Pallava Architecture, Part I (MASI 17) c2.103

c2.103

Temple No. 5.—At a short distance to the north-west of this Trimūrti temple is another isolated hill which is also in use as a stone quarry. Excavated in the western face of this hill is a small ruined temple facing the east. The temple consists of a pillared portico 21' 4" in length, 20' 4" in width and 8' in height. [Plate VII (c)]. Most of the pillars, the shrine doorway and the facade are broken and in ruins. Cut in the back wall and facing the east is a small oblong shrine cell measuring 6' by 3' now empty and deserted. Carved in a small panel between two slender pilasters on the north side of the shrine entrance is a bas-relief figure of a two-armed doorkeeper holding a drawn sword in the right hand and resting the other arm on a curved shield. It is a most unusual form of doorkeeper but resembles a similar figure appearing in the rock-cut temple at Siyamangalam. The little pilasters on either side of the panel are similar to those in the Trichinopoly temple. The south side of the shrine entrance was never finished and is much broken and decayed. The hall originally had six cubical pillars of the usual type with corresponding side pilasters. Carved on the base of the pilaster standing at the southern end of the facade is a bas-relief ornament representing a vase tied cross-wise with ribbons with a kind of floral ornament issuing from the mouth of the vessel [Plate VII (d)]. It is a design that frequently appears on Buddhist monuments and also apparently on Pallava coins (*vide* the illustration given on page 207, *Oxford History of India*, by Vincent Smith). The pillars of the front portion of the hall are carved with horizontal beams supporting the roof. Along these beams are two sculptural friezes, one on each side. One represents a row of fat little dwarfs carrying a heavy garland and the other has a row of sacred geese. [Plate VII (e)]. Both of these designs occur frequently in the ornamentation of Pallava temples at the Seven Pagodas. The outer portion of the facade is hopelessly ruined and much of it is missing, a small portion of the cornice, however, exists at the northern end and this is decorated with a row of little dwarfs in high relief but without the garland.