Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c25.s3.65

v4.c25.s3.65

Illustrations are not wanting of the Ekapāda-Trimūrti. In all important Śiva temples of S. India, we meet with this image in some place or other, at least carved upon pillars. An excellent specimen of it is found in the temple at Tiruvorriyūr, whose photograph has been reproduced in the Introduction to Vol. I of this work. (See Pl. F, fig. 1.) Fig. 1, Pl. XCIX, is another piece of sculpture which is found in the Śiva temple at Jambukēśvaram; this is almost identical with that of Tiruvorriyūr. In addition to the three mūrtis, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, we have in this instance the figures of a *haṃsa*, a bull and a Garuḍa, the vehicles respectively of Brahmā, Śiva and Viṣṇu. There is also the figure of a *yōgi* standing on the right with a *jaṭābandha* on his head carrying in his left hand a *daṇḍa* and keeping his right hand in the attitude of praising the Trimūrti. For the third mode of representation of the Trimūrtis see Pls. LXII, fig. 1 and LXXIV of Vol. I. Temples containing separate shrines for Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva are found in many parts of the Travancore State; for example there is the Valiyakālai temple at Trivandram and the temple at Tiruvallam. The triforium temples are common features of the Chālukya-Hoysaḷa style of architecture. As examples of this I may quote the splendid temple of Dakṣiṇakēdārēśvara at Baḷigāmi, the temple at Sōmanāthapura and the Kēdārēśvara temple at Haḷebiḍu. All these temples have their ground plan resembling roughly the ace of the "clubs" of the playing cards, the three circular portions representing the three shrines and the tail the front maṇḍapa, which is common to all the three shrines. In these temples we generally see two liṅgas in two shrines and a figure of Viṣṇu in the remaining third shrine. One of the liṅgas represents Brahmā and the other Śiva. (See Epigraphia Carnatika, Vol. V, of Hassan District, for the photograph of the Kēdārēśvara temple):