Discover Sasaram: Rock Art, Maa Tara and Sher Shah Suri Tomb

Sasaram offers several clearly distinct themes for a culture-focused trip: red rock paintings, figures depicted in another rock shelter, the natural cave of Maa Tara with its temple statues and inscriptions, and Sher Shah Suri Tomb in an artificial lake. These examples differ in their motifs, historical attributions and architectural forms. You can choose the focus of your trip based on which of these themes interest you most.

Rock Paintings and Figures

In the Barahmasiya rock shelter near Sasaram, red rock paintings show ten large, ancient, human-like figures standing upright with their arms outstretched. Above them is a hunting scene: a man hunts a dark red deer with a bow and arrow, accompanied by a dog. The scene includes a hunter, prey and companion; the ten figures below represent a different subject. The specific combination of weapons, the animal’s color and the dog is what distinguishes the hunting scene from the standing figures.

A different focus can be found in the large rock shelter in the Ghorghat Valley near Sasaram. The wall depicts small figures of a group of people walking forward; in front of them is an image of an animal with a visible skeleton. Compared with Barahmasiya, the emphasis here is on a group in motion and an animal image, rather than a hunting scene with a hunter, deer and dog. The two rock shelters thus offer different motifs to compare: a hunting depiction above large figures, and a small group of people with an animal image.

Maa Tara: Cave, Statues and Inscription

Maa Tara is located in a natural cave in the Kaimur Hills of the Vindhya Range. The Maa Tara temple complex contains statues of Maa Tara and Surya; a fragmentary statue of Agni is located outside. All three are attributed to the late or later Gupta period. The cave setting and the statues represent different aspects of the site: one describes its natural surroundings, while the others are its surviving works of art.

A large inscription is located beside the statue of Maa Tara. Mahanayak Pratap Dhavaldev, king of the Kharwar dynasty, commissioned it in the 12th century and had it written by his son Shatrudhan. This date can be distinguished from the attribution of the statues to the late or later Gupta period. Thus, the same temple complex contains works of art attributed to a period and an inscription whose commissioner, scribe and century are identified.

Another inscription at Aashiqpur Hill

A miniature inscription commissioned by Emperor Ashoka is located on Aashiqpur Hill, also known as Chandan Shaheed. Its format and attribution differ from those of the large inscription beside the Maa Tara statue: the former is a miniature inscription associated with Ashoka, while the latter is a large inscription commissioned by Mahanayak Pratap Dhavaldev, king of the Kharwar dynasty, and written by his son Shatrudhan. If you are interested in inscriptions, these details provide useful points of reference for distinguishing the two records.

Sher Shah Suri Tomb in the Lake

Sher Shah Suri Tomb in Sasaram stands in the middle of an artificial, approximately square lake. The tomb stands at the lake’s center on a square stone plinth. Covered kiosks and chhatris are located at each corner of the plinth. Stone embankments and stepped landing places surround the plinth; a wide stone bridge connects it to the mainland. The complex is thus made up of clearly described spatial elements: the body of water, the plinth, the corner structures and the bridge.

The descriptions of the shapes also distinguish the elements of the complex: the lake is approximately square, and the stone plinth is square. The bridge provides the stated connection between the plinth and the mainland, while the stepped landing places and stone embankments surround the plinth. If you are particularly interested in architectural forms and spatial layout, the tomb offers a different focus from Sasaram’s rock art and inscriptions.

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