A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c21.100

c21.100

The temple of Paraśurāmeśvar and the Vaitāl deul at Bhuva-neśvar are two early examples of the period 750-900. They are of great interest as throwing light on the origins and affiliations of the style. The former has a deul and jagamohan with an overall length of 48 feet, and the śikhara over the deul is 44 feet high. The hall is a low rectangular structure with a double roof, plain, massive eaves, a doorway on each of its three free sides, and two rows of three pillars each in the interior supporting the ceiling of the nave which was higher than that of the aisles. The original deul must have fallen into decay and been rebuilt later, as is evident from the joint between it and the hall, and from the difference in the character of the sculpture on the walls of the two buildings. The shape of the śikhara is rather thick-set and rudimentary. Two stone grilles, one on each side of the doorway on the west, contain representations of young dancers and musicians with their instruments, a work of considerable artistic merit. Large blocks of stone were employed in the construction with no mortar or other cementing material. While this feature and some others connect the temple with early Chālukya temples at Aihole, the pilasters with vase and foliage capitals and other ornamental modes would seem to be derived from Gupta art.