Which Greek ambassador set up a pillar in honour of Lord Vishnu at Vidisha?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

Heliodorus is historically recognized as the Greek ambassador who erected the famous pillar, known as the Heliodorus Pillar or the Garuda Pillar, around 113 BCE in Vidisha (modern-day Besnagar, Madhya Pradesh). Heliodorus was sent as an envoy from the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas of Taxila to the court of the Sunga king Bhagabhadra. The inscription on the pillar declares Heliodorus to be a *Bhagavata* (devotee of Vishnu), indicating that he had converted to, or was deeply influenced by, Vaishnavism. This pillar is one of the earliest and most crucial archaeological evidences demonstrating the peaceful interaction between Greek and Indian cultures and the adoption of Indian religious beliefs by foreigners during that period.

The incorrect option is 1:
Megasthenes was another famous Greek ambassador, but he was sent to the court of Chandragupta Maurya in Pataliputra, roughly a century and a half before Heliodorus. His main contribution is the book *Indica*, which details Mauryan India, but he is not associated with the pillar at Vidisha.

The incorrect option is 3:
Theodorus is a name associated with an inscription found on a Buddhist reliquary, indicating he was a Greek person who enshrined relics of the Buddha. While this shows Greek involvement with Indian religions, he is not the ambassador who erected the Vishnu pillar at Vidisha.

The incorrect option is 4:
Dion is a general Greek name, and while there were various Greek individuals who may have traveled to or lived in India, there is no historical record or archaeological evidence linking an ambassador named Dion to the erection of the Garuda Pillar in honor of Lord Vishnu at Vidisha.