Among the imposing sculptures, is a befittingly bejewelled standing image of four-armed Vishnu, carrying an un-blossomed lotus in the upper right hand and a conch shell in the corresponding left. The two lower hands are placed over the personified figures of the gada, being a female figure in tribhanga pose and identified by a part of mace extended over the head, on the right and the chakra, represented by a male figure with his right hand upraised and the left in kartyavalambita pose on the left. According to canonical works, Vishnu should have one face and four arms, of which one of the right should carry a fully bloomed lotus with the other placed on the head of personified female figure of gada (Gada Devi) and one of the left should carry a conch while the other should be placed on the Chakrapurusha, depicted ornamented (sarvabharanabhusitah) with a big belly (lambodarah) and with eyes well open as in dancing. The Earth- goddess should be portrayed between the legs of Vishnu. Thus, the Vishnu figure from Jahngira substantially tallies in iconographic details, the only important deviation being the absence of the Earth-goddess. In the opinion of S Sahai, the sculpture belonged to the Gupta period since it compared well with an early Gupta stucco figure from Rajgir and with those from Mathura and Udayagiri in terracotta and stone respectively. However, Asher, ascribed it to the 8th century A.D.

To be continued....