History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s3.3

v1.c19.s3.3

This temple, as the sculptures testify, was dedicated to Vishnu—the special divinity of the Chalukyas; but the words carved in Kanarese on the basement—“the holy Jaina temple”—seems to indicate that at one time it had been claimed or appropriated by the Jains, and this, with some misconception as to the character of the sculptures, has led to the mistake of its being supposed that it was originally Jaina. Its original dedication is fortunately, however, of very little importance for our present purposes. The age when this temple was erected was the age of toleration in India. The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsiang has left us a most vivid description of a great quinquennial festival, at which he was present at Allahâbâd in A.D. 643, at which the great King Silâditya presided, and distributed alms and honours, on alternate days, to Buddhists, Brahmans, and heretics of all classes, who were assembled there in tens of thousands, and seem to have felt no jealousy of each other, or rivalry that led, at least, to any disturbance.¹ It was on the eve of a disruption that led to the most violent contests, but up to that time we have no reason to believe that they did not all use similar edifices for their religious purposes, with only such slight modifications as their different formulæ may have required (Woodcut No. 180).