The Bhitargaon temple, one of the oldest surviving brick temples in India (Gupta period), is located near:

The Bhitargaon temple is located in the village of Bhitargaon, in the Kanpur Dehat (Kanpur) district of Uttar Pradesh.

About the Bhitargaon temple:

• It was built in the 5th century CE, during the Gupta period.
• It is one of the oldest surviving brick temples in India, and the oldest brick temple with a tall tower (shikhara).
• It is built entirely of brick and decorated with terracotta panels.
• It stands on a square plinth and has a tall pyramidal tower, which shows an early form of the Nagara style.
• The terracotta panels show scenes from Hindu mythology, such as Vishnu, Ganesha, Durga, and river goddesses, as well as decorative designs.
• It is remarkable for its use of true arches (with wedge-shaped bricks), which are rare in ancient Indian architecture; for this reason, it is sometimes called a "Hindu arch" temple.
• It was damaged by lightning in the 19th century; it was studied by Alexander Cunningham in 1878.
• It is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Gupta temple architecture:

• The Gupta period saw the beginning of structural (free-standing) temples in India.
• Early Gupta temples were small, with a flat roof, a square sanctum (garbhagriha) and a pillared porch, such as Temple 17 at Sanchi and the Tigawa temple.
• Later temples developed a tower (shikhara), such as the Dashavatara temple at Deogarh (Uttar Pradesh) and the Bhitargaon temple.
• The Dashavatara temple at Deogarh (Lalitpur district) is famous for its panels showing Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha (Anantashayana), Gajendra Moksha, and Nara-Narayana.
• Other Gupta temples include the Parvati temple at Nachna-Kuthara (Madhya Pradesh) and the brick temple at Sirpur (Chhattisgarh, slightly later).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jhansi is near the Dashavatara temple at Deogarh (Lalitpur).
• ✗Sagar is near Eran, a Gupta site.
• ✗Gaya is famous for Bodh Gaya.