THE SEVEN PAGODAS. 



175 



equally unfinished. Five oblong cells above are merely blocked 

 out. The back wall of the interior has been excavated into three 

 cells, the centre of which contains a tableau on the panel of the 

 back wall, of Siva attended by Vishnu and Brahma, all four- 

 armed, with Parvati seated on his left under an umbrella, and 

 the child Subrahmanya seated between them ; all of them in tall 

 head-dresses and full array of ornaments and emblems. The bull 

 (Nandi) crouches in front as a foot-stool for Siva and ParvatI. 

 This is perhaps the best specimen of this tableau, which is repre- 

 sented repeatedly, in the caves, monoliths and structural shrines. 

 A hole, in the centre of a circular depression in the floor of this 

 shrine, points to the fact that it once had, or was designed for, a 

 lingam. 



Immediately in front of the shrine-cell stands a handsome 

 portico supported by two fine lion-based pillars rising from the 

 angles of a stylobate, all in the prevalent style of the locality. 

 The other two cells are vacant now, but the north and south 

 end walls of the outer chamber or portico are sculptured finely, 

 the former (north) representing the mythological fight between 

 the lion-mounted Durga, and the buffalo-headed giant, Mahesha- 

 sura ; and the latter (south) Vishnu (Narayana) asleep on the 

 folds and under the hood of the great serpent Adisesha. (See 

 plates III and IV) . The colossal image of Vishnu lying in the 

 Shore temple is a point of connection between this shrine (32) 

 and the Shore temple (No. 6), which is further indicated by there 

 being two or more copies there also of the Siva tableau (No. 1, 

 plate III) enshrined here. 



Olakkannesvara Temple. 



Isvara Temple, 34 of Madras Survey Map, Aralkennei or Urahhennei 

 Igvara, No. 18 and p. 96 of Braddoclc ; Kav. Us OlalckanneG- 

 varasvdmi Temple, para. 19, p. 210 of Carr's booh. 

 34. This temple is built of larg e stones in cement [like the shore 

 temple (6)], the Chetty's temple (8), and the Mukunda Nayanar 

 (54), on the highest part of the rocks towards the south end of 

 the group, immediately above (and west of) the Mahishamardini 

 excavation No. 32, about 100 feet above the plain. 



