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May, 1915]
ARCHITECTURE AND SCULPTURE IN MYSORE
93
sculptured on a fruit a fly, perfect in every detail, on which a lizard is preparing to pounce.' (Same Report, pages 12,13).
Plate I shows the perforated screen on the south-east of the temple, with two excellent madanakai figures. The one on the left is a huntress. The figure on the right represents & woman plucking away her cloth from a mischievous monkey which has seized it with his teeth.
(4) The temples at Belgami are remarkable for their early age, having been erected in the latter part of the eleventh century, before the Hoysala dynasty became independent. An inscription definitely dates the Tripurantakeśvara Temple in A. D. 1070. That temple has a curious frieze illustrating several stories from the Panchatantra, including The swans and the tortoise,' and others (Same Report, pp. 16,17).
(5) The Amfitesvara temple at Amfitapura in the Tarikere Taluk, described and illustrated in the Report for 1911-12 (pp. 24-26 and frontispiece), is a building of exceptional beauty, presenting various, peculiarities of construction, and full of choice sculpture. It dates from A. D. 1196. Mr. Gopinatha Râo considers it to be by no means inferior to the temple at Halebid,' and urges the necessity of measures for its conservation.
The sculptures illustrato with great fulness the Bhagavata Pura na, and the Mahabharata, as well as the whole of the Ramayana.
The stone prakara or compound wall is now in ruins. It had on the top all round thick stone discs, about 6 feet in diameter, with rectangular bases, both in one piece, the outer faces being sculptured with fine figures of flowers, animals, gods, etc., in relief. This is another special feature of this temple. A few of the discs are in position, though most of them have fallen down. The prakara must have once presented the appearance of a veritable art gallery, seeing that the artistically carved figures are of various kinds and designs. About a dozen varieties were observed in flowers alone, some standing by themselves, and some enclosed in fine geometrical figures such as squares and circles. The same was the case with the figures of animals.'
So far as I know, such a screen of sculpture surrounding the grounds of a Hindu temple is unique.
(6) Nuggihalli possesses two fine Hoysala temples, namely, (1) that of LakshmiNarasimha, of which I have published a photograph (H. F. A. Pl.x), and (2) the Someśvara temple. The first has the three-towered or triple form, and is full of elaborate sculpture. The second has only one tower and is less ornate. Both were erected about the middle of the thirteenth century, and are described in the Report for 1912-13 (pp. 2, 3).
(7) The same Report (p. 8) describes a ruined Jain temple in the Hoysala style, with some good sculptures. This case adds one more to the many proofs that Fergusson was mistaken in assuming the existence of a Jain style, the truth being that the adherents of all religions used the artistic style prevailing in their country and time. The temple described is at Hale-Belgola near Sravana-Belgola. Another Jain temple in the Hoysala style at Chikka Hanasôge is described on p. 18.
(8) The latest Report, that for 1913-14 (p. 8), mentions an old temple in Hoysala style called Kalleśvara at Channagiri. It has two cells and towers.
Having given a summary account of the most notable temples in the Hoysala style recorded in the Reports, I digress from my special subject to draw attention to the wonderful temple in Dravidian style at Nandi, which dates from the eighth century and
