A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c21.61

c21.61

Remains of frescoes can be found on the ceiling of the porch on the second storey of the temple known as Rangmahal (probably because of the coloured decoration which once covered all its interior). The paintings are of two periods, the earlier contemporary with the excavation and therefore of the eighth century, the second much later. The later layer overlaps and partly conceals the earlier and is decidedly inferior. The earlier painting is clearly related to the Ajanta school. Vishnu and Lakshmī borne through the clouds by garuḍas of the human type, a rider upon a horned lion and pairs of gandharvas floating amongst the clouds can be identified among the paintings, besides representations of lotus pools with elephants, fish, and so on. The quality of the painting is already much removed from the style of Ajanta with features connecting it with the medieval style of Gujarat.