Search for Vitthala ,the lost buddha is a challenge to arrive at or near the date or history period of its statuary.Coherent narrative of stylistic development in Mathuran and Gandharan art with their mutual influence, and study of different worship forms can help us fix the date and era of Vitthala the bodhisattava.
Mostly it is widely accepted that the Kanishka era was when the full image of Buddha was sculpted. However this development was preceded by art that clinged to narrative relief and symbolic representation of Buddha. Some historians on the basis of Mountain Temple Inscription feel that antiquity of Vitthala temples can be fixed to 1st CE.However this inscription resembles the Mora well inscription closely and Mora well inscription is dedicated to Vrishni heroes.Mora well inscription also mentions about pratimas.Evidence suggests that Indo -Greeks occupied the area of Mathura from 160 BC to 60 BC and might have influenced Mathuran art.This Mountain temple inscription describes building shrine on a mound accompanied with an assembly hall and stone slabs. Shrines at the time were continued tradition of roofless sacred structures surrounded by walls. Forming structure more or less like gardens of modern times.We do find that stupas and chaiteyas of Mauryan period also have striking similarity with them .One can not deny the possibility of attempt to give alternative vrishni heroes to worshipable hero ,the chakravartin Buddha.
Mora inscription attests the fact that Vrishni heroes were worshipable and therefore addressed as bhagavtams.On the other hand apprehension of making of Buddha pratima in human form had decreased by the end of 1st century BC.The "Isapur Buddha"
the earliest known representation of human form Buddha on a railing post is dated 15 CE. Buddha had already begun to be now offered with title of bodhisattava buddha.
Well known Katra stele and associated kapardin statues belong to the first quarter of 1st CE.It is the finest and best preserved of all kapardin statues.The three Vedic gods Indra ,Brahma and Surya were actually first depicted in Buddhist sculpture from 1st century BC. as attendants in scenes commemorating the life of the buddha, even when the Buddha himself was not yet shown in human form but only through his symbols , such as the scenes of his birth,his descent from Trayastrisma Heaven, or his retreat in the Indrasala Cave.
So in this period of historical time , it was mainly buddhist sculpture of reliefs with hindu vedic gods in its background and shrines of heroes without sabha mandap.Although the Vasudeo vrishni hero was noteworthy,it was not yet amalgamated with Krsna as god. Krsna appears in this period as popular character of some story with no status of god and absence of Gopala version of Krishna .This also suggests that Vitthala that is associated with Krishna would be impossible.We also do not find any direct connection between Vitthala god with any of the then worshiped heroes.Therefore it is not logical to establish presence of worship of Vitthala and his temple before 15 CE.
