1848.] Essaij on the Arian Order of Architecture. 275 



VII. — Temples at Avantipura. 



1 . — The ruins of Avantipura are situated on the right bank of the 

 Behat, about 18 miles to the S. E. of the capital, and midway between 

 it and the temple of Marttand. Avantipura was built by Avanti 

 Varmma, between A. D. 852, and 883, and the opposite Karewah (or 

 elevated table-land) of Nonagar, or "new-town," was so called from 

 this recently established city, Vigne* erroneously states that " Nona- 

 gar signifies a place where there are nine lacs of inhabitants," which he 

 calls an exaggeration of the former population of the Karewah. No- 

 nagar might mean the " nine towns," but it really signifies only the 

 f( new-town" as I have stated above. 



2. — The ruins consist of four different temples, of which the two 

 that are the nearest to the capital, one on each side of the road, are 

 completely overturned. They are besides so entirely covered by heaps 

 of stone and rubbish, that I found it impossible to trace their former 

 extent. The other two temples have also been overturned, but their 

 foundations, and the outlines of their surrounding colonnades are still 

 existing. The larger one of the two is situated immediately upon the 

 high road, and to the N. "W. of the small village now called Wantipur. 

 The smaller temple stands at half a mile to the S. E. of the other and 

 close to the village. 



3. — In the Raja Tarangini I find only the record of the erection of 

 two temples at Avantipura itself. There are, however, several other 

 temples mentioned, but without any specific localities. The Brahmans 

 assign the two smaller temples, which are completely ruined, to Sura 

 Varmma, the King's half brother ; but the Raja Tarangini merely 

 states that this Prince erected a Swdmi and a Gdkula, or temples to 

 Siva and to Krishna. The larger temples they assign to Avanti 

 Varmma, and I think that there can be but little doubt of the correct- 

 ness of this attribution. For besides the probability, that the larger 

 temples would have been built by the King himself, their names of 

 Avantiswdmi and Avanteswara declare their dedication to Siva. Now 

 this was undoubtedly the case with one of the two existing temples, in 

 which by an excavation that I made in the corner of its surrounding 

 quadrangle, I discovered the pedestal of a lingam or emblem of Maha- 

 deva in the trefoil-headed recess between the pillars. 

 * Kashmir, v. 2 -p. 39. 



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