196 



DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS ON 



a lingam. There are several other corniced niches of this de- 

 scription in the neighbourhood ; two or more on the southern- 

 most monolith, one at Saluvankuppam, a few miles north, and in 

 the older structural temples of the place. This handsome fronton 

 (the shrine niche with its surmounting dagoba) occupies the 

 greater part of the facade between the barge (? verge) boards, 

 its finial reaching to the apex of the equilateral (curvilinear) 

 triangle formed by them. 



The recess excavated to contain the dagoba top is demi-hemis- 

 pherical, and on each side the projecting part of the roof is sup- 

 ported by a very elegant series of pendants and brackets, the 

 spaces between which are covered by small semi-circular arches, 

 three on each side. The supporting brackets are capped by 

 mythic lion or griffin-heads, of the regular pattern so prevalent 

 here in the pillar bases, all looking, with faces turned, inwards. 

 In the north face of Arjuna's Eatha or the Ganesa temple they 

 face inwards in the same way ; at the south end they face to their 

 front, south. The margin or bargeboards are ornamented by 

 rosettes and chaplets, or garlands hanging in strings or festoons, 

 and a cable or beaded edging above, with a florid scrol 

 terminating in animal muzzles at the peak, and still more florid 

 scrolls on each side at the base. 



The corresponding fronton in the south face of the waggon 

 roof is not so complete, but is almost identical in design. The 

 projecting block for the niche or shrine-recess below the small 

 cornice-hood in the middle is not excavated at all. 



The horse-shoe facets in the cornice all contain human heads 

 as was noticed above in the previously described Eatha, and 

 that in the front of the dagoba ornament also contains a face. 



The long ridge of the waggon roof is, or rather was, designed 

 to have 17 or 19 kalasams or vase finials, the bases of which 

 alone remain. 



Each half of the waggon roof is worked to a very even surface 

 from ridge down to the eaves without the usual scroll work, and 

 is only ornamented by the Ave dormers which diversify very 

 pleasingly the great bare surface. The centre one is withdrawn 

 a little way up the slope of the roof and the end ones rather less 



