The style of temple architecture that evolved in northern India, between the Himalayas and the Vindhyas, is known as the Nagara style. The extant temple remains indicate that although individual elements of the Nagara style started developing from the 6th century CE, the style fully evolved by the 8th century. One of its unique features includes the Panchayat style of temple making and assembly halls or mandaps in front of the principal shrine. Also, the tower (shikhara) gradually curves inwards and is capped by a spheroid slab with ribs around the edge (Amalaka) giving the elevation. The evolution of the Nagara style can be traced from the development of Gupta temples, which can be divided mainly into the following stages:

• First stage Gupta temples: These temples were square in shape and had flat roofs. The portico was developed on shallow pillars. The entire structure was built on low platforms as seen in temple no. 17 at Sanchi.
• Second stage Gupta Temples: The temples built during this phase continued most of the features of the earlier phase. However, the platforms were higher or upraised. Some instances of two-storied temples have also been found. Another important addition of this phase was a covered ambulatory passageway around the sanctum sanctorum or garbhagriha. The passageway was used as a pradakshina path. For example. Parvati temple at Nachna Kurihara in Madhya Pradesh.
• Third stage Gupta temples: This stage saw the emergence of shikhara in place of a flat roof. However, they were still quite low and almost square, i.e. curvilinear. Panchayatan style of temple making was introduced. This style is evident in the Dashavatar temple at Deogarh (U.P.) and Durga temple at Aihole (Karnataka).

Though the Gupta temples witnessed two further stages in evolution, the Nagara style is considered to be the successor of the third Stage of Gupta Temples. Nagara style of temple architecture further developed into the following three sub-schools:

• Odisha School: Developed in the Kalinga empire, these temples have lavishly decorated exterior walls along with plain interior walls and boundary walls. An example of this school is Sun Temple of Konark.
• Khajuraho School: Developed under Chandel rulers, these sandstone temples have lavishly decorated exterior and interior walls and sculptures are erotic in themes. For example, Kandariya Mahadev temple.
• Solanki School: Developed under the Solanki rulers, these temples were devoid of any carvings. They have a step-tank, known as surya-kund in the proximity of the temple. The steps of the tank are full of small temples which have wooden carvings. For example, Modhera Sun temple.

Thus, the Nagara style of temple architecture evolved out of the third stage of Gupta temples which gave rise to a number of magnificent temples that are part of the rich tangible cultural heritage of India.

In the present times, technology has made a quantum leap, with augmented reality, blockchain, artificial intelligence, etc., being just a few examples of the most recent inventions. Though we are getting used to these advancements and using them on a large scale, it is important to evaluate the impact of these technologies on the values of the modern society.
Role of technology in enhancing the values in a modern society:

• Citizen-centric governance: Technology is increasingly being used in governance at all levels. E-governance can improve transparency, check leakages in service delivery, and reduce corruption. For example, direct benefit transfers, e-auctions, etc.
• Enabling a more inclusive society: Technology has the potential to bridge gaps and make essential services, information, and opportunities more accessible to a broader population. For example, tribal communities in remote areas can access education, financial services, etc.
• Enhanced freedom: Social media and other online platforms have empowered individuals and communities to express their opinions and connect with a larger audience, thereby giving a voice to the marginalized groups. For instance, the LGBTQI+ community in India uses social media to voice its concerns and raise awareness on important issues.
• Promoting compassion: Technology also helps promote philanthropic causes through mechanisms like crowdfunding, social media platforms, etc.

However, technology can also have negative impacts on the values of a modern society, such as:

• Use of persuasive technology: Persuasive technology is being designed to exploit the innate psychological vulnerabilities of users to make them spend more money on e-commerce websites or spend more time on social media websites. In this context, the Department of Consumer Affairs has raised concerns regarding the menace of ‘dark patterns’ on digital platforms.
• Increase inequalities: Artificial intelligence (AI) will enhance efficiency with regard to work but will also lead to job losses. The revenues of the companies will grow, which can be further invested in technology, thus accelerating the inequality. Also, algorithmic biases in Al can perpetuate existing inequalities and discrimination.
• Breach of individual privacy: Technology infringes on personal privacy and privacy of communication. It makes it extremely easy to follow people and intrude in their lives through surveillance. Increased use of technology has also led to online harassment of women, cyberbullying of children, etc.
• Reinforce negative stereotypes: Technology can inadvertently reinforce negative stereotypes prevalent in the society and lead to the spread of misinformation to incite communal riots, defame individuals, etc.
• Impact on emotional intelligence: Online gaming is often criticised for temper fluctuating and erosion of social skills due to the requirement of aggressive attitude in the game performance.
• Unethical practices: Disruptive technologies like gene-editing have opened a window for unethical medical practices like designer babies.

Technology has many advantages, but at the same time, it poses important questions regarding the nature in which it is being is used. Hence, it is important to create strong regulatory mechanisms to promote ethical use of technology and prevent its misuse.

The foundation of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century A.D. marks the beginning of the classical phase of sculpture in the Indian subcontinent. In the Gupta period, all the trends and tendencies of the artistic pursuits of the preceding phases reached their culmination. Gupta sculpture is the logical outcome of the early classical sculpture of Amaravati and Mathura. In the Gupta period, sculptures made an attempt to establish a closer harmony between art and thought, between the outer and inner intellectual and spiritual conception of the people making it models of Indian art for the following centuries:

• Gupta-era Buddha sculptures, as many scholars have suggested, evolved out of the Gandhara and Mathura styles. Some of representative forms of this era could be found at the Dhamek stupa at Sarnath, and at Buddhist caves in Ajanta and Ahichchhatra.
• Sculptures in temples also display the style of the Gupta era. Vishnu sculptures in Udayagiri rock-cut Caves, and Dasavatara Temple in Deogarh are some prominent examples of this time. Bhitargaon in Uttar Pradesh is one of the most complete surviving Gupta temples.
• A geographical survey of Gupta art reveals that almost every center received the flow of the essence of this golden age. The dynasties that ruled after the Gupta age in north and south India imbibed the artistic elements of the Gupta age and continued the tradition of idealistic beauty.
• In Ajanta, the rock surface was sophisticatedly treated with the Buddhist theme and motifs in high relief. The relief was executed with the utmost skills. The halo of Buddha and the decorative elements on the large-sized sculptures and stupas show the mastery of artists over the stone carving.
• The three-dimensional effect is achieved in all rounded sculptures of the Gupta age. For making rounded sculptures the Gupta artists used stone, clay, wood, and bronze. These sculptures are highly expressive and charming. Such practices were witnessed in sculptures of Varaha and Vishnu at Udayagiri Caves and Dasavatara temple respectively.

By approximately 380 AD, the Gupta empire had expanded to include a number of smaller kingdoms to the east (into what is now Myanmar), all territories north to the Himalayas (including Nepal), and the entire Indus Valley region to the west. Thus, sculptures of the Gupta period also served as ideas for sculptures beyond the boundaries of present-day India :

• In terms of intercultural influence, no style had a greater impact on East and Central Asian Buddhist arts than that developed in Gupta-era India. This inspired Sherman E. Lee to refer to the style of sculpture developed under the Guptas as “the International Style.”
• Scholars believe that portable Gupta-period Buddhas, carried by pilgrims back to their homelands, played a role in the development of the Buddha image in the art of East and Southeast Asia. The Gupta Buddha would also influence later images of the Buddha in South Asia.
• In Sri Lanka, the Mithuna figure from the Isurumuniya Monastery of Anuradhapura is a well-known example of Gupta influence.
• Most of the Southeast Asian sculptural traditions were heavily influenced by the style of the Gupta Empire in India. The finished mastery in execution and the majestic serenity of expression of the image of Buddha came to be adopted and locally modified in Siam, Cambodia, Burma, Java, Central Asia, China, and Japan.
• Buddhist art in Thailand was shaped both by direct contact with Indian traders and the expansion of the Mon Kingdom.
• The Indic civilization of Champa flourished along the coast of what is now central and southern Vietnam from 500 CE onward.
• They created freestanding sandstone sculptures in the round as well as high and bas-relief carvings of sandstone, which was one of the prominent features of Gupta sculpture.
• In the Bamiyan region of Afghanistan, scholars have discerned stylistic influences from Gupta India and Sassanian Iran, as well as Hellenistic artistic styles.

The Gupta Sculptural era symbolizes a tradition where techniques of art were perfected, definite types were evolved, and ideals of beauty were formulated with precision. There was no more groping in the dark, no more experimentation. A highly developed aesthetic sense and masterly execution by skilled hands produced those remarkable images that were the ideal of the artists of subsequent ages in as well as beyond India.