Siddha Baba Temple, Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): An Archaeological Reappraisal of Twin Quadrangular Lingas

Abstract

The Siddha Baba Temple of Bareilly presents an extraordinary archaeological conundrum. Its twin quadrangular Shivlingas, carved from a single block of red sandstone, exhibit technical precision yet primitive craftsmanship. When contextualized against early linga typologies—from Gudimallam in Andhra Pradesh to Ahichchhatra in Uttar Pradesh—the Siddha Baba carvings reveal morphological and stylistic anomalies that challenge established chronologies of Saivite iconography. The study synthesizes archaeological observation, geomorphological mapping, and cultural tradition to propose that Siddha Baba represents an intermediate, experimental phase of sacred stone carving—situated between natural rock cults and the architectural temple cults of the Gupta era. Keywords: