File:0121521 Pawaya Surya, now at Gwalior Gujari Mahal Museum 002.jpg

English: This is an unmatched work of art excavated from the Pawaya site, according to the art historian J. C. Harle. Similarly Garde – the archaeologist at the site and co-discoverer expressed superlative terms to describe it.

It has been variously dated between mid 4th century to mid 5th century.

This was a statue in a temple, or capital above a tall pillar. It shows two faces of the same deity back to back, with a wheel in the middle. Given where this was excavated and the presence of a wheel in between, most scholars suggest that this is Vishnu (greater consensus) or Surya.

A similar capital is present above the Airan (Eran) pillar, also an ancient Hindu site. However, at Eran, Garuda is shown as a part of the capital above the pillar.

Background:

Pawaya, also spelled Pavaya, is a small remote village about 40 kilometers south of Gwalior. It is one of the most celebrated archaeological sites from 1st to 4th century ancient India, with discoveries of some of the oldest known temple foundations and ancient Indian artwork in central India.

Pawaya is the ancient Padmavati, one repeatedly mentioned as the 'glorious capital city' of the Nagas in many ancient Sanskrit religious and secular texts (love story, plays). For examples, Vishnu Purana and Vayu Purana mention it. The city remained a prosperous economic and religious center through the 12th-century, as evidenced by poems and fiction using it as setting or one of the locations for their story. For example, the 8th century Malatimadhavam – a love story between Malati and Madhava – which mentions Padmavati city to be blessed with waterfalls and four rivers: Sindhu, Para, Lavana, and Madhumati. These rivers and waterfalls – though with similar but evolved names – are in the neighborhood and scenic terrain of Pawaya.

Pawaya has many mounds. One of these has been excavated so far. This excavation at Pawaya between 1925 and 1940, and post-1960 yielded some of the finest artwork pieces from 3rd and 4th centuries. These include Buddhist, Hindu and Jain artwork, but the discoveries have been predominantly Hindu. A massive temple platform has also been unearthed (25.783220°N, 78.239940°E), along with evidence of smaller shrines (all pre-Gupta and Gupta Empire era). Many of the terracota and stone artwork were hauled away and moved to various museums during the colonial era. A good though small collection from ancient Padmavati city (now Pawaya village) is on display at the Gurjari Mahal museum of Gwalior.