Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c27.20

c27.20

The architectural portion of the temple therefore may be said to begin at the fourth court, the outer wall of which measures 1235 feet by 849 feet, with a gopuram in the middle of three of its sides, on the north, south, and east, that on the east being the finest and largest in the entire scheme. Near this eastern gopuram, and within the fourth enclosure in its north-eastern angle, is the hall of a thousand pillars, a flat-roofed structure occupying a rectangle 500 feet by 160 feet. Arranged in rows within are over 900 carved granite monoliths, all leading up to a shrine at the far end. Considering the amount of labour expended in this hypostyle hall it is a somewhat unimpressive production. Except for the "Horse Court", the remaining buildings within this *prakaram*, which consist of a few pillared pavilions, are of no particular importance The next or third enclosure measures 767 feet by 503 feet, with a gopuram on its north and south sides, the latter being the principal entrance, as it opens on to a fine pillared hall known as the Garuda Mandapam. Towards the middle of this mandapa is a shrine with a cupola which rises like a minor dome above the surrounding flat roofs. At the side of the pillared hall is a covered tank, the *surya-pushkarani*, and at the opposite or northern end of this *prakaram* is another tank, horse-shoe in shape, called the *Chandra-pushkarani*, the two comprising the "Pool of the Sun" and the "Pool of the Moon" respectively. The second enclosure is also entered by gateways on its north and south sides, and measures 426 feet by 295 feet. It is a covered court occupied mainly by pillared pavilions, with a long processional pillared passage on its western side. Within this is the first or innermost enclosure, having its entrance on the south side, and its sides being 240 feet by 181 feet, while the object it contains is the sanctuary and its cella. The sanctuary is a square compartment, and the room around the cella is also rectangular, but the actual chamber within is circular, the shape of the whole resembling a small chaitya hall as may be seen by its golden domical roof projected above the flat roof outside.