnagar temple. The structure is also associated to the cult of [[Vāsudeva]] and [[Saṃkarṣaṇa]], and dated to the 1st century BCE.<ref name="MDK92"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Shaw |first1=Julia |title=Buddhist Landscapes in Central India: Sanchi Hill and Archaeologies of Religious and Social Change, C. Third Century BC to Fifth Century AD |date=31 August 2013 |publisher=Left Coast Press |isbn=978-1-61132-344-3 |page=264, note 14; 265, note 10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jzkyBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA264 |language=en}}</ref>