Archeological site and cave in Madhya Pradesh, India
Tikla
Vrishni triad shown in a rock painting at Tikla,Madhya Pradesh, 3rd-2nd century BCE. These would beBalarama,Vāsudeva and the female deityEkanamsha.[1] The inscription inBrahmi reads:Dambukena kāritam odanakita, probably conveying a contribution by someone named Dambuka.[1]
Probably the earliest known Indian depiction of the Mathuran known as theVrishni heroes, is a rock painting found at Tikla.[1] This rock painting is dated to the 3rd-2nd century BCE, based on the paleography of theBrahmi inscription accompanying it.[1] The deities are depicted wearing adhoti with a peculiar headdress, and are shown holding their attributes: a plow and a sort of mace forBalarama, and a mace and a wheel forVāsudeva. A third smaller character is added, forming what can be called aVrishni trio, in the person of a female, thought to be the GoddessEkanamsha, who seems to hold aChatra royal umbrella.[1] These depictions belong to "Period IV" of the rock shelter, and are accompanied by contemporaneous images of elephant riders, horse riders and flowers.[5]
Tikla has a famous carved petroglyph representing a maze. It is the earliest known maze design in India, is dated to 250 BCE, and it is thought that the design was introduced with the campaigns ofAlexander the Great.[6]
