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The Vertical Parts of the Mandapa
439 Siddhpur, 83 Abu; at Modhera, 84 Virat 85 and Kumbharia; and at Modhera, 86 Sarotra 87 and Taranga88 respectively. Other composite forms of the pillars are available in the extant temples of Gujarat but for their forms no canonical prescriptions are available.
It will be interesting to note here, that the temple at Modhera has all these four types of pillars.
The Samvarnā, the superscturucture over the mandapa is vividly described by APPR.89 as well as by Dipā.90 Both the
texts prescribe 25 varieties. It is to be adorned with a bell, shaped cupola. The first variety has five such cupolas, the second has nine, the third thirteen and so on, the addition of four cupolas in each variety will give rise to 25 varieties of Samvarņa the last one being adorned with 101 cupolas. PM. also accepts these 25 varieties of the Samvarna. 9 1
The mandapa, internally, is adorned with a ceiling flat or domical. In canonical works it is known as Vitāna. 9 3 Sm. Su. has elaborately described several varieties of Vitāna.93 Dipā, also refers to Vitāņa.94 PM. narrates it in a brief way.05 But
83. Ibid. Plt. XLIH (2). 84. Ibid. Plt. Lill (3). 85. Ibid. Plt. CIII (1). 86. Ibid. Plt. LIV, (1) (2), LV. 87. Ibid. Plt. LXXIX (2). 88. Ibid. Plt. CXI (2). 89. APPR.CXCIII. 90. Dipā. XI. 91. PM, VII. 47-50 92. It is also known as Karoțaka, PM. VII, 21 (ii). 93. Sm. Su. LIV. 28, 94. Dipā. X. 21-25. 95. PM. VII. 34.
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