Studies in Indian Art c13.s3.3

c13.s3.3

The temple stands on a solid plinth 10' square. The flat roof of the main shrine is supported on four columns each bearing two brackets which support four horizontal architraves. The height of the roof is 8' from the floor. The main image faces to the East. It is not in a state of good preservation. It is an Ekamukhī Śiva Liṅgam, which is 2'-6" above the floor. The Mukham is the chief object of interest and artistically an excellent specimen of the Gupta-Vākāṭaka period resembling the Śiva Liṅgas at Khoh, Bhumara and Nachana, etc. (Fig. 141) and displaying the characteristic serenity of Śiva's contemplative mood (Samādhi). It is remarkable that in an age when cultural life found its utmost expression, India instead of allowing herself to debase in a sensuous appreciation of beauty regained her self-consciousness and worshipped the ideal of eternal self-control as embodied in Śiva, who had subdued even the God of Love. On the forehead of Śiva is shown the third eye in a vertical position. The strands of the matted hair are shown in parallel flutes turning upwards and terminating in an Āmalaka shaped knot on which is shown the beautiful crescent. Round the neck there was a very rich necklace of several strings. The first string of this necklace shows arranged round the central rectangular bead four big pearls, then one smaller plaque, and again five pearls on each side. The biggest pearl is of the size of an ordinary Āmalaka and the smallest of a plumbery. In all there are eighteen pearls (muktās) and three rectangular beads in the string. Below this is a precious necklace of metallic plaques whose number probably was seven. Its breadth in the centre is about 2". This has two strings of smaller pearls attached to it one above and the other below. In the neck above the first string of the big pearls are shown the three lines of the Grīvā. On either side following from the root of the upper crest of the fluted locks are shown three loose locks falling parallel to each other and coming down to the base of the Liṅgam. The circumference at the upper end of the hair knot is 3'-4", at the base 3'-6", at the nose 4'-1", at the third eye 4'-4". Height of the locks including the top-knot is 11". Distance from the floor to the roof of the locks above the third eye 1'-4½".