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15 Jul, 2015

Jandial — a Zoroastrian temple in heart of Buddhist civilisation – DAWN.COM

Jandial — a Zoroastrian temple in heart of Buddhist civilisation Amjad Iqbal — Updated 3 days ago Base of the column of sandstone placed in front of Jandial temple. Taxila is known as the cradle of Buddhist civilisation, with numerous Buddhist sites. But few know that in heart of the great Buddhist civilisation there stands a Zoroastrian temple known as the Jandial Temple. The Jandial temple dates back to 1st century BC, standing on an artificial mound, north of Sirkap City.

Fragments of column and pilasters made of sandstone built in front of Jandial temple. Stairs leading to Jandial temple — a pure Greek style of architecture. The resemblance of this temple to classical Greek temples is striking. The structure of the temple is in limestone and kanjur with plaster on the façade, patches of which are still intact. Kanjur is a porous form of sedimentary stone, used in Gandhara. Some large columns and pillars are constructed with massive blocks of sandstone.

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