Eran is an ancient town located on the south bank of Bina river, in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. It was a flourishing town from 2nd Century BC till 7th Century AD. Archaelogical findings have suggested that Eran, lying on the ancient route between Ujjain and Mathura, was an important economic center under the Gupta Empire (319-543 AD). Several Gupta Era temples, monuments, incriptions etc have been discovered from the site. The most important historical findings are however are the diverse coins excavated here suggesting that the town was likely one of the ancient mints for ancient Indian kingdoms along with Vidisha, Ujjain, and Tripuri.
Eran finds mention as Erakaina or Erakanya in Buddhist and Hindu texts and on ancient coins and inscriptions. During the Gupta period it served as the capital of Erakina (Airikina) Pradesha or Airkina Vishaya - an administrative division of the Gupta Empire. A group of ancient Hindu temples are located to the west of the Eran town. All the temples have a rectangular or square plan and they are in a row. The most iconic and remarkable temple at Eran is the Varaha (Boar) Temple dedicated to the Varaha avatar of Lord Vishnu.
The Colossal Varaha at Eran is the earliest known completely theriomorphic iconography for the Varaha avatar of Vishnu in India. The scene shown is the return of Varaha after he had successfully killed the oppressive demon Hiranyaksha, found and rescued goddess earth (Prithivi, Bhudevi). The colossal Varaha measures about 11 feet in height, 5 feet in width and 14 feet in length, and is wonderfully decorated with 1,185 figures of sages arranged in twelve rows.
The boar is made of stone, but the intricate carving of the surface of its body, a goddess hanging by its right tusk, inscriptions and other details make the statue a symbolic narrative. These carvings cover the body, legs, throat, forehead and neck of the Varaha. Hanging from the right tusk of Varaha is Bhudevi (Goddess Earth), in the ears are Vidyadharas (celestial musicians), together with a garland consisting of 28 circles, 27 of them containing an image of male and female figures, the last remaining circle housing a scorpion.
On the body of the Varaha are carved sages identified by their simple robes, pointy beards and hair knotted up like sadhus, holding kamandala water pot in one hand and with a yoga mudra in the other. The Varaha's tongue is sticking out slightly, on it is standing a small goddess who has been interpreted as Saraswati (or Vac - Vedic goddess of knowledge). On its front chest is the inscription of Huna ruler Toramana which confirms that the Hunas has invaded the northwest, displaced Gupta Empire authority, and their brief rule over the northwest and central India had begun in early 6th century.
The Varaha temple was built by king Dhyana Vishnu. Cunningham - the first archaeologist to write a systematic report, found it in ruins with pillars broken that suggest its destruction at some point rather than natural erosion. Today the boar stands in open, but the foundation and stumps around it confirm that there was once a rectangular shrine complete with walls and mandapa. Scholars have suggested that it was likely a large temple, more along the lines of the Varaha temple at Khajuraho.
To the north of the Varaha Temple is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It has a damaged colossal statue of Vishnu that is 13 feet high. This temple is also mostly ruined, but shows signs of having a sanctum, a mandapa and all the elements of a Hindu temple. Just like the Varaha temple, the Vishnu temple had intricately carved pillars, but with a different design. The door jambs have images of Yamuna and Ganga, river goddesses that are typically found higher up in door jambs from the Gupta period.
The Narasimha Temple is the northernmost substantial structure in the group. The temple was a single room of about 12 feet by 8 feet with a mandapa in front on four pillars. These pillars are now missing, but the remnants on the plinth confirm that they once did. The sanctum had a 7 feet high Narasimha statue, the man-lion avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is currently damaged, broken at the knees, resting on a carved slab.
Another major monument at Eran is the Buddhagupta pillar. The Sanskrit inscription found on its platform confirmed that it was built during the reign of Gupta Emperor Buddhagupta (476–495 AD). It was raised in honour of Janardana, another name of Lord Vishnu. On top of it there is an abacus with images of lions. On the abacus stands a double statue of Garuda, holding a serpent in his hands, with a chakra wheel behind the head.
Eran was likely one of the ancient mints for Indian kingdoms, along with Vidisha, Ujjain, and Tripuri. A large number of ancient coins of different styles, shapes and inscriptions spanning the last few centuries of the 1st millennium BC through the 7th century have been discovered here. Over 3,000 coins found here have been dated to between 300 BC to 100 AD.
Most of the coins are square shaped, minted using the "die-method" a far more perfect technique to make coins than "punch-marked coins", thereby distinguishing itself. The common motifs on the coin include Goddess Lakshmi seated with two elephants flanking her as if spraying water, horses, elephants, bull, trees (probably Bodhi), flowers particularly lotus, swastikas, rivers, Buddhist symbols such as dharmachakra and tri-ratna etc.
The Saka (Indo-Scythian) king Sridharavarman, who ruled in Central India between 339-368 AD, made an inscription of a small pillar at Eran, together with his Naga military commander. Gupta ruler Bhanugupta later also wrote his inscription on the same pillar. The inscription of Gupta ruler Bhanugupta is of great historical importance. It is inscribed on the reverse of the Sridharavarman pillar. It mentions the death of a noble Goparaja in a battle the 191st year without mentioning calendar system. This is generally accepted as Gupta era 191, or 510 AD. It further states that the wife of Goparaja cremated herself on the funeral pyre of his husband. This is the earliest recorded instances of Sati in India.
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