Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/378

 DRAVIDIAN STYLE. BOOK III. The oldest and most interesting group of these monuments are the so-called five " Raths " l or monolithic temples standing on the seashore to the south of the other rock excavations. One of these, having an apsidal termination, appears in the centre of the preceding woodcut (No. 185) a little detached from the rest. The other four stand in a line running from north-north-east to south-south-west, and look as if they had been carved out of a single stone or rock, which originally, if that were so, must have been between 35 ft. and 40 ft. high at its southern end, sinking to half that height at its northern extremity, and its width diminishing in like proportion. The first on the north is the Draupadi Rath a mere pansala or cell II ft. square externally, and with a curvi- linear roof rising to about 18 ft. high (Woodcut No. 1 86). Appar- ently it was once crowned by a finial of some sort, but its form cannot now be ascertained. This rath is the most completely fin- ished of the five, and is now unique of its kind, but must have be- longed to an ex- tensive class of buildings when it was executed, and their form conse- quently becomes important in the history of the style. The cell inside measures 6 ft. 6 in. in depth by 4 ft. 6 in. across, on the back wall of which is a four-armed 5akti or female divinity, probably Lakshmi, with some attendants : the dwarpalas also are females, as are the figures on the north, east, and south sides. 186. Draupadi's Rath. (From a Photograph.) 1 Ratha has much the same meaning as Vim&na a chariot or covered car.