Published Paper Details:

The coins of the Imperial Guptas has a significant place in ancient India as a source of history, because of their originality, portraying of the figures, artistic techniques, uniformity in weight and size etc. Coins are considered as the prime material apart from the other sources to know the political, economic, and religious history of the particular period. The depiction of various symbols, deities, figures and legends inscribed on the Gupta coins not only bring out the contemporary faiths which were prevalent but also throw valuable light on the religious practices and worship which continued through the ages. In this paper an endeavor has been made to make an analysis and significance of various Vaishnava symbols and legends found on the coinage of the Guptas, as they throw important light on the religious affiliation of the rulers. As the Gupta monarchs were the upholders of Vaishnavism, most of their coins depict the various Vaishnavite symbols like Garuda (the vehicle of Vishnu), chakra (wheel that represents the discus of Vishnu), Shankha (conch) and other deities. The numismatic sources of the concerned period would be utilized to know the different deities and their attributes for the study of religion particularly the Vaishnavism.