1848.] Essay on the Avian Order of Architecture. 307 



2. — The decorations of the walls are quite different, and are in strict 

 keeping with the general character of the other parts of the building. 

 They consist chiefly of trefoil-headed niches covered by pediments 

 supported upon pilasters. These are called karna-kutah, 3Rr$i^:, or 

 "side-niches," by the Hindus. In Plate XVI. I have given a view of 

 the northern wall of the entrance-chamber of Marttand, which is the 

 most highly-decorated of all the Kashmirian interiors. The large 

 temple at Pathan has a single niche (with double pediment) on each 

 side of the entrance ; but the interior chamber is quite plain. In 

 Marttand however there are four distinct masses of ornament on each 

 side of the interior, each differing in its details from the other, but all 

 having the same predominating type of a pediment supported upon 

 pilasters. Over the right hand niche there is a small indistinct object 

 or tablet supported by a couple of naked and winged figures, which are 

 well-conceived and neatly executed : while both above and below the 

 left hand niche there are panels occupied by small trefoil-headed recesses. 

 The base of the large niche to the left of the door is ornamented with 

 various figures in very high relief. The middle figure is a seated man ; 

 and on each side of him there is a human-headed bird. Next to these 

 are elephants, and beyond them are lions. In all the niches also the 

 capitals of the pilasters are occupied by these same human-headed 

 birds, which, though not so natural as the favorite ox-skulis of the 

 Grecian metopes, are much more pleasing. 



XXV.— Porticos. 



1 . — The different porticos have been fully described in the accounts 

 of the various temples ; but there are some points of difference as well 

 as of similarity that require a more particular mention. Of the former 

 the most striking is the difference in height in proportion to that of 

 the temples to which these porticos are attached. In that of Bhau- 

 majo the portico is exactly of the same height as the temple itself. In 

 the Payach example, as well as in the little temple on the Srinagar 

 column, the porch reaches only to the centre of the pyramidal roof ; 

 whilst in the Pandrethan temple it is highly probable that it did not 

 reach higher than one third of the roof. 



2. — Another point of difference consists in the treatment of the 

 pediment itself, which, in the Bhaumajo, Payach and Pandrethan sped- 



2 u 2 



