History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c46.48

v2.c46.48

(3) A retaining wall provided by the British P. W. D. enclosing the entire group. The Toraṇa stands free of the inner enclosure wall just in front of the only opening in it. The uprights are built in sections, their lower parts, square in section, bearing on each face a niche or a miniature temple relief. The shafts are 16-sided and the abacus consists of a Kirfimukha holding three strings of beads on each side of the mouths, which are continued on to the next, on each facet as loops, with a single pendant between each of them (not beaded tassels as supposed by the late Mr. Ganguly).¹ Over this there is a vedikā supporting an āmalaka, over which is another vedikā supporting a cruciform capital with four arms, but without any human figures. These capitals support the real arch, which is circular like a Roman arc but built in transverse section on the principle of the true Indian overlapping arch. The ends of this arch are shaped as heads of Makaras. In front and at the back a circular projection along the bottom of the arch issues and ends in two small chaitya-windows in relief on the sides. A small female figure rests on each side of this projecting arch while the top is occupied by another chaitya-window with a pure circular medallion containing a human head.² These important land-marks in the evolution of the chaitya-window, marking regular stages in the evolution of the decorative art of the Orissan School, have been described by the late Mr. Ganguly in the following words: "The arch has three big ornamental [Figure: The Vaitāl Deul—Front and Side Views of the Gopuram Bhuvanēśvara—Puri District]