Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c35.5

c35.5

Two of the most important of these temple-cities are on mountains in Kathiawar, one being on the heights of Satrunjaya and the other on those of Girnar. The largest of all is that of Satrunjaya, south of the town of Palitana, and occupying the twin summits of the mountains, two thousand feet above sea level. Crowning these two ridges each some three hundred and fifty yards long, the line of buildings, several hundreds in number, follows approximately the shape of a letter S, one group running along the curve of the northern ridge and another the southern with a connecting group on the saddle forming the loop between Out of this large number of shrines of various shapes and sizes, a characteristic example is the Chaumukh temple of Adinath standing within the Karalaravasi Tuk at the apex of the northern ridge. Built in A.D. 1618, on the site of a much earlier structure, it shows how the builders put into effect the plan of the "four-faced" shrine The cell chamber, which is twenty-three feet square, is provided with the four requisite entrances, that on the east side being connected in the usual manner by a doorway with the assembly hall in front. The three other openings have porches leading into the surrounding courtyard, while above each porch rises an elegant second story with balconied windows, a feature having a definitely secular appearance, the whole buttressed against the lower part of the spire In addition to this amplification of the vimana there is a range of exterior cells incorporated into its western walls and screened by a pillared verandah, a form of supplementary cloisters considerably enriching this portion of the structure. Although tending to produce the effect of one architectural element imposed on another, there is nevertheless a rich animation about this design which is commendable