History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c18.s8.2

v1.c18.s8.2

The temples are situated in the village of Kîragrâma or Baijnâth, about 25 miles east of Kângrâ, and two inscriptions in the larger of the two principal shrines record that it was built by two brothers, Manyuka and Âhuka, wealthy merchants, under Lakshmanachandra lord of Kîragrâma, and apparently brother-in-law of Jayachchandra, king of Jâlandhara or Trigarta. The date is partly obliterated, but in all probability it was equivalent to A.D. 1204. This temple was dedicated to Siva-Vaidyanâtha, and consists of a mandap or hall, 20 ft. square inside, with four round pillars supporting the roof, and a shrine (*purî*) for the Linga, 8 ft. square—separated from the hall by a small antechamber.¹ Over all this temple measures 51 ft. by 31, and stands in a walled enclosure about 120 ft. long and 60 ft. wide at the east end, and 75 at the west. This contains some rooms for the priests with small temples along the north side. But in 1786 it underwent a thorough repair at the hands of Râja Sansârachandra II., which has obliterated many of its features; and to this repair it probably owes the porch with its four pillars in front; but with the exception of the balcony windows on each side, the walls were not, perhaps, materially meddled with. The roof and spire, however, were either rebuilt or so overlaid with plaster as to hide the original work. The woodcut (No. 165) shows only the pillars of the portico of the temple, with the Nandi kiosk in front and a small temple of Jamadagni beyond. This latter, though ruinous, is more interesting, because it has escaped the hand of the spoiler. As will be seen from the woodcut, it has all the features of a very old temple—great simplicity of outline, no repetitions of itself, and the whole surface of the upper part covered with that peculiar horse-shoe diaper which was so fashionable in those early days. It looks here as if it must be copied from some brick or terra-cotta construction; otherwise its repetition over a whole surface seems unaccountable. The amalaka stringcourses are subdued and in good taste, and the crowning ornament well proportioned.