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[Holy Abis
here; excepting the sanctum and the gūdhamandapa, reconstructed in later-repairs, all the older parts are still standing and retain the original carvings, and a visitor can fully appreciate their beauty only by paying a visit to this lovely shrine.'
A visitor to these shrines may well be surprised to find such exuberant carving and ornamentation on outer parts like the Navachoki, Rangamaņdapa and cells in the courtyard ( Bhamati) contrasted with such plain inner sanctum (mūla-garbha-gpha ) and the gūdha-maņdapa to its front. He might equally wonder at the sight of such small simple shikharas when he finds beautifully carved, high shikharas of various types surmounting other famous mediæval shrines at Khajurāho, Bhuvaneshvara and other well-known sites in India. Granted that these pious great ministers paid more attention to the enrichment of the interiors than to the outer ones, but even then, the present Shikharas are too simple and crude to be the original work of these great builders of temples. The fact is that, in V. S. 1368 (1311
1 The statement needs revision, since a critical eye would at once detect difference in the style of carvings on various pillars, ceilings, door-jambs, and because many cells are either erected later or wholly re-built at some later dates. The Vimalavasati-Pra bandha in the Purātana-prabandha-Samgraha, p. 52 says that Chāhila, the son of Vimala, erected the Rangamaņdapa of this shrine, which would suggest that there was a belief that the Rangamaņdapa was a later edition. Pșthvipāla, who did the Tirthoddhāra (repairs) of this shrine in V.S. 1206 (Ābu, Vol. II. No.72) might also have rebuilt several parts. The set of Vidyādevis in the ceiling of the Vimala-Vasahi shows the art-style of sculptures of the age of Kumārapāla whose minister was Pșthvipāla. The Vimala-Vasahi and its various parts deserve a special, thorough, critical, scientific study. -Translator. .
