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NOVEMBER, 1874.]
THE TEMPLE OF AMARNATH.
317
expense of the survey in each. The scheme, antæ (No. XI.) in the west porch, and of the however, was but ill conceived, and could not pillar (XIII. marked O on the plan No. I.) on have been expected to produce results of much the south side of the same: both of them are value. It was suggested that it might be best elegant in their proportions and general conto proceed in the first instance experimentally, ception of details. and that the Local Governments might allow The roofs of the porticos, between the lintels, the experiment to be carried out at first under are covered by carved slabs, the details of which the charge of the Principals of the Schools of are given, for the west portico in the drawings Art and Industry of the Presidencies. In the No. IX, and for parts of the north and south Bombay Presidency the work was accurdingly ones in No. VII. In the west or principal enentrusted to the Acting Superintendent of the trance there is a defaced Nandi, one of the School of Art, who started for Ambarnâth strongest indications left that the temple was on the 14th Nov. 1868 with a head moulder dedicated to Siva. The door leading from this and draughtsman and eight students as portico into the temple is richly carved, more assistants. There they produced 24 drawings, in the style of a Vaishnava or Jaina temple than 35 photographs, and 76 moulds, at a cost is usual in Saiva ones. It is drawn in full of Rs. 10,714-3-1, an expenditure for which detail (No. X). The mandap or body of the Government was not prepared, and con- temple is 22 feet 8 inches square, with an addisidered that the costliness of the experiment tional area or lobby inside each door measuring might have been avoided by more careful 10 feet 8 inches in width by about 5 feet deep. management. The drawings, however, were The roof of this hall is supported by four very not quite finished, and a further grant was elaborately carved columns, nearly square at the requested for their completion. They were base, changing into octagons at a little above prepared with great care; indeed, the labour one-third their height. The capitals are circular bestowed upon them was quite beyond what under square abaci. These again are surmounted was at all necessary: thus, for example, the by square dwarf columns terminating in the flagstones of the floor have been all measured usual bracket capitals of the older Hinda works. and carefully laid down to scale in the plan So rich and varied is the sculpture on these (No. 1). To rescue the results of this expedi- pillars that no description could give anything tion from the oblivion that too frequently over- like a correct idea of it. In lesser details no takes the work of such surveys, the accom- two of them are exactly alike, but, while in panying drawings,-all of the series, except general they do not attract attention as differing, two, that are as yet accessible--are published. a second glance at once indicates that, like those
The name Amarnath means “immortal in the cave-temples of Ajantà, they have been lord," and may bave been first applied to the wrought in pairs, the pair next the shrine being, temple as a shrine of Siva, whence the name if possible, the richer. Besides the sections Nos. was transferred to the neighbouring town. As II and III, in which they are represented on a Dr. Wilson conjectures, it was perhaps built in small scale, the north-west column (K on the plan the neighbourhood of some suburban residence No. I) is given in detail on No. VII. In addition belonging to a viceroy ruling at Kalyan, to these there are on each wall two semi-detached but whether we owe it to the Devagiri Rajas pillars at the entrances to the lobbies, with coror the Rajput princes of Anhalwada Patan he responding half-pilasters in the corners. These cannot decide.
attached pillars are nearly equally richly carved The temple itself faces the west, but the with the four central ones. For plan and elemandap or antardla—the hall in front of the vation of the one on the west side of the north shrine-has also doors to the north and south. lobby see XII; others with the half-pilasters Each of the three doors has a porch, approached are shown in the sections I and II. by four or five steps, and supported by four The lobbies are roofed, each with a carved nearly square pillars-two of them attached to slab, the patterns being all slightly varied, that the wall. The style of these columns is well on the west side is given on IX, and those illustrated by the drawing of one of the two on the north and south sides on VII. The
• Jour. Bomb. Br. R. As. Soc. vol. IV. pp. 369, 374, 375.
