Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s2.24

c12.s2.24

The two tall pillars of each gateway (*toraṇa-dvāra*) rose to a height of 9' 7½"; those on the east to west were comprised of four octagonal shafts (*aṭṭhaṃsika stambha*) joined together, with those on the north and south gateways square (*caturasrika*) in form. These curiously shaped pillars, are thus formed of a group of four octagons or tetragons joined together, and crowned by four distinct bell-capitals. These four capitals are covered by a single abacus on which rests a large massive capital formed of two winged lions (*sapakṣa-siṃha-saṅghāṭa*) and two winged bulls (*sapakṣa-vṛiṣa-saṅghāṭa*). [Fig. 58]. On them rested the first horizontal architrave superimposed by two more beams of similar shape and size separated from each other by carved cubical blocks. A particular feature of the *toraṇa* beams at Bharhut consists in the open-mouthed crocodile figures with curved tails occupying the projecting ends. It was on this account that the *toraṇa* itself was given the name of *śiṃśumāraśiraḥ* (Ādi Parva, 176. 15, see my articles, ‘*Śiṃśumāraśiraḥ*’, JISOA 1939; ‘Mahābhārata Notes’, *ABOI*, Vol. XXVI, pts. III-IV, 283-86). The spaces between these architraves were filled by smaller balusters which gave the whole framework the appearance of a delicate *jālī* work (*śalākā-vātāyana*). [Fig. 59]. The topmost architrave was surmounted by a conspicuous Dharmachakra supported on a base of honeysuckle design and this was on the two sides at the uppermost height of the vertical pillars flanked by two smaller triratna symbols. Cunningham was able to restore these pinnacle symbols from existing fragments.