Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/132

 104 NORTHERN OR INDO-ARYAN STYLE. BOOK VI. are of the most exquisite beauty, it is one of the gems of Orissan art. 1 The following woodcut (No. 318), without attempting to illustrate the art, is quoted as characteristic of the emblems of the period. Below the pillar are three kneeling elephants, over which domineer three lions or leogriffs. Above this a Nagni, or female Naga, with her seven - headed snake - hood, adorns the upper part of the pillar. They are to be found, gener- ally in great numbers, in almost all the temples of the province. Over the doorway are the Nava- graha, or nine planets, which are almost more universal at the Linga- raja temple. Throughout the pro- vince, from the time we first meet it, about the 7th century, if so early, till it dies out about A.D. 1300, the style seems to be singularly uniform in its features, and it requires consider- able familiarity with it to detect its gradual Doorway in Rajaranl Temple. (From a Photograph. ) progress towards decay. Notwithstanding this, it is easy to 1 Both the temples ot Muktesvara and Rajarani have been restored by Dr. Bloch, the Archaeological surveyor, who gives photographs of them "before, and after repairs," but from so very different points of view, that it is not clear what is the extent of these repairs ; but in the Reports, this method of photograph- ing from different points "before and after" meddling with the buildings, is remarkably frequent. No mention seems to be made of securing correct plans of the temples, which might readily have been made whilst the works were going on. The work done is thus described : ' ' The temples generally were fairly intact, but a number of stones had' become either loose or unsafe, in the roof of the man- dapa and the upper parts of the spire. These had to be dismantled and built up again, using as far as possible the ancient materials. Carvings, when broken and lost, were replaced by new ones, and the work of the modern stonemason does not fall much behind the old work, except that modern restorations of human or animal figures are less grace- ful than their older models. Only such carvings have been replaced by new ones of which the original pattern was avail- able." 'Archseol. Survey Annual Report, 1902-03,' pp. 45-46. It is pitiable to think of the barbarity of 2Oth century imitations, or supposed but very inferior imitations, being inserted in these vener- able structures.