Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/306

 262 ARCHITECTURE IN THE HIMALAYAS. BOOK II. more than those of the temple of Neminath at Girnar (Wood- cut No. 280), which are 165 ft. and 105 ft., though that is by no means a large Jaina temple. On each face is a central cell, larger and higher than the colonnade in which it is placed (Woodcut No. 147), but even then only 30 ft. in height to the summit of the roof, supposing it to be completed, and the pillars on each side of it are only 15 ft. high, which are not dimensions to go wild about, though their strongly-impressed Grecian aspect is certainly curious and interesting. General Cunningham broached " a suspicion that the whole of the interior of the quadrangle was originally filled with water to a level within one foot of the bases of the columns, and that access to the temple was gained by a raised pathway of slabs, supported on solid blocks at short intervals, which connected the gateway flight of steps with that leading to the temple. The same kind of pathway must have stretched right across the quadrangle from one side doorway to the other. Similar pathways still exist in the Shalimar gardens, as passages across the different reservoirs and canals. On the outside of the quadrangle, and close by the northern side of the gateway, there is a drain by which the surplus water found its exit, thus keeping the surface always at the same level. The temples at Pandrethan Ledari, and in the Baramula Pass, are still standing in the midst of water. A constant supply of fresh water was kept up by a canal or watercourse from the River Lambadari, which was conducted alongside of the mountain for the service of the neighbouring village of Simharotsika," etc. " The only object," the General goes on to remark, " of erecting temples in the midst of water must have been to place them more immediately under the protection of the Nagas, or human- bodied and snake-tailed gods, who were zealously worshipped for ages throughout Kashmir." 1 But for this hypothesis there is no sufficient basis, for there are no springs on the arid plateau where the temple stands, and the old irrigation canal from the Lidar could not have served the purpose. Moreover, the temple was undoubtedly dedicated to Surya-Narayan or Vishnu-Surya ; and the polycephalous snake-hoods over some of the abraded figures on the walls are only indicative of Surya or Vishnu. 2 The ' Rajatarangini ' distinctly states that the " wonderful temple of Martanda with its massive walls of stone within a 1 Loc. fit. p. 273. Temples were very by the rise of their surroundings, frequently placed beside springs (Nagas), a As an example we may refer to the which were enclosed in separate walled j figure of Vishnu in Cave III. at Badami. basins. Stein, in 'Vienna Oriental j ' Archaeological Survey of Western India,' Journal,' vol. v. p. 347. The Pandrethan I vol. i. plates 25 and 30 ; or Le Bon, and Baramula temples have been flooded i ' Les Monuments de 1'Inde,' p. 149.