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/220

196 windows were not open but closed with plain stone lattices. The ornamentation externally consists entirely of plain, shallow recessed lines of mouldings, sparingly used; the temple had other subordinate temples round it, two to the north, two to the south, one in front, and probably there were two at the back, making seven small temples subordinate to the principal one in the middle. From the shallowness of the mouldings and the general appearance, especially of the subordinate temples and of their remains, I ascribe these temples to the period of Mân Singh; and in this opinion I am confirmed by noticing that some of the materials once clearly belonged to another temple, and being supplemented to the necessary extent with fresh materials, have been used in the present one; the difference between the older and the more recent material is quite plain, the latter being much more roughly cut. Odd fragments of mouldings are also seen in places where they have no business, clearly showing that the temple is built of materials from an older temple; the architrave of the outermost entrance lies on the ground, and has a lotus sculptured on its surface; the carving and scroll work of the doorway are all very shallow.  

At Tuisámá, not far off, is a small temple, which, judging from the architrave lying on the ground, was Saivic, Ganeça being sculptured on it. There are carved and moulded stones also lying about, but as the temple now partially standing is quite plain, I can only suppose the carved stone to have belonged to an older temple, now no longer existing; the fragments of moulding are bold, and there are also fragments of attached corner amalakas lying about, which show that once a richly-ornamented temple stood here; the temple resembles the small ones at Telkupi.

There are traces in the vicinity of two temples, one large and Saivic, and one small, and the ornamented stones noticed above probably belonged to it.

Quarter of a mile to the north-west of this and of the village is a large temple, with mahamandapa and the usual complement of chambers complete; the mouldings and ornamentation are both shallow and few; the temple is now a mass of ruin; near it are numerous votive chaityas, which leads me to infer that the temple was either Jain or Buddhist.

