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The Architectural Treatment of the Sikhara
403 (d) The final stage of the transition is notified in a group of temples, the superstructuae wherein almost attains the plain curvilinear form in its general outline.
The form is illustrated by the Kalikā-mātā temple at Dharsanvel.16 Here the lateral projection rises from the bottom of the Sikhara as in the case of the temples of group (c). The projection is of tri-nāşikā type. Four corner temples in the Pancāyatana group at Pasthar have superstructures exactly of the same pattern. The sun temple at Visavada1has the same type of the lateral projection but the trināsika is developed into pancadāsikā in the example. The superstructure of the central temple in the Pancāyatana group at Pasthar18 is of the pancanāsikā type but its lateral projection rises from the very base of the temple. The same applies to the small Ganapati temple at Miyani.19
The śikharas (spires) of the extant temples of the Caulukyan period exjhibit complete transformation of form. Here we have, instead of stepped-out pyramidal shape, a structure bulging out in the middle, and than gradually curving inwardly till it reaches the apex,
Here, also two broad groups are seen in the extant temples. In one group the line of curve (rekhā) of the spire rises almost vertically, turning gradually inwards as it reaches the summit. In this variety we have only one sikhara with its āmalaka and finjal. (otherwise known as Ekāndi or Ekasțingi i. e. mono-spired). In the other variety the line of curve of the Sikhara turns inwardly in the same manner, but with a different degree of acuteness, due to Urusțingas and Sțingas over the lateral projections correspondingly emerged either from the ground plan or from the base of the sikhara.
The reasons are obvious. The shrine having no lateral projections either in its ground plan or in the base of the 16. Here Fig. 27.
18. Here Fig. 24. 17. Here Fig. 4.
19. Here Fig. 23 a.
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