250 Essay on the Avian Order of Architecture. [Sept. 



different members are altogether more massive; and in my opinion 

 betoken an earlier style of building. 



8. It is surrounded by an octagonal enclosure parallel to the 

 walls of the temple, at only 7\ feet distance. This enclosing wall 

 is 3 feet 2 inches in thickness and 4 feet 2 inches in height ; and 

 stands upon a basement 5 ft. 2 inches broad, and 10 inches high. The 

 lower portion, 2f feet in height, is ornamented both on the outside 

 and inside by small rectangular panels, 1 foot 8J inches in height 

 by 1 If inches in breadth, and 2f inches in depth : and in each of these 

 panels there is a pointed arched recess 5|- inches in depth. There are 

 twelve of these recesses in each of the seven unbroken sides of the 

 octagonal enclosure. The whole number of recesses is therefore 84: 

 and in each of these I presume that there was once a miniature lingam 

 or emblem of Siva, as in the larger chambers of the Saiva temples at 

 Avantipura and Pathan, to be hereafter noticed. The top of the wall, 

 1 ft. 4 inches in height, is triangular in section and perfectly plain. 

 See plate VIII. In this primitive example I think that I can trace the 

 germs of that style of enclosure, which, by gradual development, was 

 afterwards expanded into the noble colonnade of Marttand. 



9. The temple is approached by a flight of 18 steps, 8 feet in width, 

 and enclosed between two sloping walls. At the foot of the steps there 

 is another wall of the same upper section as that of the enclosing wall 

 of the temple : and in the middle of this wall is the entrace, which is 

 closed by a wooden door. An elevation of this entrance with part of 

 the enclosing wall is given in Plate VIII. It is 6 ft. 10 inches in height, 

 and 1 ft. 11^ inches in width. The top is semi-circular, with a few 

 parallel and perfectly plain mouldings, which are joined to the similar 

 mouldings of the sides by short horizontal returns. The perpendicular 

 mouldings rest upon plain bases, which are made flush with the outer- 

 most building. The top is surmounted by a melon-like ornament^ 

 similar to that which crowns the summit of most of the Kashmirian 

 buildings. 



10. A further notice of this most ancient example of the Kash- 

 mirian entrace and enclosing wall will be given hereafter, as well as a 

 comparison between it and the later specimens. 



11. In the right hand flank wall, at the point marked A, there is a 

 small slab about 10 inches square, which formerly bore a Persian inscrip- 



