Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c28.18

c28.18

Judging mainly from its appearance, the oldest building of the entire series is the temple of Parasrameswar, a small structure, but with every stone of an informative nature. (Plate LXXXII). It consists of a sanctuary with its pillared hall, in other words a *deul* and its *jagamohan*, the entire length of the two being only 48 feet, while the sikhara of the former is but 44 feet high. In size therefore it may almost be regarded as a "museum piece", but in effect this little building is much more than that, for with the other example, the Vaital Deul, these two temples constitute a "lithic primer" on the beginnings of the Orissan mode. The shape of the tower of the Parasrameswar is definitely rudimentary, as it is thick-set and "heavy-shouldered", with an immensely wide fluted *amala-sila* or coping stone. A low rectangular structure comprises the hall of the temple, and this is provided with a double roof and plain massive eaves, while there is a doorway in each of its three free sides and four perforated stone windows. In the interior of the *jagamohan* are two rows of pillars, three in each row, producing a miniature nave and aisles; these pillars were originally monoliths having plain square shafts, no bases, but with voluted bracket capitals. They supported a massive architrave raising the ceiling of the nave higher than the aisles, thus forming an embryo clerestory. The interior is perfectly plain, whereas the walls of the exterior are intricately and profusely carved. (Plate LXXXII, Fig. 1).