THE SEVEN PAGODAS. 



191 



The ornamentation of this shrine is rather different from the 

 last (No. 37) and, except as to the scroll work, more elaborate. 

 The pillars or pilasters in the basement or ground floor are octa- 

 gonal, instead of square, and arranged in pairs (somewhat as in 

 the north, east, and west sides of Kamaraja's temple, No. 24, at 

 the north end of the sculptured rocks), with niches containing 

 sculptured figures between them, and the curved ends of the 

 brackets over the pillar-capitals are well indented or reeded 

 transversely ; an ornament that is found in most of the monoliths 

 and excavations, but is only slightly indicated in No. 37 Draupadfs 

 Hatha. Lean lanky griffins (?) rampant support the cornice at 

 the angles, rearing up obliquely between the brackets. A pair 

 of free-standing lion-based pillars seem to be wanting in the 

 centre of the portico on the west side, where they would increase 

 the similarity to the adjacent monoliths. 



Within the portico the shrine or cell has been partly exca- 

 vated, but apparently never finished, or furnished with any object 

 of worship. 



The bold projecting cornice overhanging the lowest story 

 (ground floor) is fully developed here, and completely surrounds 

 the shrine (portico included). It is of single convex flexure, 

 having no reverse curve or bell-shaped splay at the lower edge 

 as the roofs of the domes and domical cells have, and as the more 

 modern South Indian temple cornices have. It is ornamented 

 principally by semi-circular or " horse-shoe " dormer pattern 

 upright facets, in pairs to correspond with the pairs of pillars 

 below, each containing a sculptured human face. Each such 

 dormer facet has, or was intended to have, a tall upright flat 

 spike. They are often termed chaity or window ornaments. 



This face-containing horse-shoe ornament is common here 

 to the monoliths, the caves and the older structural temples, 

 and is different from the associated roof dormers qi similar 

 (horse-shoe) shape, as these latter are not furnished with the 

 masks or faces, but with a different object, to be mentioned. 

 Above the cornice is a railing course or a string course of balus- 

 trade ornaments, the rails or beam' ends being cut into griffins 

 heads . This ornamental course lines the base of the lower tier 



