The Hindu Temple v2.c12.53

v2.c12.53

Some of the panels of the base far exceed in quality the rest of the carvings; the overdoor with its Gavākṣa-siṃhakarṇa frieze shows the flamboyant use of a well worn pattern. In the quantity of the required carvings, the sculpturally gifted craftsman also had his say in some of the reliefs, although the majority of the small panels (the image of Sūrya is about 5' high) were not touched by the divine spark. The dull opulence (cf. also Pl. III) of general views of carved expanses of the temple however is not there actually. The fierce light of the Indian sun or the semi-darkness of the interior sum up the intricacies, the all too meticulous details, and make of them the texture of the temple walls in which each carving has its proper place. The angle moreover from which it is seen changes with the movement of the devotee. Within the temple he proceeds towards the Garbhagṛha; outside he walks around the temple; wherever he may halt or his eyes rest, it is done in the course of a viewing in motion, in which the carvings present themselves from innumerable angles, until one of them is singled out and his whole attention dwells on its front view.