Book Title: Jain Thought and Culture
Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Previous | Next

Page 119
________________ Mala Devi Temple at Gyaraspur 101 the southern facade, three larger and three smaller, all being embellished with niches The sikhara is of the pancaratha type but it has neither the elegant proportions nor the soaring character of the Khajuraho temples and is rather squat with a marked triangular appearance It is navandaka, i e, clustered by eight minor sikharas and is somewhat similar in design to the sikhara of the Sıva temple at Kerakot in Kutch It is marked by sıx bhumi-amalakas and is decorated with a mesh of cartya-gavaksas The sukanasika is only partly preserved and has lost the crowning figures of the lion The pyramidal roofs of the antarala, mandapa and ardha-mandapa together with a large portion of the internal ceilings are also badly damaged But from what has survived there is no doubt that the roof of the mandapa consisted of pıdhas decorated with caitya-gauaksas, alternating with recessed courses, carved with ratna-patta South facade This is the best preserved and gives an idea of the original design This had three balconies and each balcony had a niche on the basement The niches on the two eastern balconies are more elaborate with ornate pediments, while the niche on the balcony of the sanctum is rather shallow The buttresses flanking the balcony-projections have a vertical row of two niches, one on the jangha and the other on the basement at the same level with the niches below the balconies The pilasters of these niches are decorated with scrolls, kırttımukhas and vase-and-foliage designs Some of the pediments of the niches were surmounted by lions seated on haunche Balconies In the balcony-projections the vedika-moulding shows two rows of miniature shrines alternating with a chess-design The asanapatta is decorated with crolls and is surmounted by a frieze of lotus petals The kaksasana has slabs of lotus scrolls alternating with three vertical shafts relieved with bead-design The lintel and the architrave of the balcony-projections are decorated with chesspattern The surmounting frieze which serves as chadya moulding is decorated with half-faces of kırttımukhas showing ears and in some cases, horns

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195