Dadam Das

The site of Dadam Das situated on the east of Hodar on the right bank of the Indus is also rich in Sogdian inscriptions. Not only the inscriptions but also the pictures and symbols lead to a Central Asian origin. To this group belongs a scene from Dadam Das, which shows this fact in a striking way. Two male figures are standing turned to the left holding a goblet in the right hand and in the left a flower, which is carried over the shoulder. Besides this the right figure is decorated with a headdress and a big earring. There is no doubt that among the monuments of religious contents in the rock carvings and inscriptions at the upper Indus Buddhist figures are predominate. Besides, this it is evident, that other religions were represented as well. The Shivaism in this region, which is otherwise characterized by Buddhism, is certainly very complex and has got different expressions in the respective historical periods. Here is not the place to go into details of the related problems of religious history, but to direct attention to some monuments, which are relevant for the questions. The representation of Sivas in Dadam Das is not the only one, at Thor a picture of six-armed deity, which is dressed in kneeling trousers and a kind of shirt. At its feet a short trident is visible. It`s clear from the six arms and the trisula that displayed figure refers to Siva. At Thor another kind of Shiva veneration can be observed, the representation of a man kneeling in front of a lingam altar. In the left hand he is holding a kind of caduceus. A Brahmi inscription reveals the name of the person: Kakena, left to the lingum a fire altar is added. Siva worship is also documented in theophoric names e.g., Sivadasa or Siva-raksita, which are known from the inscriptions in Chilas and Taxila.