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DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS ON 



recently been removed from the centre of the east side sufficiently 

 to discover the entrance to an excavation of three bays or openings 

 under a prominent cornice projecting 1' 3", and between two 

 square pillars and two pilasters, forming a portico or verandah 

 28' 3" long or wide north-south, 6 feet deep east- west, and 7 feet 

 high, on a raised basement and approached by a small flight of 

 steps as usual. 



The pillars are about 3£ diameters in height (or 6' 9") and for 

 the space of 2' 3", a little above the centre, are cut to the octagon 

 form. They have no capitals but support brackets, with 

 grooved or indented ends and under sides, like those on the 

 pillars of the monoliths and excavations at Mavalivaram, which 

 latter however usually have bulging capitals also. Opposite the 

 central opening or bay is the doorway of the shrine-cell which 

 projects about a foot from the general line of the back wall into 

 the verandah under a prominent cornice which projects a foot 

 still further. The shrine doorway is 5' 2" high by 2' 6" wide and 

 flanked by tall-capped dvarapal warders armed with club and 

 snakes (?) The sanctuary cell is only 3' 5" square and 5' 2" high. 

 It contains a handsome 16-sided lingam which is very slightly 

 fluted or ribbed, and supports the " panavattam," or yoni (?) 

 with its channelled spout to carry off the anointing liquid nearly 

 half way up the shaft, which latter is firmly embedded in a 

 circular hole or socket. A small escape channel for the anoint- 

 ing fluid has been cut in the floor along the north edge of the 

 floor and to the outside by a hole in the north-east corner. 



The upper part of the back wall of the cell has a panel sculp- 

 tured with the usual tableau here, representing Siva four-armed, 

 Parvati and the child, and two attendant gods in the back ground, 

 leaving scanty room for the regal umbrella and none for the 

 usual chauri. 



The only other adornment noticed in the cell was a pair of 

 pipal-leaf lamp-niches, very elegant. The two side walls are 

 pierced at top with four holes ; two at back, and two in front, as 

 if for the ends of a curtain rod behind, to carry a curtain just in 

 front of the sculptured panel, and perhaps for the ends of the 



