Page:Report of a Tour Through the Bengal Provinces of Patna, Gaya, Mongir and Bhagalpur; The Santal Parganas, Manbhum, Singhbhum and Birbhum; Bankura, Raniganj, Bardwan and Hughli in 1872-73.djvu/175

Rh The temples face east. In the cell of the inscribed one is a Ganeça on a pedestal, in front of which is an oblong argha, with 3 lingam holes cut into it. It appears to me that only one of the holes was originally cut; the others were subsequently added—why, I cannot imagine. I infer this from the rudeness of execution of the other holes; two nandis and several Vaishnavic sculptures lie outside. A peculiarity of these temples,—and not of these alone, but of the entire series of temples of this type to he found in Mânbhum,—is the sunk position of the floor of the sanctum.

I am inclined to ascribe these temples to a period posterior to the Muhammadan conquest of Northern India, from the circumstance that a temple of this type, existing at Telcupi, to be noticed further on, has had the corners of its mahamandapa cut off (to enable a circular roof to be put on), in the same way as the corners of Iltitmish's tomb at Delhi; but it is to he observed that this mode of construction, although it, undoubtedly, occurs in a post-Muhammadan building in Delhi, is to be regarded as essentially Hindu, especially as we meet no instances of it after the time, when, as is well known, Hindu masons were employed of necessity in the construction of Muhammadan structures; so that, although I am on this ground inclined to attribute these temples to a post-Muhammadan period in the absence of other data, I am by no means satisfied that in doing so, I am right.

The sanctum is roofed by overlapping stones, chamfered at the edges, till the opening is small enough to be slabbed over; but, although the inner roof of the sanctum is thus a pyramidal one, there is space between it and the outer tower roof for a small chamber. I could see no chamber from the outside, and clambering up to ascertain it, was not practicable; but, judging from other examples, it is very unlikely that the entire intervening space is solidly filled in.

The basement mouldings of these temples are not elegant, though they are deeply cut, and rise to a great height. This is due to the circumstance that they do not splay outwards, and thus add to the breadth and solidity of the temple. Constructively, these temples, founded on solid rock, need no splay outwards of the foundations, but, artistically, the very profusion of deep-cut lines, richly sculptured, which do not apparently increase the stability of the temple, is unsatisfactory. In this respect the simple mouldings of the temple at Katrás, similarly founded on rock, will contrast