The Chalukyan Architecture of the Kanarese Districts c8.s5.7

c8.s5.7

The temple faces the west; and in front of the entrance doorway, which is fairly well decorated, stands a porch upon four disengaged pillars. In later temples the porch is built upon two disengaged pillars and two wall-pilasters. On either side of the porch, between the pillars, is a low seat, the outer back of which forms a parapet which is decorated with panels containing urns or waterpots as upon the porch of Lāḍ Khān's. In the porch ceiling is a group of sculpture representing Kārtikēya seated upon his peacock, with a lance in rest in his right hand and a flower in his left. Attendant figures, which surround him, make offerings, while a prostrate figure, with a shield and dagger or short sword, lies beneath the peacock's feet. There can be no mistake about the peacock here. It stands in profile, and thus shews its long tail to advantage, at the end of which the "eyes" are well delineated, while upon its head is the top-knot of feathers. But Kārtikēya, who sits side saddle, has only one head. Sometimes he is represented like this, in other cases with his six heads. Kārtikēya, Svāmi-Mahāsena, Shaḍānana, Skanda, Subramanya, or Shaṇmukha was the god of war, who led the early Chālukyas to victory as well as the Kadambas of Banavāsi.