Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/134

 io6 NORTHERN OR INDO-ARYAN STYLE. BOOK VI. still the details of the tower exhibit a progress towards modern forms which is unmistakable. 1 Abul Fazl after describing the temple with considerable detail and circumstantiality and ascribing it to Raja Narasingh - deva I., adds that "it is said to be a work of 730 years' antiquity." 2 In other words, it was erected about A.D. 860, or just about 400 years before Narasingh's date which must arise from an error in the hundreds figure. Narasingh-deva must, however, have employed architects of very different tastes and abilities to those engaged a century earlier in erecting the Puri temple. Another point of interest connected with this temple is, that all authors, apparently following Abul Fazl, agree that it was, like the temple of Martand, in Kashmir (ante, vol. i., p. 259), dedicated to the sun. 3 Sun-worship, we know, was prevalent in various parts of India, previous to the I2th century, but it seems to have become merged in the Vishnu cult Surya- Narayana being regarded as a form of Vishnu. In the west of India there are remains of quite a number of sun-temples of about the eleventh century, 4 and probably others will be found in Central India and elsewhere, when looked for. This temple differs in no respect from other temples of Vishnu found in Orissa. The architectural forms are identical; they are adorned with the same symbols. The Navagraha, or nine planetary divinities, adorned the lintel of this as of all the temples of the district. The seven-headed serpent-forms are found on every temple, from the great one at Bhuvane^war to this one, and it is only distinguishable from those of Siva by the obscenities that disfigure a part of its sculptures. This is, unfortunately, only too common a characteristic of Vaishnava temples all over India, but is not frequent in Saiva temples. A detached mandap that stood in front of it, occupying a correspond- ing place to that at Mudhera, and the fine stambha were removed to Puri, in the i8th century, by the Marathas ; a corner of the jikhara was still standing in 1839, but within the next thirty years had disappeared ; and the great lintel over the entrance to the principal hall, carved with the Navagraha, with other parts about the doorway had fallen, or were removed, and an abortive attempt was made to carry the lintel to Calcutta. Architecturally, the great beauty of this temple arises from 1 When I visited Orissa in 1837 and sketched this temple, a great part of the tower was still standing. See ' Pictur- esque Illustrations of Indian Architecture,' plate iii. It has since fallen entirely. 2 ' Ayeen Akbery,' Gladwin's transla- tion, vol. ii. p. 1 6. Jarrett's version (vol. ii. pp. 128-129) reads : " It is said that somewhat over 73oyearsago RajaNarsing Deo completed this stupendous fabric and left this mighty memorial to posterity." 3 Arka is a name of the sun as the "lightner"; the place is mentioned as Arka-kshetra or Padma-kshetra. 4 'Archaeological Survey of Western India,' vol. ix. pp. 73, 74.