Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/187

 CHAP. IV. NAGDA. 149 and so arranged that upon six of them the inner pairs at each entrance with two columns before the lobby of the shrine, the central dome rests. This is a somewhat exceptional but not altogether unusual arrangement. The shafts of the short pillars are 32 - sided changing to round, and the two inner pillars are octagon below, then 1 6-sided and round above. The dome is very richly carved and ornamented by eight female figures supported on brackets, whilst blocks over the pillars at the joinings of the lintels bear figures of the eight matris or divine mothers. The screen wall is elaborately sculptured outside in a bold clear style, and is in a fair state of preservation. The shrine walls are very plain, and the rikhara is of brick but of it the east face is ruined. A small temple of Mahadeva or Siva, facing the south, stands on the platform a few yards to the south-east of this, consisting of a porch with two advanced pillars, and the shrine surmounted by a low spire of early style covered with carving ; but the front has partly fallen away. 1 There are also three or four other temples surrounding the Bahu temple. The Sasu temple is the larger of the two and its hall is closed, with a porch and doorway on the east and lattice windows in projecting bays about 4 ft. 9 in. deep on the north and south sides carved in a very elaborate and unusual style. The hall, exclusive of these recesses, is 23 ft. square inside, and its roof is upheld by four massive pillars of the style of those in Vimala's temple at Abu, and in many old Hindu temples, as at Ambarnath. These pillars are connected by heavy toran arches, and the central area is covered by a richly carved dome with four brackets on the sides that once supported dancing figures. The other compartments of the roof are filled with intricate sculptures, but all are much besmeared with smoke. The entrance and roof of the front porch are covered with carving, and by the sides of the doorway are perforated screens ; but the outside of the shrine is very plain only the niches on the west, north and south, respectively, have images of Vishnu, Brahma and Siva. The .rikhara and roof of the mandap are now mere heaps of brick. There is no image in the shrine nor any inscription to indicate the age of the temple, and it can only be tentatively ascribed to the I4th century : possibly it may be a little earlier and the Bahu shrine later. There is another pair of Vaishnava temples here, the smaller of which is covered with carving and has a pretty torana close in front of the entrance which faces north. The hall is square, and the upper portion of its walls is carved in panels filled with geometrical patterns such as were used in Muhammadan 1 ' Architecture of Gujarat and Rajputana,' plate 16, right side.