History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c46.38

v2.c46.38

by a Śivaliṅga. The second is dedicated to Vishnu, named Nilamādhava, and its Śikhara is surmounted by a wheel of blue chlorite. The principle of construction of the Jagamohanas at Gandharāḍi is slightly different from that of the Paraśurāmeśvara. Their roofs are built on the cantilever principle and originally it appears to have been supported on twelve large round pillars arranged as a hollow square. Thus each side had four pillars of which the central ones flanked an opening. Originally these two Jagamohanas appear to have been open on all sides; but later on the lintels on all sides appear to have given way and then it became necessary to fill in the gaps between pillars with the exception of the four openings with ashlar masonry. At the same time the side openings were filled up with a Jālī or lattice of blue chlorite towards the bottom and a frieze of four miniature temple Śikharas over it. This arrangement is not followed in later temples where the ingress of light into Jagamohana is through four or five stone pillars in the opening used as window-bars.