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Studies in Indian Art c14.s4: 43. The Kardameśvara Temple at Kandwa, Banaras

Studies in Indian Art c14.s4

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43. The Kardameśvara Temple at Kandwa, Banaras

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The small temple of Kardameśvara Śiva is a remarkable monument of medieval architecture being the only surviving specimen of the Gahaḍavāla period. It is situated on the Pañchakrośī road or the circumambulation (Pradakṣiṇā Patha) of the holy city of Banaras at a distance of two miles from the Hindu University towards its west. It marks the first stage on the Pañchakrośī yātrā.

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Sited on the western bank of a rectangular tank lined with stone slabs and having ghats on its sides, the temple stands on a raised stepped plinth with its doorway facing east. It is a triratha temple and has a small porch attached to it on the east. Each side consists of a middle projection the Raḥapaga (रहपग=रथपग) flanked by two recessed sides, each consisting of two parts, viz. the Anuraḥapaga (अनुरथपग) and the Koṇakapaga (कोणकपग). The plinth (Priṣṭha) consists of a double moulding. Above it is the vertical projection consisting of the Jaṅghā in two parts, the Talajaṅghā and the Uparijaṅghā separated by a projecting Kapotāvalī moulding. The lowermost course in the Talajaṅghā is adorned by decorative floral motifs in niches. The Talajaṅghā contains three sculptures on each of the three sides of the temple, one in the central niche (rathikā) of the Raḥapaga, and one each in the Anuraḥapaga and Koṇakapaga. On each of the north and south walls there is one panel extra. The Uparijaṅghā contains only one image in a central niche on each of the three sides. Each face of the temple thus has four images, and the three sides have twelve images in all plus two additional ones on the north and south walls.

Western Side

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(1) Talajaṅghā, central niche. Four-armed Naṭarāja holding ḍamaru and Triśūla in right hands and a skull and ghaṇṭā in left. Below is Nandī and a gaṇa playing on drum.

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(2) Talajaṅghā, proper right side: Four-armed Brahmā holding sruvā and akṣamālā in right and Veda and Kamaṇḍalu in left. A haṁsa on the pedestal below.

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(3) Talajaṅghā, proper left side. Four-armed Viṣṇu holding gadā and padma in right and Chakra and Śaṅkha in left hands. There are four attendant figures round Viṣṇu, and Garuḍa on the pedestal below.

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(6) Uparijaṅghā. Four-armed Viṣṇu holding attributes similar to the above figure.

South Side

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(5) Talajaṅghā, central niche, six-armed Śiva seated in Padmāsana on a lotus with Nandī in front. Śiva is holding a triśūla and lakuṭa in right and a khaṭvāṅga and ghaṇṭā in left hand. The remaining two hands are held in front in the exposition-pose (Saṁdaṁśa mudrā), the fingers of the right hand hold an akṣamālā.

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(6) Talajaṅghā, proper right side. Umā-Maheśvara seated in lalitāsana. Gaṇeśa in upper right and Kārttikeya in left corner. Nandī and lion shown below, and also two attendant figures.

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(7) Tala-janghā, proper left hand side : Umā-Maheśvara seated on Nandi. In the upper corners garland-bearing celestial figures, and in the centre a row of five liṅgas. Below : In the middle portion of the panel on the two sides are Gaṇeśa and Kārttikeya.

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(8) Upari-janghā : Umā-Maheśvara on Nandi.

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(9) Tala-janghā, central niche : Eight-armed Śiva as Vīra-bhadra standing with left leg forward in a pose called pratyālīḍha. He is holding a skull in left hand, other attributes being lost. A gajacharma is thrown over the head.

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(10) Tala-janghā, proper right side on Anuraha-paga : Four-armed Balarāma, holding hala and cup in right and musala in left hand, with a snakehood canopy above head; standing by his side is his wife Revatī. Balarāma is wearing an ekāvalī. Stylistically this seems to be an earlier image by about a couple of centuries (Gurjara-Pratīhāra in style), which was incorporated later as a panel in this temple or copied from an earlier model.

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(11) Tala-janghā, proper right side on Koṇaka-paga : Four-armed Ardhanārīśvara Śiva with triśūla in right and darpaṇa in left upper hand. The usual male and female features in the two halves of the body are indicated. This is an additional image on the north wall, the corresponding one on the south wall is completely defaced.

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(12) Tala-janghā, proper left side between Anuraha-paga and Koṇaka-paga : Four-armed Mahiṣāsuramardinī piercing the buffalo-demon, who is also shown in human form.

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(13) Upari-janghā Raha-paga : Two-armed Vāmana, holding right hand in Varada-mudrā with a lotus in the palm, and the Śaṅkha in left hand. On right is the figure of king Bali and on left a female figure probably Pṛthivī, and another woman seated on ground with folded hands.

Portico

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The portico is supported on eight pillars, arranged in two rows. The two pillars of the back row support the vestibule (antarāla) in front of the doorway. The figure on the door lintel (lalāṭa bimba) is damaged. In the proper right wall of the vestibule is an image of eight-armed Mahiṣāsuramardinī killing the buffalo-demon and on the left wall is a figure of dancing Gaṇapati, now worn. On the two jambs of the doorway are images of the river goddesses, Gaṅgā and Yamunā, whose vehicles are defaced. Each of the two groups consists of three figures : in the centre is the river goddess with a chhatra above head and a lotus in hand, on right of her is a male dvārapāla and on left a female attendant above whose head is a Nāgakanyā in añjalimudrā. Gaṅgā wears a crown on head with a horned Kīrttimukha ornament in centre and pearl festoons on the sides. She is wearing round the neck a torque and a necklace on breasts. Round the waist is a girdle with vertical pendants falling on each knee.

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There are three Aṇḍa-Śikharas in each of the three diminishing horizontal tiers in which the Gaṇḍi or Śikhara is divided. The Śikhara is surmounted by an āmalaka, on which is a kalaśa and then an āyudha