The Heliodorus pillar is a stone column that was erected around 113 BCE in central India in Besnagar. The pillar was called the Garuda-standard by Heliodorus, referring to the deity Garuda. The pillar is commonly named after Heliodorus, who was an ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas from Taxila, and was sent to the Indian ruler Bhagabhadra. A dedication written in Brahmi script was inscribed on the pillar, venerating Vāsudeva (krishna), the Deva deva the "God of Gods" and the Supreme Deity. The pillar also glorifies the Indian ruler as "Bhagabhadra the savior". The pillar is a stambha which symbolizes joining earth, space and heaven, and is thought to connote the "cosmic axis" and express the cosmic totality of the Deity.
Heliodorus pillar in Vidisha, India.
Initial reconstitution of the Heliodorus pillar by Cunningham in 1874–1875
The fan-palm pinnacle Cunningham assumed belonged to the Heliodorus pillar.
Heliodorus pillar, 1913–15 excavation.
Vidisha is a city in central Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located 62.5 km northeast of the state capital, Bhopal. The name "Vidisha" is derived from the nearby river "Bais", mentioned in the Puranas.
Heliodorus pillar
Archaeological layers at Besnagar: the Temple of Vāsudeva in the forefront, and the Heliodorus pillar in the back
Besnagar pottery Period V
Besnagar silver punch-marked coins.
