The Hindu Temple v1.c9.s3.13

v1.c9.s3.13

⁸¹ In the endeavour to build up the temple as an image of the World-mountain various forms of sacred architecture were superimposed. Some of these were not destined to consolidate into generally accepted types. Undoubtedly experiments were made over and over again. The flat roofed apsidal Durga temple at Aihole, of the 6th century, received a curvilinear Śikhara, at a later date; the Hucchimalligudi Temple, possibly built in the fifth century, received a curvilinear Śikhara on its flat roof, in the sixth century, to judge from its style. Of greater interest even is the Kuraja Bir Temple of the ninth century in Central India; it has a cell superposed on the Garbhagṛha which forms its first floor; and on top of the second cell which forms its second storey, a complete curvilinear Śikhara is raised which leads this structure to its highest point or the higher or second-floor Garbhagṛha with its curvilinear Śikhara may be seen as one complete Prāsāda placed on a flat roofed temple (cf. Part V, note 94). Finally, a complete temple with its curvilinear Śikhara is placed as a monument on top of a Gauḍīya Temple—which itself has a curved roof, the brick translation of the thatched roof of the Bengal village temple or house (for instance in Viṣṇupur, Bengal, c. 17-18th century, illustrated on a Plate between pp. 92-93, by N. K. Bose, op. cit.). The curvilinear Śikhara on top of various types of roofs of shrines is illustrated frequently in miniature paintings from Bengal from the eleventh century onward; cf. Foucher, ‘Iconographie Bouddhique’, Pl. III. 4. In all these compilations, it is the curvilinear Śikhara only which is given this exalted position; it soars towards the highest point from an already high level and forms the sheath of the ‘axis of the universe’, the central pillar whose shaft emerges from the platform (skandha) of its Vedi.