Tikula caves Krishna - Balarama

This 2300 Yrs Old Painting is from the “Tikula Caves” near Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

One of the earliest depictions of Hindu Gods “Balarama/Sankarshana”, “Vasudeva/Sri Krishna” and “Shakti of Vishnu/Ekanamsha”.

By A.K. Singh - p.71 Non creative reproduction of a 2-dimensional work of art in the Public Domain (3-2nd century BCE), thereby corresponding to PD-Art rules., Public Domain, 

Though much old look at the intricate details this painting holds. Let us look at them.

1. Balarama is holding Hala (Plough) & Gada (Mace).

2. Vasudeva is holding Gada (Mace) & Chakra (Wheel).

3. Shakti of Vishnu holding the “Chatra” (Parasol) over Vasudeva.

Note that the Gada of Vasudeva is slightly different from that of the Balarama and what surprises me is the “Chatra” held by Shakti/Ekanamsha which is a defining element in the Hindu Iconography later.

These caves also hold numerable “Vyuhams” (Military Plans) painted around of which “Chakra Vyuahams” are frequently found.

This beautiful “Bhimbetika of Gwalior” is on the banks of Parvathi River has no protection or care.

They lie in open and anybody can tamper the age old Heritage.

Archaeologist Wakankar discovered this sketch of the saMkarShaNa-vAsudeva-ekAnaMshA triad in a cave at Tikla on the mathurA-ujjayini route. He thought it was a king& queen with an attendant holding an umbrella. Neumayer's sketch of figures& inscription below. However, the

halAyudha, gadA, chakra indicate the deities. The inscription above looks like: 𑀤𑀩𑀼𑀓𑁂𑀦𑀁 𑀓𑀭𑀺𑀢𑀁 𑀑𑀟𑀸𑀦𑀓𑀺𑀢𑀁 : dabukenaM karitaM oDAnakitaM from a zoomed in image. May be it means "drawing made by dabuka" The proper instrumental would be dabukena but the dot's there

The vAsudeva reminds 1 of the depiction at pArthasArathI in chennai. The form of the brAhmI is clearly close to the Heliodorus vaiShNava inscription bracketed by middle mauryan and later kShathrapa brAhmI. So late maurya/shu~Nga era most likely. What exactly is ekAnaMshA holding?

Some interpret it as the parasol of royal power. Such parasols are indeed seen with the chandraketugarh mystery goddess