Hindoo Temples at Agouree, on the River Soane, Bahar
Artist and engraver: Daniell, Thomas (1749-1840)
Medium: Aquatint, coloured
Plate 19 from the first set of Thomas Daniell's 'Oriental Scenery.' Agori, on the river Son (no longer in Bihar, but now in Mirzapur District, Uttar Pradesh), is an ancient sacred place although with no very ancient architectural remains. It was once sacred to the non-brahminical gods of the local aboriginals and was only comparatively recently assimilated into more orthodox Hinduism. The 18th century temples depicted by Daniell have the tall pyramidal sikharas or superstructures typical of North India. They are dwarfed by the huge Banyan tree with its hanging roots. This sacred tree is a symbol of the Trimurti. Vishnu represents the bark, Brahma the roots and Shiva the branches.