Structural Temples of Gujarat

SR No.: 006728
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kantilal F Sompura
Publisher: Gujarat University Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1968
Total Pages: 868
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 31 MB

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The Structural Temples of Gujarat The temple faces east and consists of garbhagriha, pradakşiņā patha and a double manqapa with an entrance porch. The temple rests on a high plinth with a height of four or five steps.
The garbhagļiha is almost square (2.4 x 2.2 ms.) with a seat at the back for images. The pradaksiņāpatha is 0.8 meter wide. The external breadth of the temple is 7 meters. The attached mandapa measures 5.6 x 5.4 ms. with twelve pilasters attached to the walls, out of which eight support the dome of the mandapa. The pillars are 5.4 ms. in height. They are square at the base, octagonal in the middle and round at the top with simple bharaṇi over them.
Over the door lintel of the garbhagriha there is a panel of the Navagrahas and a figure of Gaņeśa in the centre. The door of the covered mandapa has three plain jambas, but over its lintel there is a huge head figure, porbably of the Sun. The next maņdapa attached to former one measures 5.7 x 6 meters. At present it is open to the sky but the surviving pillars attached to the walls indicate that originally it must have been covered like the former one. In front of this maņdapa there is an entrance porch with remains of kaksāsana on either side.
The main body of the superstructure of the garbhagriha is shaped like a square recessed block with perpendicular sides surmounted by a tall slander finjal. This feature occurs here unusually or rather exceptionally, but it is doubtful whether the present shape represents the original one. 24
The high plinth of the temple has several mouldings but it curiously contains some niches 25 at the base. They are surmounted by heavy Caitya-arches, each containing either human figures or a single head. 24. Possibly the original superstructure was of the usual pyramidal form but its main body was subsequently encased into the square structure arbitarily 25. They number two at the back and three on each side, two on north being enclosed into the adjoining room added subsequently.