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EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND ART
469
Asthanamandapa or the court hall of Meghavahana had a golden seat. It may mean even an Assembly-Hall.' The mansions white with stucco-paint and provided with tree-fruits easy of access of the hands of the maidens sitting in the windows also illustrates the point that white mansions were provided with gardens. The Sabhamandapa or the Assembly Chamber or Court Hall of Samaraketu was designed in such a way that it was crowded with attendants come from outside given to talking ceaselessly being dispersed by the guards on duty, had coquettes moving about clad sparsely, had its courtyards void of dust through sprays of showers of strongly scented waters and had its arched-portal rippled with the rows of decorative wreaths tied to the sandal sprouts.' His golden seat (hemasana) was huge placed on the surface of a pellucid bejewelled platform or dais. A porch (Dvārabhūmi) adjoining the first chamber of the court Hall has been referred to. There is reference to the Howdah made of gold placed on the back of an elephant named Amaravallabha. The white parasol bearing its rod made of gold and inlaid with bits of varied-hued gems, with wreaths of pearls circular in shape dangling about and the thickset ewer made of ruby or topaz shining at the top also formed a feature of art in architecture." "Kutt ima' is typical word denoting a pavement or mosaic Mattavārana' or 'Mattavaranaka' means an elephant corniced pedestal" or aisle supporting the expansive dais of a room or a pavilion meant for the presentation of a show (in a theatre ). It is the same as the 'Mattavāranī' of Bharata. An
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1. आस्थानमण्डपोपविष्टमध्यासितविकटहेमविष्टरम् । Ibid Vol. II p. 190.
2. वातायनासीनवनिताकर प्रचेयतरुफलाच सुधापंकधक्लान् प्रासादकान् [hid, Vol. 11 p. 236,
3 बद्धचन्दनप्रवालचन्दनमालातरंगिततोरणमुद्दामगन्धोदकच्छटाविच्छर्दविरजीकृताजिरमागृहीतोज्ज्वलवेषसविशेषचारुसंचरद्वारवनिताजनमवहितंप्रतीहार निर्धार्यमाणानि बद्धभाषि बाह्यपरिजनं सभामण्डपमगच्छम् । Thid, Vol. II. p.
252.
4. पवित्रमणिवेदिकापृष्टानिहिते महति हेमासने प्रामुखोपविष्टः Thid.
5. प्रथमकक्षान्तरद्वार भूमिम् । Ibid Vol. II p. 253.
6. शातकुम्भशारीपरिकरितपृष्ठपीठम् Ibid.
7. शिखरविस्फुरत्पद्मरागस्थूलकलशस्य दोलायमानावचूलमुक्ताफलदाम्नश्चित्ररत्नखण्डखचितचामीकरदण्डस्य ... श्वेतातपत्र खण्डस्य | Ibid vol. II p. 254.
8. Ibid. vol. II p. 276.
9.
मत्तवारणमध्यमध्यास्य तत्र मत्तवारणोत्सङ्गसमर्पिताङ्गभारश्च तस्य वातायनस्य पाश्चात्यभित्तिगर्भविन्यस्ते स्त्यानचन्द्रिकापटलत्विषि स्फाटिकशिलापट्टे निकुट्टितामतिस्पष्टवर्णतया तद्विनोत्कीर्णामिव मरकतदुतिपूरितनिखिल रेखारन्ध्रसलाभिरत्यच्छत्तयाश्रयस्य निरालम्बाभिरिवाम्बरतलोत्कीर्णाभिरिव समतया प्रांजलतया च यन्त्राकृष्टाभिरिव सरस्वतीकण्ठमणिकण्ठिकानुकारिणीभिवर्णपंक्तिभिरुद्भासितां प्रशस्तिमैक्षत | Ibid Vol. III p. 103.
'
शिलामण्डपद्वारस्य मणिशिलादारुमत्तवारणे द्वारमत्तवारणकाद Ibid Vol. III p. 163. Ibid. Sm ed. p. 323. 10. रङ्गपीठस्य पार्श्वे तु कर्त्तव्या मत्तवारणी ।
चतुः स्तम्भसमायुक्ता रङ्गपीठप्रमाणत NS I1. 63.64
