178 



DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS ON 



Above the plinth moulding the four main angles of the building 

 have been carved into a rampant lion at each corner (as in the 

 shore temple No. 6) supporting the upper part of an octagon 

 shaft springing from the back of their necks, and terminating 

 above in a squash capital, and a handsome spreading flat square 

 abacus, above which are plain cross brackets. 



The ornamental treatment of each face (north, east, and south) 

 consists of a large niche or recess on the centre of each wall be- 

 tween square half pilasters, containing a mythological figure or 

 group in high relief. The architrave joining the two half pilas- 

 ters has a bracket on it supporting a squatting (? dwarf) figure 

 above, between elaborate scroll work as in the wall niches of 

 No. 37, No. 21, and No. 3. 



The space between the central wide niche and the rampant lion 

 piers at the angles is occupied by a narrow projection of two 

 octagon pillars or pilasters with dwarf bases and a narrow niche 

 between them containing a single figure in each. These narrow 

 recesses, with their pillars, are capped by a bold projecting 

 convex cornice or hood, ornamented with scroll patterns and sur- 

 mounted by further ornamentation up to the principal cornice, 

 which completes the exterior of the building, and is still nearly 

 entire. 



On the north face of the temple the centre-piece is a 3 (or ? 6) 

 faced god with six arms supporting a throne or couch with a couple 

 (? Siva and ParvatT) sitting on it. He has four, she but two 

 arms, and there are two warders (in the narrow hooded niches). 

 The projecting beam ends below are elephant-headed. 



On the west side is the doorway in the centre of the portico or 

 vestibule projection, in the relatively flat portion of the wall, 

 corresponding to the wide central recess between square half 

 pilasters of the north, east and south sides of the main body of 

 the building, and, like them, is flanked by two corresponding 

 hooded projections having a narrow niche between octagonal 

 pillars containing a single figure each; in this case perhaps 

 warders ; but the inner faces of the jambs of the doorway form- 

 ing the entrance passage are fashioned to represent the regular 

 dvarapal (warders) as already stated above. 



