DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.614#0153
114
Vishnu, and a monster of horrible appearance. His
birth is said to have been out of a pillar or post, which
split down the middle^ in order to admit him into the
world. The two parts of the pillar are represented in
the stone figure, one being on each side of the idol,
which, in the form of a man with two horns on his head,
is seated in the fork of the divided pillar, gloating
over the victim who lies prostrate across his lap. This'
is a daitya or demon, whom he is disembowelling and
pulling to pieces with his nails, and greedily drinking
his blood. Besides other images, there is the usual
emblem of Siva, with a snake creeping up it; and on
the horizontal stone, which is always connected with
it, are carved ten other emblems, exact counterparts
of the entire idol, with the exception of the snake.
On the sides of the quadrangle, long narrow rooms
open on the centre of the square; and these may be
regarded as so many separate shrines, inasmuch as
they are occupied by groups of deities. Two of these
are filled with the peculiar emblems of S'iva; and one
of them holds as many as twenty-five. A third has a
figure of Eai-sihh, similar to that just described, and,
also, the goddess Machaudari, an immodest figure,
seated on a peacock. There is, likewise, in the same
room, an image of the Eishi Durvasas, whose asceti-
cism is said to have been so vigorous, that he was
raised, by its instrumentality, to an equality with the
gods, and sat with Vishnu as his peer.
The temple of Eamananath is connected with a de-
pressed plain close by, which was formerly an extensive
jhil or pond, and was then called the Machaudari Tirth,
Vishnu, and a monster of horrible appearance. His
birth is said to have been out of a pillar or post, which
split down the middle^ in order to admit him into the
world. The two parts of the pillar are represented in
the stone figure, one being on each side of the idol,
which, in the form of a man with two horns on his head,
is seated in the fork of the divided pillar, gloating
over the victim who lies prostrate across his lap. This'
is a daitya or demon, whom he is disembowelling and
pulling to pieces with his nails, and greedily drinking
his blood. Besides other images, there is the usual
emblem of Siva, with a snake creeping up it; and on
the horizontal stone, which is always connected with
it, are carved ten other emblems, exact counterparts
of the entire idol, with the exception of the snake.
On the sides of the quadrangle, long narrow rooms
open on the centre of the square; and these may be
regarded as so many separate shrines, inasmuch as
they are occupied by groups of deities. Two of these
are filled with the peculiar emblems of S'iva; and one
of them holds as many as twenty-five. A third has a
figure of Eai-sihh, similar to that just described, and,
also, the goddess Machaudari, an immodest figure,
seated on a peacock. There is, likewise, in the same
room, an image of the Eishi Durvasas, whose asceti-
cism is said to have been so vigorous, that he was
raised, by its instrumentality, to an equality with the
gods, and sat with Vishnu as his peer.
The temple of Eamananath is connected with a de-
pressed plain close by, which was formerly an extensive
jhil or pond, and was then called the Machaudari Tirth,