Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c18.5

c18.5

Mainly on account of its primitive appearance the temple known as Ladh Khan is considered to be the oldest building of the Aihole group, and has accordingly been assigned to the middle of the fifth century. There are others of much the same style, such as that named Kont-gudi, as well as two shrines in its immediate vicinity, but Ladh Khan is the larger and more significant. Partially obscured and defaced by modern accumulations, the general appearance of this structure as it now stands, is unimpressive. In shape it is a comparatively low, flat-roofed building, its plan being a square of fifty feet side, and over all rises a small supplementary story of later date. Three of its sides are completely enclosed by walls, two of which are relieved by perforated stone grilles, but from its fourth side, forming its eastern front, there is projected an open-pillared porch. The interior consists of a hall, which resembles a pillared pavilion, as it contains two square groups of columns, one within the other, thus providing a double aisle all round. A large stone effigy of a bull (*nandi*) almost fills the central bay, while at the far end is the cella, not, as is usual, a chamber leading off the main hall, but built within it, and against the back wall. With the exception of the Siva symbol of the *nandi*, which has been put into the building afterwards, for as the dedicatory block shows, it was erected as a Vishnu temple, it is clear that, as far as the body of the structure is concerned, this arrangement is original, no part of it is an afterthought, none of it was subsequently added. Yet it is also just as clear that, for the purpose for which it was constructed, it was not by any means a suitable building for the ends it had to serve, as it fulfils few of the conditions necessary for the performance of the Brahmanical ritual. The reason for such inappropriateness is that, although it was intended for a temple, it was an adaptation of another structure devised for an entirely different object. This was an edifice planned for secular and civic use, the *santhagara*, the village mote, moot, or meeting hall.