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N. M. Kansara
Besides these, there are references to stonc-images, most probably serves as fartain--heads, the bracket-female-figures (salabhūnjika) carved 10 untives and having conspicuous breasts. 40
IV : Yantrag :
The term 'Litri' has been defined by Bhoja in his Sanarangana Setralh.2 34 a cuntrivance by which the natural forces like earth, water, fire, air and ether are channclled for the benefit of human beings. 41 In the year 1991 Dr. V. Raghavan first brought to light this aspect of Indian Sculpture in the curse of his first lecture in the Indian Institute of Culture, Bangalore. Dr Rauhavan added a few more references to the original malter in the brochure and brought out its second edition from Madras in 1956. Research scholars have welcomed the study as presenting in one place the entire material bearing on the very interesting subject. Dr. Vasudev Sharan Aggraval has studied the Yantras referred to in Bana's prose romances 1% However, Dhanapala's Tilakamānjari seems to have escaped the attention of Dr. Raghavan in this respect. Hence the present attempt to supplement the study.
Dhanapala has referred to the following Yantras in bis TM :
(i) (thail-yantra (1) Camkara-cakra-dola-yantra, (iii) Vimana-yantra, (iv) l'ilasa-antra-putriha, and (v) tantra-dhara-gyha, Let us look into the details of each of them.
Ghafi-antra : It was the water-wheel mounted on a well and aunsisted of a wheel on which were suspended, like a huge belt, a pair of pined circular copes to which, again, a number of earthern pots were tied in a serie, at regular intervals in such a way that the ropes along with some of the puts reach considerably below the surface of the of the water ta the well 44 Such water-wheels are found even to this day in places around Palanpur in north Gujarat,
(11) Camilara-cakra-dola-yantra : It seems to have been a sort of a borizontally rotating merry-go-round possibly mounted on a central golden pillar serving as a pivot; it was decorated with silken banners on the top 5
(iii) t'imana-yantra : It was a sort of a wooden aeroplane, at times studded with jewels and decorated with cloth banners; it could fly with great speed in the air.
(iv) tiläsa yantra-putrika : It was a mechanical contrivance in the form of a female figure, most probably carved from stone or wrought in raetals like gold and eteetara, and was set on the pillars; such mechanisms were utilized for waving Camaras to the kings and royal inmates in the palaccs.47