The Age of the Imperial Guptas c8.60

c8.60

The importance of the Deogadh temple lies in its Śikhara. The Śikhara of the Daśāvatāra temple is low with gradual curves in it as in the case of the temples of Paraśurāmeśvara and Mukteśvara at Bhuvanesvara, the twin temples at Gandharāḍi in the Baudh State and a number of Early Cālukyan temples at Aihole and Pattadkal in the Bijapur district of the Bombay Presidency. Only the lower portion of the Śikhara of the Daśāvatāra temple remains, but the entire contour can be judged and determined from it. Surrounding the base of this low pyramidal Śikhara was the flat roof of the path of circumambulation, the edge of which was decorated with large and small Caitya-windows with medallions as are to be found on the edge of the free-standing rathas at Mamallapuram in the Chingleput district. Two large pillars stood in the centre of each facade, supporting the porch and on its sides rose a short wall, on which were placed dwarf pillars and pilasters supporting the flat roof. Against each of these two walls on the sides of each porch rose in relief a slender but fairly tall niche containing some divine figure. Above the line of the topmost plinth-moulding were used large thick slabs of stone bearing stumpy pilasters alternated with figures of *gaṇas*. The smaller temples in the four corners most probably contained the *bassi relievi* discovered in previous years.¹