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The Architectural Forms of Temples
329 pyramidal, and not a curvilinear superstructure. The Aparājita pracchā makes a passing reference to Prāsādas without sikharas under the head of the Latina type 18 9 while describing the particular varieties of that type it however, confines itself to the description of Prāsādas with Sikharas, 190 But the Samarāngana Sūtradhāra contains canons about the prāsādas with pyramidal superstructure as well. From this It follows that this form of the Prāsādas was no longer in vogue at the time of the compilation of the Aparajitap;accha. The Samarāngana Sūtradhāra devotes a separate adhāya to the varieties of Chadya prāsādas i. e temples with pyramidal super structures, 191 It, however, does not designate these varieties under special head like Latina but simply represents them by the names of its shapes and their varieties. On comparisjon of these varieties with those given in the Agni Purāņa Dr. D. N. Shukla 199 has enunciated that they belong to Lāțas style which is a branch of the all pervading and universal stylethe Nāgara. Among the different types of the Lāța style the chädya prāsādas obviously belong to the early phase. It is just possible that the Lāța type of the Agpipurāņa 19 3 corresponds to the Lalita type of the Sm. Su. and the Latina type of the Apārājitapraccha. The name Lāța may also imply that the type was especially in vogue in this region.
As for the varieties of the Chādyn-prāsādas described in Ch. XLIX of the Sm. Su, the temple of Gop well applies to the Rucaka type. As narrated in the text (vv. 25–31) the prāsāda is square in plan enclosed by an alinda (aisle). It is attached with prāggrive (porch). The alinda contains the flat-roof. The Prāsāda is covered with three (Chādyas) round-edged slabs. The top is adorned with Amalasāraka. The superstructure of the temple is decked with the Haṁsaprstbi,
189. APPR. Su. CIV, 28.
191. Sm. Su. XLIX. 190. APPR. Su. CLVIII. 192. Dr. D. N. Shukla, “Vastu-Sastra' Vol. I. pp. 443-444. 193. Agni Purāņa, Civ. 22.
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