Arthuna: Paramar Capital and Temple Town of Vagad — RAS 2026

Study Material

Paper Prelims

Unit 1

1. Arthuna was the capital of the Vagad branch of the Paramar dynasty near present-day Banswara in the Dungarpur-Banswara tract.
2. The Mandaleshwar Shiva temple, Arthuna's most celebrated monument, was commissioned in 1079 CE by Paramar ruler Chamundaraj in honour of his father.
3. The Vagad Paramar line descended from Dambarisingh, the second son of the Malwa Paramar ruler Krishnaraj, and included rulers such as Dhanika, Kankadeva, Satyaraj, Chamundaraj and Vijayraj.
4. Chamundaraj's patronage at Arthuna shows the close link between political authority, Shaiva worship and architectural craft in medieval Vagad.
5. In 1179 CE, Guhila ruler Samantasingh wrested Vagad from the Paramars, after which Arthuna's political importance steadily declined.
6. Arthuna remains an important archaeological site because a Shiva temple survives there and Paramar-period sculptural and architectural remains lie scattered through the surrounding fields.

Key facts

Arthuna was the capital of the Vagad branch of the Paramar dynasty near present-day Banswara in the Dungarpur-Banswara tract.
The Mandaleshwar Shiva temple, Arthuna's most celebrated monument, was commissioned in 1079 CE by Paramar ruler Chamundaraj in honour of his father.
The Vagad Paramar line descended from Dambarisingh, the second son of the Malwa Paramar ruler Krishnaraj, and included rulers such as Dhanika, Kankade…
Chamundaraj's patronage at Arthuna shows the close link between political authority, Shaiva worship and architectural craft in medieval Vagad.
In 1179 CE, Guhila ruler Samantasingh wrested Vagad from the Paramars, after which Arthuna's political importance steadily declined.

Key Points at a Glance

1
Arthuna was the capital of the Vagad branch of the Paramar dynasty near present-day Banswara in the Dungarpur-Banswara tract.
2
The Mandaleshwar Shiva temple, Arthuna's most celebrated monument, was commissioned in 1079 CE by Paramar ruler Chamundaraj in honour of his father.
3
The Vagad Paramar line descended from Dambarisingh, the second son of the Malwa Paramar ruler Krishnaraj, and included rulers such as Dhanika, Kankadeva, Satyaraj, Chamundaraj and Vijayraj.
4
Chamundaraj's patronage at Arthuna shows the close link between political authority, Shaiva worship and architectural craft in medieval Vagad.
5
In 1179 CE, Guhila ruler Samantasingh wrested Vagad from the Paramars, after which Arthuna's political importance steadily declined.
6
Arthuna remains an important archaeological site because a Shiva temple survives there and Paramar-period sculptural and architectural remains lie scattered through the surrounding fields.

What was Arthuna, and why is it important in Rajasthan's medieval temple history?

Arthuna was the Vagad branch capital of the Paramar dynasty near present-day Banswara, and it is important because its Mandaleshwar Shiva temple and scattered Paramar-period remains preserve the political and artistic history of the Dungarpur-Banswara tract.

Arthuna, situated near Banswara in the Vagad region (the Dungarpur-Banswara tract), served as the capital of the Vagad branch of the Paramar dynasty. The Archaeological Survey of India, Jodhpur Circle records that an inscription of Paramar ruler Chamundaraj dates the Mandaleshwar Shiva temple to V.S. 1023 (1079 CE), built in honour of his father.

Paramar Lineage

Origin: This line descended from Dambarisingh, the second son of the Malwa Paramar ruler Krishnaraj.
Known rulers: Dhanika, Kankadeva, Satyaraj, Chamundaraj and Vijayraj.

Mandaleshwar Shiva Temple

Monument: The town's most celebrated monument is the Mandaleshwar Shiva temple.
Commissioned in: 1079 CE.
Patron: Paramar ruler Chamundaraj.
Context: Chamundaraj's patronage places Arthuna within the wider medieval temple-building culture of Vagad, where political authority, Shaiva worship and architectural craft were closely linked.

Political Change

1179 CE: The Guhila ruler Samantasingh wrested Vagad from the Paramars and ended their hold over Arthuna.
After 1179 CE: The town's political significance steadily declined, even though its temples and ruins continued to mark its earlier status as a Paramar centre.

Banswara Settlement and Temple Patronage

Vagad Paramars: credited with founding the settlement around Banswara and patronising several temples there.
Architectural association: This reflected their close attachment to architecture and craft.
Religious setting: Arthuna's temple landscape is significant for showing how royal patronage, local settlement growth and sacred architecture developed together in southern Rajasthan.

Archaeological Heritage

Heritage value: The settlement remains an archaeological treasure of considerable heritage value.
Surviving temple: A Shiva temple still survives in the village.
Paramar-period remains: Sculptural and architectural remains of the Paramar period lie strewn through the surrounding fields.
Ruined mounds: The ruined mounds of Arthuna are still read today as a record of Paramar-era artistry and prosperity in the Vagad belt.
Exam relevance: For Rajasthan history, Arthuna should be remembered as both a political capital of the Vagad Paramars and a temple town whose remains make the dynasty visible on the ground.