________________
432
The Structural Temples of Gujarat which are very delicately worked. Lower still is a dado running round the four walls, and carved with musicians and dancers in niches, with rows of geese and other ornamental carving below. The rosettes in the spaces between the brackets below the window-sills are rich and effective (AANG. Pits. IV. & XX). All the carving designs & figures in this wood-work are precisely the same as are found in stone. With the Hindu workinen whatever was practicable in stone seems to have been regarded as equally so in wood, and viceversa. In the group of figures on the ledge of the window-sill is Gaja-Laxami in the centre, with musicians playing and a couple of girlshands joined and feet together whirling round in true-schoolgirl style. 66
Domes in concentric circles seem very popular in early medieval temples of Gujarat. The scheme of the dome is like this; concentric circles of decreasing diameters are placed on an octagonal base. First three circles from below are cut deep and decorated with a tooth-like moulding, which is nothing but a portion left out in cutting the cusps in each circle. The next four circles illustrate the geometric design of arch like cusps and circle. The inner most circle and cusps look like a half opened flower, probably a lotus flower.
The Jasmalanath temple at Asoda (Taluka Vijapur) has a beautiful decorated ceiling with human figures showing females standing on males in playful attitude. 6 7
The temple of Sejakpur has a ceiling similar to that of Somanath, fashioned into concentric rings of mouldings with brackets of small images.
The roof-panel in the ceiling at Manoda temple has a Kāliya-mardana scene. This scene seems very popular in Hindu temples. A similar ceiling is found in temples at
66. AANG. P. 49; Plts. IV, XX, XXI. 67. ARAB. 38. p. 6.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
