The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c17.s1.105

v2.c17.s1.105

**Vaital Deul :**—From the temple last noticed the itinerary takes the pilgrim to the shrine of Īśāneśvara, which stands at a short distance to the north-east of it. Next come successively Bhadreśvara, Kukkuṭeśvara, Parameśvara, Pūrveśvara, Svarṇakūṭeśvara, Vaidyanātha, Sukṣmāmrātakeśvara, Rudreśvara, Bālakeśvara, *alias* Dākrābhimęśvara, Utpaleśvara, Jaṭileśvara, Āmrātakeśvara, and other temples; but as these are of no architectural or antiquarian importance, I shall not attempt any description of them. The first important temple I have to notice after them is the Vaitāl Deül. It is situated on the road side to the west of the Vindu-sāgara tank, and is remarkable both for its shape and for the profusion of carved work with which it is decorated. Unlike the other temples of Orissa its spire is four-sided, and ends in a long ridge set off with three kalasas. The body is also four-sided, without any projection or buttress, and the ornamentation is arranged in panels and niches (See Vol. I, plate II). The shape is peculiar to the Southern Indian Gopura or propillon, and has nowhere else in Northern India been adopted for a temple proper. The ornamentation is particularly rich, and several illustrations of its details have been given in volume I, (plates XVIII, 59, 60; XXI, 67, 68; XXII, 76*a*, 77, 78; XXXV, F 3; XXXVI, 146). The porch in front of it is of usual Orissan make, but with a clear-storey on top, as is the case with the porch of the Rāmeśvara temple. Its ornamentation was never completed. The walls show the outlines of the designs which were intended to be worked out on it, but only a few were completed. Close by this porch there are several small dwellings and temples, but of recent date, and of no importance. From the character of the material, I am disposed to attribute this temple to the 9th century, and as all the temples of the 9th and even the 10th century are included in the *Ekāmra Purāṇa*, it is to be expected this should also be included in it, as also in the *Ekāmra Candrikā* and in the *Svarṇādri-mahodadhi*, which are of much later dates; but I have not found its name in any of those works. This is due, however, to my not knowing its proper ancient name. The present name is obviously a very modern popular one, given to it on account of its peculiar shape, and not with reference to the name of its presiding divinity, and the works nowhere refer to any temple without the name of the presiding divinity. There are several names of temples which cannot now be identified, and it is probable that the Vaitāl Deül as one of them. There are two other temples which are under the same predicament, and these are Rājārāni (*ante*, p [90]) and the Sāri Deül, to be noticed lower down.