The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c16.62

v2.c16.62

**Rani Naur, North facade, lower storey :--**Turning now to the northern range, we come to the most important part of the excavation to which the architects had devoted their best attention, and which is still in a better state of preservation than the two wings (*Plate V*). Its ground-floor front was originally formed of a colonnaded verandah, 44 feet long, having a raised seat or plinth along the whole of its inner line. The verandah was formed by a row of eight square pillars, of which only the terminal, attached ones are now *in situ*, the rest having fallen down along with the roof long since, and been removed. To the east, it opened into an oblong chamber 11'×7', and to the north into three rooms, of which the two side ones measure respectively 13' 6"×7' 13"×7', and the central one 16' in and 15' 6" behind, the breadth being as in the others, 7 feet. The verandah having been long since removed, the access to the rooms now is by the plinth. The side rooms have each two doors, and the central one three, so the facade has a range of seven doors formed and ornamented like those in the right wing, and having a running frieze of baso-rilievo figures, extending the whole length over the doorways. Owing to exposure caused by the demolition of the verandah, the frieze has suffered much from the rain and sun of many centuries, and in some places has been completey obliterated. Four fragments at the eastern end are all that can be seen in any thing like tolerable preservation. The first, on the penultimate eastern pier, represents a hut of two storeys with an open verandah or balcony round the upper chamber. (A. 8). The lower storey has two doors each with a straight hyperthyrion, having an arched moulding over it. The upper storey has an only door, but it is similar in character to the lower ones. There is a female figure looking out from each door, and one also from the balcony which is protected by a Buddhist rail of four bars; a similar rail runs in front of the lower storey, and a large tree stands by its side. The roof is curvilinear.