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443
The Vertical Parts of the Mandapa
From the extant ceilings in the temples of Gujarat it is found that Kșiptotkşipta variety of ceiling manifests atleast three forms (a) Kșipta (b) Utkşipta (c) Misra.
(a) The ceilings of Kșipta class found in the temples of Gujarat mainly follow the order called Nābhichanda. Such sorts of ceilings are found in temples of Modhera, 114 Abu (Tejapāla's temple)115 and Kumbharia, 116
(b) The ceilings of Utkşipta class follow the orders of mandāraka. It is best illustrated by one of the ceilings at Kumbharia. 117
(c) The Misra type of ceilings admits a combination either of samatala ceiling with that of kşipta or utkşipta; or of kşipta with that of utakşipta. Thus it has three catagories: (i) Samakşipta, (ii) Sama-utkşipta and (iii) Ksiptokşipta.
(i) The ceilings found in temples of Roda (Temples No. II & III ),118 Shamalaji (Hariscandrani-cori),119 Vadnagar ( Sitalāmātā temple )120 and Kotai ( Siva temple )121 belong to Samakṣipta catagory. description of these catagories or orders the criteria of classification appears primarily to be the decorative elements involved in the formation of the ceiling. The ceiling that takes anyone of the orders in all its courses is considered to be of Suddha type, but wherein different orders are corroborated in courses it is to be understood of Misra type. This bi-component is technically known as Sanghata. i. e. In Sanghāta any two of the above noted four Suddha catagories are involved. The combination wherein it becomes tri-component is termed as Bhinna and all the combination of all the four catagories gives rise to Quadru-component, termed as Udbhinna. (APPR CLXXXVII. 17: CXC, 8-26). In all APPR. mentions eight varieties of order-four Suddh and four Misra as stated above.
Sm. Su. has given a list of 25 types of Vitānas (ceilings ) (Ch. LIV). 114. CTG figs. 31, 32.
118. CTG figs. 25,95 115. Ibid. 36, 39.
119. Ibid fig. 27 116. lbid. fig. 37.
120. lbid , 28 117. Ibid. , 48.
121. lbid , 48
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