History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c46.59

v2.c46.59

The Vimāna of the Paraśurāmeśvara, the entire structures of the twin temples at Gandharāḍi and Mukteśvara agree in one detail: the exteriors are decorated with a number of niches or miniature temples of different sizes very often ornamented by rows of super-imposed chaitya-windows in fret-work.⁴ The windows of the Jagamohana of the Mukteśvara are enclosed in an arrangement of heavily carved frames. The Jāli or lattice itself bears three narrow but graceful bands all round, carved out of the same piece of stone. This is kept in place by two uprights, a sill and a lintel consisting of four or five separate pieces, over which there is an architrave intended to fill up the space above the lattice up to the height of the pilasters on each side.⁵ On the lintels and the jambs enclosing the lattice there is an ornamental scroll forming a number of round panels which contain a number of humorous scenes, as on the celebrated monkey medallions on the railings of Bharhut stūpa. Some of them have been described by the late Mr. Ganguly.