. The period saw the emergence of iconic Hindu deities like Vishnu, Kartikeya, Shiva Surya and many other gods and goddesses, carved in stone in temples and in temple architecture. After the Huna invaders destroyed most of the artworks from the Gupta period, the surviving ones seen to this day are the Gupta architecture of the famous Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh in Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh. The other structures of the period include the Vishnu Temple of Tigawa in Jabalpur, the Shiva Temple of Bhumra in Madhya Pradesh, the Temple of Parvati in the former Ajaigarh state, and the Buddhist shrines of Bodh Gaya and Sanchi.
The Gupta sculpture was at its best in giving shape to the images of the deities and divinities, belonging to all major faith including, Brahminical, Buddhist and Jain faiths. A number of images were cut into shape at several centers for their installation in numerous temples and shrines. On the facades of the temples, such figures were exquisitely displayed. Sculpture making became a major occupation, and the sculptors with their skill played a prominent role in the religious revolution of that period.
Paintings of the Gupta period also occupied a rather important place in the varied forms of art that flourished. However, one important thing, which can be deduced from the paintings of this era, was that the paintings had acquired a secular character during the reign of the Gupta Dynasty. One of the features of this art was that this art was practiced by both namely the rich as well as the poor giving it a universal appeal. Common people used scrolls of linen to paint. The cave paintings at Ajanta, Badami, as well as Bagh, truly represent a clear picture of the Gupta period’s art of painting. Jataka tales, as well as the life of Buddha, were the two most common subjects when it came to painting.