Maharashtra: Ter, a village with deep-rooted history of secularism

Secularism and tolerance for other faiths may be a much-debated topic today. But, a village with a rich archaeological past located in Marathwada reveals how the tradition was followed by rulers in ancient India.

Located around 450 km from Mumbai in Osmanabad district, Ter, which was called 'Tagar' in ancient times, is mentioned in the works of the Chinese traveller Hsuan-Tsang and was populated from 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD through pre-Satavahana, Satavahana, later-Satavahana and Vakataka periods. It reached the pinnacle of its glory during Satavahana rule but may have gradually became inhabitable due to drought during the Rashtrakuta era.

Archaeologists who have conducted excavations at the site, which was a mercantile centre and part of India's ancient trade with Rome, note how Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions flourished there during Satavahana times. "The Satavahanas were adherents of the Vedic tradition, but were tolerant of Buddhism. They also gave grants to Buddhist stupas as is evident from the inscriptions at the stupa in Sanchi. Ter had a flourishing presence of Hindu or Vedic traditions and Buddhists during the Satavahana era," said Maya Patil (Shahapurkar), head, department of archaeology, Solapur University. The Satavahananas ruled from Pratisthan, or present day Paithan.

Patil, who is finalising the excavation report, noted that Ter had revealed pottery and symbols with a 'Triratna' (a Buddhist symbol representing the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha). "There are evidences of a chaitya and stupa at the site... and also a few signs of the presence of Jains in Ter and in the 6-7th century Dharashiv caves located 18 km from Ter," she explained. The vicinity has Jain temples dating to the medieval era (12th and 13th century). Ter has the 4th century Trivikram temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, which is the oldest surviving brick temple in Maharashtra, and the 6th- 7th century Uttareshwar and Kaleshwar temples, which belong to the Shaiva tradition, and later day Islamic structures. The village also has a Narsimha temple, which may have been re-constructed in the 17th or 18th century, but may have been built much earlier. "It has a great cultural and religious diversity," said Patil, adding that all streams of religious thought and philosophy, namely Vedic/ Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Vaishnava, Shaiva and Islam, had their presence in the area.

FINDINGS

• Shell bangles, ivory eyebrow pencils used to apply kajal, megarianware decorated pottery, black ware and red ware, terracotta bowls, remains of a stupa, chaitya and houses, figurines of Lajjagauri (Mother Goddess), terracotta toys, figurines of animals, fragments of amphoras that may have contained wine from Rome