Dr. Gupta was a prominent scholar who supported the pro-Temple side of the Ayodhya dispute. He argued that there was evidence of a 10th-century temple that lay underneath the masjid, which was subsequently demolished by Babur (the founder of the Mughal Empire and a Turkic invader hailing from present-day Uzbekistan). This temple was a Hindu pilgrimage site and considered to be one of the holiest temples in Hinduism due to the belief by many Hindus to be the birthplace of Ram. The masjid was demolished in 1992 by Hindu protestors.[2]
From the crumbling walls of the so-called Babri [Mosque] and the old and new debris there emerged, like the proverbial phoenix, hundreds of objects which testify ... to the existence of the eleventh- to twelfth-century Rama temple ...
- Dr. S.P. Gupta
Some controversy arose when the topic of Ayodhya was not discussed at the World Archaeological Congress held in Delhi in December 1994. While he himself was not responsible for the veto, he and eminent archaeologist B. B. Lal reportedly pressured the president of the international executive committee, J. Golson (as a member of the organising committee) to issue it. This resulted in criticism from some historians and archaeologists who said that he was 'stifling free discourse'.[2][3][4] J. Golson justified the veto due to the 'politically and communally sensitive' nature of the issue, adding that the 'practical consequences of discussing this issue would be beyond the Executive's control'.[2]
B.B. Lal later justified the decision as follows:
People have discussed this topic [Ayodhya] for two years now and have still not reached any conclusion. The Supreme Court also could not reach any conclusion. So, why waste time on it? If we have time after all the papers, we will see what we can do.
- B. B. Lal, quoted in The Asian Age, December 7, 1994[2]
From childhood Gupta was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.[2] Dr Gupta remained a bachelor throughout his life.
He died on the evening of 3 October 2007, at a private nursing home. He was unwell for a fortnight, suffering from acute asthma and breathlessness. He was 76.
The Roots of Indian Art (1980) (French edition: 1990)
Cultural Tourism in India (S. P. Gupta and K. Lal), Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology and D. K. Printworld, 2002, ISBN8124602166.
Elements of Indian Art : Including Temple Architecture, Iconography and Iconometry (S. P. Gupta and S. P. Asthana) New Delhi: Indraprastha Museum of Art and Archaeology, 2002, ISBN81-246-0213-1.
Temples in India (S. P. Gupta and V. Somasekh) New Delhi: Centre for Research and Training in History, Archaeology and Paleo-Environment, 2010, ISBN8124604959.
Archaeology and History
Disposal of the Dead and Physical Types in Ancient India (1971)
Mahabharata, Myth and Reality - Differing Views (S. P. Gupta and K. S. Ramachandran, ed.) Delhi: Agam Prakashan, 1976.
Archaeology of Soviet Central Asia and the Indian Borderlands (2 volumes) (1978)
The lost Sarasvati and the Indus Civilization, Jodhpur: Kusumanjali Prakashan, 1984
The Indus-Sarasvati Civilization, Delhi: Pratibha Prakashan (1996).
Dimensions in Indian History and Archaeology (S. P. Gupta and K. S. Ramachandran, eds.) New Delhi: Indian History and lture Society, 1993.
Selected articles
S. P. Gupta. The dawn of civilization, in G. C. Pande (ed.)History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization ed., D. P. Chattophadhyaya, vol I Part 1) (New Delhi: Centre for Studies in Civilizations, 1999)
^Misra, V. N.; Kanungo, A. K. (2009). Dr. Swarajya Prakash Gupta : an academic and human profile. Pune: Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies. ISBN9788190833004.
