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ARCHEOLOGICAL Evidences

The objective scientific evidence comes from the study of archeology and iconography.  A visitor to India is given to understand that the temples of India date back  millenniums.  A study of the dates of the temples will soon show otherwise.

There are a large number of Buddhist and Jain temples and Vihars (congregational areas) all over India.  These are elaborately carved cave temples and abodes of monks.  Here are the most popular astounding temples and their dates.

Ajantha Ellora Cave Temples of Maharashtra dates
200 BC – 500 AD Buddhist.

 This Sanchi Buddhist Stupa was erected by Ashoka Maurya in the in the middle of the third century BC   (Buddhist.) 

Thus we see imposing Buddhist Structures in existence Before Christ (BC).  But there is not a single Hindu Temple or Structure or Vigraha (idols) Before the Christian Era.  Even the Jain Temples with idols date to the Christian Era.  

The earliest “Hindu” Temple is found in Tigawa, near modern Jabalpur and is dated at the Gupta Dynasty in AD 350 – 650

The Earliest Hindu Temple dates only to 350 – 650 AD

The lack of any temples prior to AD 300 dedicated to any of the gods or avatars indicates that even though Indian culture dates back several millennium before Christ, the Hindu culture as envisioned today did not exist far beyond the third century AD.  The great antiquity of Indian mythology and philosophies are simply a myth created very recently for political and social gains.

One of the earliest  idols is found in the Elephanta Caves a few miles from the port of Bombay looking through the Gate Way of India. This representation is called in later documents as, Sada Siva Murthy, which means, “The Form of The Eternal God.”

Sada Siva Murthy

The three faces are called:

Tatpurusha-Mahadeva, (Self Existent Great God)
Vamadeva-Uma (feminine - right side), (The Right Hand Lady God) and
Aghora-Bhairava (Masculine Fierce - left side).
 This is heavily reminiscent of Hebrew Kabala.  These caves are dated at Satvahana period which ruled this area between secondd century BC and third century AD.  The form of Sada Siva Murthy is dated in the third Centaury AD.

The earliest direct portrayal of Hinduism, “Ekamukha,” is also of fall later than third century.

Siva Linga Gupta

This Shiva Linga Gupta, is dated early fifth century AD and is found in Udayagiri, Madhya Pradesh, India

Kapaleeshwarar temple

Kapleeshwara Temple, Mylapore, Madras

This temple is located in Mylapore.  Evidences of Christian heritage are found here.  Even the Hindu scholars agree to the fact that there are a large number of archeological artifacts intermixed with lowest level of the excavation, indicating the presence of Christian Temple in the Mylapore Kapaleswara Temple compound long before the presence of Hinduism.  Since we know that Hinduism came after Christianity, it is not surprising.  The Hindu fanatic writers has a hard time trying to explain it away “as a standing example of Christian desecration.”  The Tomb of St.Thomas itself is within the Temple compound.  Surprising!  Evidently Kapaleswara Temple was the “Head quarters of the Apostolic See of Thomas”.  “Kapal” means Skull  and Eeswara means God.  The very name Kapaleeswara  is reminiscent of Calvary,  the place of skull where Jesus was crucified.

The name Mylapore will be also found significant as the history of this area is discussed.

“Historians vouch that there is a strong reason to believe that the St. Thomas Church stands on the ruins of a Jain Neminathaswami temple and a Shiva temple, which had a Nataraja shrine attached.

“Epigraphical data for the existence of the Jain temple on this site is said to be recorded in Jain Inscriptions in the State by A Ekambaranath and C K Sivaprakasham (Research Foundation for Jainology, Madras, 1987).

“More importantly, evidences have emerged, especially in the book 'The Saint Thomas Myth' in India by Ved Prakash, for the existence of the Shiva temple, which might have been the original Kapaleeswara Temple.” (Hamsa.org)

The age of the present temple point to a period of about 300 years ago only.  The Archeologists believe that the original temple had been in the Santhome area near the sea as recent archaeological excavations in that area point to the presence of a temple during the period as old as first century AD.  Ancient maritime maps of the period show a “Temple of Augusti” (The Temple of the Great) in that area.  Some scholars suggest that it was a Roman Temple with Augustus Caesar as god.  If that is so, we have no remnant of that temple anywhere.

 Structures of Christian and Hindu Temples

The ancient Churches of South India found in Kerala retains its architectural similarity with Hindu Temples.  When Vasco-da Gama came to Kerala, he even entered into a Kali temple thinking it was the Church of the Virgin Mary!  The Jewish temple with three areas – outer court or court of the gentiles, the court (holies) for the assembly where worshippers come together and the sanctum sanctorum (holy of holies)  - are reflected exactly in the Hindu temple structures.

The internal Tripartite structure of the temple is strikingly similar to the internal structure of the Hebrew Temple and also of Christian Churches of the East.