The Story of the Heliodorus Pillar at Vidisha - Storytrails
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The Story of the Heliodorus Pillar at Vidisha

An ancient pillar that has been worshipped for centuries. And a Greek ambassador who declared himself a devotee of Vasudeva. Around the 2nd century BCE, Heliodorus, an ambassador from the Indo-Greek kingdom, erected a pillar at Besnagar in central India. Its Brahmi inscription identifies him as a devotee of Vasudeva. The Heliodorus Pillar at Vidisha offers a fascinating glimpse into the cultural exchanges that shaped ancient India.

1.Buddhist Stupa at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh

Bhajish Bharathan, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buddhist_Stupa_at_Sanchi_in_Madhya_Pradesh.jpg

2.Archaeological excavations of the Temple of Vāsudeva, Besnagar

Ministry of Culture, GODL-India <https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Besnagar_lower_levels_BSN_3_next_to_the_Heliodorus_pillar.jpg

3.Heliodorus pillar

British Library 1915, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heliodorus_pillar_1913-15_excavation.jpg

4.Heliodorus pillar with elevation

Public Domain file: Rawlinson, H. G. (Hugh George), 1880-1957, published in 1912.Photograph: User:Dilipkumarftii1977, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heliodorus_pillar_with_elevation.jpg

5.Coin of Antialcidas

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=174829

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Coin_of_Antialcidas.jpg 

6.Coin of the King Agathocles, Bactria

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coin_of_the_Bactrian_King_Agathokles.jpg

7.Alexander the Great

Berthold Werner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_and_Bucephalus_-_Battle_of_Issus_mosaic_-_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_-_Naples_BW.jpg

8.Alexander’s Empire, 323 BCE

Thomas Lessman (Contact!), CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander-Empire_323bc.jpg

9.Hypaspist

Peltast at English Wikipedia aka Johnny Shumate. For more illustrations email shumate_j@bellsouth.net, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hypaspist.jpg

10.Seleucid Empire, 281 BCE

Talessman, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rome-Seleucia-Parthia_200bc.jpg

11.Seleucus I Nicator

Allan Gluck, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seleukos_I_Nikator_Bronze_Roman_100BCE-100CE_Museo_Archeologico_Nazionale_Naples_AN_5590_1.jpg

12.Seleukos I Nikator

Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com, CC BY-SA 2.5 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seleukos_I_Nikator,_tetradrachm,_312-281_BC,_HGC_9-20.jpg

13.Chandragupta Maurya Empire 303 BCE

Avantiputra7, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chandragupta_Maurya_Empire_303_BCE_1.png

14.Chandragupta Maurya

GODL-India <https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chandragupta_Maurya_Stamp.jpg

15.A Greco-Bactrian ruler

ALFGRN, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Head_of_a_Greco-Bactrian_ruler,_Temple_of_the_Oxus,_Takht-i-Sangin,_3rd-2nd_century_BCE.jpg

16.Temple of the Gadde

Yale University Art Gallery, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cult_relief_of_the_Gad_(Fortune)_of_Dura,_from_the_Temple_of_the_Gadde.jpg

17.Ashoka, Sanchi Stupa

Photo Dharma from Sadao, Thailand, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ashoka%27s_visit_to_the_Ramagrama_stupa_Sanchi_Stupa_1_Southern_gateway.jpg

18.Greco – Bactrian Philosopher

Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PhilosopherBust.jpg

19.Chakhil-i-Ghoundi Stupa, Afghanistan

Originally uploaded by PHG., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Indo-GreekBanquet.JPG

20.Shunga empire

Map created from DEMIS Mapserver, which are public domain. Koba-chan.Reference: [1], CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_the_Shungas.png

21.Bharhut Yavana

User:G41rn8, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bharhut_Yavana.jpg

22.Taxila

Marify, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Let%27s_see_Taxila_053.jpg

23.Bharhut Stupa

Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Gateway_and_Railings_Bharhut_Stupa.jpg 

24.Vasudeva Temple next to Heliodorus Pillar

Ministry of Culture, GODL-India <https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf>, via Wikimedia Commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elliptic_plan_of_the_Temple_next_to_the_Heliodorus_pillar,_Besnagar.jpg

END OF STORY

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