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The Vertical Parts of the Mandapa
433 Madhavapur.68 and Odadar.69 The scene is also depicted in one of the ceilings on the corridor surrounding the temple at Abu.70
The maņdapa is generally covered by a domical superstructure but sometimes it is also covered by a flat ceiling.
The ceilings of the extant Caulukyan temples exhibit a great number of varieties. Some of the ceilings display purely geometrical designs, but at time also a floral or mixed type or one containing human figures and depicting scences of the lives of the gods-goddesses are met with.
Purely geometrical designs are seen in the maņdapas of the temples at Sunak, Sander, Dhinoj etc. But many of them are mixed with floral designs.71
The ceilings at the Vimala and Tejapāla temples on Mt. Abu are the best examples of this type.
68. SMIK. Plt. XCII. 69 Here Fig. 213.
In Jamimasjid at Mangrol also similar ceiling is preserved (SMTK. Plt. LXXVIII). 70. CG. XVII, 385. 71. Best peices of workmanship of floral ceilings, originally belonging to Hindu temples are found in some of the mosques of Gujarat such as ceilings in the tombs of Shaikha Farida and Bawa Quazi, Patan (AANG. Plt. XVI, XVII); in Jami Masjida and Miapuri Masjida, Somanatha (SMIK. Plts. XI, XIX, respectively) and Jami Masjida at Ahmedabad (ASWI, VII, plt, XXXIV). In Jami Masjida at Somnath, Cousens has noticed only the porch ceiling. But on my personal visit I found nearly six more such ceilings in the domes of the Jami Masjida. Several other peices of ceilings have, also been preserved in Museum, now, at Jamimasjida at Somnath Patan. Also vide CTG. Figs. 2, 4, 22, 23, 33-35, 38, 40, 41, 46, 54, 58, 60, 61, 66, 67, 70, 73, 76, 78, 80, 81, 83, 86-92.
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