History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c31.12

v1.c31.12

The simpler cusps resemble ribbed tiles while the ornate ones resemble floriated shells with serrated petals often terminating in adoring figures of nāgas. The larger ceiling of the main maṇḍapa is carried on a square framework of architraves supported on four central pillars, each with an attic (ucchālaka) section. The square ceiling is first turned octagonal by cutting the corners and finally made circular. The circular ceiling consists of a number of concentric courses (nābhicchanda-vitāna) with the outer rings of simple cusps and the inner ones of coffered cusps. The smaller ornate ceilings over other compartments have many varieties and forms, circular, elliptical and square, with five to nine or even more such concentric units of simple and coffered cusps, often with a central pendant of staminal tube (padmakesara) which may resemble that of the hibiscus flower or a simple pinecone or even a grand chandelier as in the famous Jain temples on Mt.Abu. These ceilings, built by the devices of corbelling and interlocking of courses reveal remarkable ingenuity and artistry on the part of the architect.