Gupta Temple

Gupta Temple at Sanchi, formally Temple No. 17, is one of the earliest surviving structural stone temples in India, built in the 5th century AD during the Gupta period. The small flat-roofed sanctum with a pillared porch represents the prototype from which later Hindu temple architecture evolved. Its four square columns with carved capitals, plain facade and elegant proportions embody the restraint and refinement of Gupta classicism. The temple is believed to have been used for Buddhist worship and its architectural vocabulary was subsequently absorbed into both Buddhist and Hindu temple building.