The Antiquities of Orissa v2.c17.s1.220

v2.c17.s1.220

Though the ground-plan is a square, as at Bhuvaneśvara, so at Puri the body of the temple has not that form ; the middle of each side comes flush with the outer line of the plinth and forms the most prominent pier and then a series of receding angles on either side so cuts off the corners as to give the whole a circular appearance and this is continued along the spire. In the porch these receding angles give a zig-zag appearance to the body, but its roof retains its pyramidal character with a square base. The central pier on each side of the temple bears on its middle a large niche framed with elaborate mouldings. The side angles are alternately cut into rounded pilasters and angular projections and they are set off with panels, recesses, and small niches framed with scrolls, bands and delicate mouldings, as at Bhuvaneśvara. The scrolls and the mouldings have, however, long since been filled up with *cunān* in course of the repeated repairs which the monument has undergone during the last six hundred years and I could trace them only by scraping out the *cunān* with a chisel. The projections of the porch are not so deep as those of the body. The niches, recesses and panels with which they are set off are similar to those on the temple and at one time had the same amount of carved-work, delicate floral mouldings and floral bands ; but these have been completely covered by *cunām*, leaving only the outlines of the larger mouldings roughly prominent. The present appearance of the details is shown in plate LXIV.