Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/511

 CHAP. I. HALEBID. 445 temple itself is 160 ft. north and south by 122 ft. east and west. Its height, as it now remains, to the cornice is about 25 ft. from the terrace on which it stands. It cannot, therefore, be considered by any means as a large building, though large enough for effect. This, however, can hardly be judged of as it now stands, for there is no doubt but that it was intended to raise two great pyramidal spires over the sanctuaries, four lower ones in front of these, and two more, as roofs one over each of the two central pavilions. Thus completed, the temple would have 262. Restored view of Temple at Halebid. assumed something like the outline shown in the woodcut (No. 262), 1 and if carried out with the richness of detail exhibited in the Kedare^vara (Woodcut No. 260), would have made up a whole which it would be difficult to rival anywhere. The material out of which this temple is erected is an indurated potstone of volcanic origin, found in the neighbour- hood. This stone is said to be soft when first quarried, and easily cut in that state, though hardening on exposure to the atmosphere. Even this, however, will not diminish our admira- tion of the amount of labour bestowed on the temple, for, from the number of parts still unfinished, it is evident that, like most others of its class, it was built in block, and carved after the stone had become hard. As we now see it, the stone is of a 1 The finials on the two principal jikharas, by some mistake of the engraver, have been wrongly presented. A vase supported on a small dome is to be understood. G. Le Bon, ' Les Monu- ments de I'lnde,' fig. 265.