Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/414

 36* DRAVIDIAN STYLE. BOOK III. shrine in 1393, but till a survey with sufficient illustrations is published we cannot speculate on its age. Two miles south, in the hamlet of Tiruppadikunram, is a Jaina temple, dedicated to Vardhamana, of which the shrine has an apsidal back which is covered with sculptures of a somewhat superior character. It probably dates from the nth century, and con- tains inscriptions of Chola and early Vijayanagar kings one commemorates a grant to it by the general of Bukka II. in 1387. Another structure of some interest in connection with these early Dravidian temples is what is known to Europeans as the " Shore temple " at the " Seven Pagodas." Standing on a point of land that juts out into the sea, it has suffered much from high tides and sea air, and is seriously damaged. The surround- ing walls of the court have been much ruined, but excavations made in 1884 revealed the lines of these where they had fallen, and of other buildings in the west half of the court. The plan (Woodcut No. 21 1) will show the disposition of the whole, and the photograph of the temple itself from the north-west (Plate No. X., Frontispiece] gives a view that makes the style intelligible. It may be somewhat later than the two earliest temples at Conjivaram, described above, but if so it can hardly be ascribed to a later date than the Qth century A.D. At present, it contains two shrines unsymmetrically disposed the smaller, facing the west, being dedicated to Vishnu, and the larger, entered' from the east, now contains the Saiva Lingam. 1 TANJOR. One great exception to the rule that the larger Dravidian temples are arranged as accident dictated is to be found at Tanjor. The great Pagoda there was commenced on a well- defined and stately plan, which was persevered in till its completion. As will be seen from the annexed diagram (Woodcut No. 212) it consists of two courts, 2 one a square of about 250 ft., originally devoted to minor shrines and residences ; but when the temple was fortified by the French in I777 3 it was converted into an arsenal, and has not been re-appropriated to sacred purposes. The temple itself stands in a courtyard extremely well proportioned to receive it, being about 500 ft. long by half that in width, the distance between the gateway 1 The temple is sometimes called Sthalajayanaswami, perhaps because in a chamber about 12 ft. long, behind the larger shrine, but accessible from it, is a gigantic figure of Vishnu lying on the floor. 2 As the plan is only an eye-sketch, and the dimensions obtained by pacing, it must not be too much relied on. It is sufficient to explain the text, and that is all that is at present required. 3 Inscription on gateway.