Indian cultural heritage is so grand and extensive that even today many historical places remain unknown. There is immense potential for exploration there. One such village of Malwa is Gandharvapuri. It is situated at a distance of 12 kilometers from Sonkutch tehsil of Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh.
Gandharvapuri is like thousands of other villages in our country of India. The name Gandharvapuri is definitely surprising because the names of villages in Malwa province are not like this. In a village with a population of about three to four thousand, there is a clean courtyard at some distance from the access road where an archeological plaque is put up, seeing which you are amazed. The scene visible to the eye appears to be from the 11th century. There are about three hundred statues carved on black stone, most of which are of Jain Tirthankaras, along with Lord Shiva, Parvati, Mother Durga, Padmanabha Swami lying on the bed, Shiva Parvati pressing Ravana under Kailash, Lord Vishnu, Lord Kuber, Lord in front of Nandi. Nachiket and other Hindu gods and goddesses clinging to ShivaThe idol can be seen.The statue of the birth of Shri Krishna in which Mother Devaki is breastfeeding the newborn Krishna, which is a very rare statue. Along with this, statues of Varaha, heroines and gatekeepers are also seen. Apparently these remains are excellent examples of Brahmi-Jain architectural style. The living style easily proves that Hindu and Jain streams are from the same origin and co-exist with the same natural lifestyle.
The artefacts are carved on local black stone which is of extremely high quality. All the details in terms of hair style, ornaments worn, gestures, postures and references to mythology are carved with excellence. All the artefacts show the influence of the tradition of the Parmar dynasty, especially the period of Raja Bhoj, made in the 11th and 12th centuries.
There is also an ancient Shiva temple in the village which is called Gandharva Sen Temple. There are some remains on the temple also, which gives evidence that this temple belongs to the same periodThe deity in the temple is intact and even today the sequence of regular worship continues. The vastness and grandeur of the temple can be estimated by seeing the remains. Looking at the remains of the pillars and the doorframes on the doors, it can be estimated that the temple would be approximately 50 feet high. The temple was rebuilt in the later period which can still be seen today. Situated on the banks of a small river, this temple must have been a very beautiful place full of natural beauty in its time.
It is said that earlier this village was named after Queen Champavati, then when Champavati’s son Gandharva Sen became the king, the village was named Gandharvapuri. Gandharva Sen was the father of the famous king Vikramaditya of Ujjain and Bhartrihari, the pillar of the Nath sect. Whose period is considered to be around 200 years before Christ.
However, due to lack of concrete research, the history of folk tales is known. Old people say that due to one mistake of the king, all the residents of the city and even the animals and birds turned to stone. His son Vikramaditya shifted the capital to Ujjain.
However, the history of Gandharvapuri is much more ancient than the period of available remains. If the concerned department does research related to history, archeology and architecture here, then very old history will come to light and culture will also be preserved. The idol kept there will not bear the brunt of sun, rain or cold

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