DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2371#0480
458 BBAHMANICAi CAVE-TEMPLES.
besides the door, and by an opening in the roof up into a small
cave that may be noticed at the roadside on the ascent of the
ghat; its four pillars support arches on the four sides of the central
square.
Passing now to the north side of the court, nearly opposite tie
obelisk, we enter a corridor 60 feet long (II.), with five pillars in the
front. At the east end is an ascent of two or three steps to a figure of
Sri or GajaLakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, with a lotus in each
hand, and four attendant elephants1 (Plate LXXXIIL, fig. 1). The
stair to the left of this is badly lighted, but ascends to a fine cave
called Lank! or Lankeswaka, 123 feet long from the back of the
Nandi shrine to that of the pradalcshina, and 60 wide inside the front
screen. On entering from the stair a low screen-wall, connecting
the west line of pillars, faces the visitor: to the left, and directly
in front of the Xandi, which occupies a large recess in this end, is
the entrance into the hall.
The roof is low, and supported by 27 massive pillars, besides
pilasters, most of them richly carved, and of singularly appropriate
design, but evidently of a later style than the central temple. As will
be seen from the plan (Plate LXXXI A.) the arrangement of the
16 pillars in the centre is identical with that of the greater temple,
only that the central and central cross aisle is somewhat wider,
and being open on the west and south sides the hall has a more
spacious and more cheerful appearance than the porch of the temple
itself, though its dimensions are nearly the same. The pillars are
all varied in design,2 no two of them being exactly alike, and, being
hardly more than three diameters in height, are more appropriate
for rock-cut architecture than almost any other in India (Flaw
LXXXIV., fig. 4), and in strange contrast with quasi wooden
posts that deformed the architecture of Mahavallipur about a cen-
tury earlier.
1 We have had occasion to remark the frequency of this sculpture in Buddhist «or
both of early and late date. Like Aphrodite, she sprang from the froth of the oce,
(when it was churned) in full beauty, with the lotus in her hand. The represents
of her, bathed by elephants, seems to have been an equal favourite with the Brsiuw
With whom is prosperity, abundance and fortune, not a favourite ?
2 A view of the interior of this temple forms Plate XVI. of my Illustrations of
Rock-cut Temples of India, i'ol., 1345.
besides the door, and by an opening in the roof up into a small
cave that may be noticed at the roadside on the ascent of the
ghat; its four pillars support arches on the four sides of the central
square.
Passing now to the north side of the court, nearly opposite tie
obelisk, we enter a corridor 60 feet long (II.), with five pillars in the
front. At the east end is an ascent of two or three steps to a figure of
Sri or GajaLakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, with a lotus in each
hand, and four attendant elephants1 (Plate LXXXIIL, fig. 1). The
stair to the left of this is badly lighted, but ascends to a fine cave
called Lank! or Lankeswaka, 123 feet long from the back of the
Nandi shrine to that of the pradalcshina, and 60 wide inside the front
screen. On entering from the stair a low screen-wall, connecting
the west line of pillars, faces the visitor: to the left, and directly
in front of the Xandi, which occupies a large recess in this end, is
the entrance into the hall.
The roof is low, and supported by 27 massive pillars, besides
pilasters, most of them richly carved, and of singularly appropriate
design, but evidently of a later style than the central temple. As will
be seen from the plan (Plate LXXXI A.) the arrangement of the
16 pillars in the centre is identical with that of the greater temple,
only that the central and central cross aisle is somewhat wider,
and being open on the west and south sides the hall has a more
spacious and more cheerful appearance than the porch of the temple
itself, though its dimensions are nearly the same. The pillars are
all varied in design,2 no two of them being exactly alike, and, being
hardly more than three diameters in height, are more appropriate
for rock-cut architecture than almost any other in India (Flaw
LXXXIV., fig. 4), and in strange contrast with quasi wooden
posts that deformed the architecture of Mahavallipur about a cen-
tury earlier.
1 We have had occasion to remark the frequency of this sculpture in Buddhist «or
both of early and late date. Like Aphrodite, she sprang from the froth of the oce,
(when it was churned) in full beauty, with the lotus in her hand. The represents
of her, bathed by elephants, seems to have been an equal favourite with the Brsiuw
With whom is prosperity, abundance and fortune, not a favourite ?
2 A view of the interior of this temple forms Plate XVI. of my Illustrations of
Rock-cut Temples of India, i'ol., 1345.