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MONUMENTS & SCULPTURE A.D, 600 TO 1000
[PART IV
roof, while the fore and aft bays have somewhat slopy roofs at a lower level indicating the continuance of this mandapa-type even as a mere hall, in combination with a regular southern vimåna-type shrine unit for a considerable time. The adhisthana is of a simple type with spana and pauma.
The central temple of the other group is noted for its ornate door-frame, forming the overdoor of the entrance into the sanctum which now contains a small linga over a circular pitha. The ardha-mand apa in front is as wide as the sanctum. The nava-ranga preceding it has two small subshrine cells at its two inner corners, reminiscent of a similar arrangement in the famous Virupaksa and other temples of Patadkal. The pillars inside the nava-ranga, though having a sharpened or carinated kumbha, are not yet too much of the 'latheturned type, their corbels of the slightly concave level type, and the side-roofs are slopy with a central clerestory. The adhisthana is of the simple marca-type but raised over a series of plain basal courses forming foundation-offsets. The projected curved cornice terminates at the inner bay of the front hall to be continued as the subdued kapota of the shrine-part.
The Yogi-Nārāyaṇa group near the Viräpåkpa mainly comprises a large temple aligned east-west and facing east. Its main part is a tri-küfa or triple shrine unit provided with a common vestibule leading out into a pillared outer mand apa which is also common to the shrine facing it. This latter shrine with a front mand apa having kakşasanas, narrow antarala and cella enshrined a Mahavira image with attendants and elaborate firuvdci as the extant pedestal and the lanchanas on it would show. The Mahävira is now replaced by a Kärttikeya. The triküidcala main shrine-part has a moulded adhisthāna with upăna, padma, karnika, kapota and vyälavari (hence kapota-bandha), and its weak bays and recesses tend to give an apparent curvature to its horizontal offsets. The walls above are plain and devoid of pilasters or kudya-stambhas. The prastara and the hära over it are of the true southern ytmåna-type. Even the topmost storey of the three storeyed vimana-part carries the hara of kūtas and salas, a primitive feature, with the flaring grhapindi on top. The griva and Sikhara are missing. Projected in front of the superstructure is the characteristic suka-năsā. The central cella of the triple unit enshrines a polished stone image of Pārsvanātha. This main temple appears to be much earlier than the shrine opposite, since its pilar-forms are different. The latter has pillars, not of the 'lathe-turned' black stone, but of sandstone of the early medieval type. The Kannada inscriptions in the common vestibule of the mam unit and the style and other features would make this a sequal to the Yonivavårgudi group.
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