Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/171

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CHAP. IV. GWALIAR. kund or sacred tank at Kapadvanj, about 60 miles south- south-east from the last. 1 At Rewa, the capital of Baghelkhand, about 30 miles east from Satna railway station, is the most richly sculptured of all these gateways. It was brought from the ruins of Gurgi- Masaun, an old deserted city, 12 miles east from Rewa, and set up in front of the palace. It is about n ft. wide and 17 ft. to the underside of the lintel, which is of three superimposed blocks of a height of about 6 ft. 9 in. very richly carved, the middle course being perforated right through and showing the figures in full relief. The upper corner blocks and pediment if ever they existed are wanting. Like most of the others it is Brahmanical and is covered with figure sculptures of all sizes, largely female, with devatas and griffons. 2 It may probably belong to the end of the I2th century. There is still another gateway at Gyaraspur ; 3 and the latest are perhaps those on the dam at Rajasamudra. GwALlAR. The oldest temple at Gwaliar is, doubtless, the small one on the road up to the fort, excavated in the solid rock and dedicated to Chaturbhuj or Vishnu. It bears two inscriptions stating that it was made by the governor of the fort in A.D. 875. It is only 12 ft. square, with a portico in front 10 ft. by 9 ft., supported on two advanced pillars. The roof is a truncated pyramid divided into small steps, resembling that on the Dhamnar rock-temple, and in details like the Teli Mandir. This is crowned by a small modern dome. 4 There are, however, in the fortress here, two very remark- able temples : one, known as the Sas-Bahu, has been mistaken for a Jaina erection, but it is designated and dedicated to Padmanabha or Vishnu. 5 The first temple was finished apparently in A.D. IO93, 6 and, though dreadfully ruined, is still a most picturesque fragment. What remains is the cruciform porch of a temple which, when complete, measured 100 ft. from front to rear, and 63 ft. across the arms of the porch. Of the sanctuary, with its ^ikhara, nothing is left but the foundation ; 1 ' Archaeological Survey of Western India,' vol. ix., pp. 67, 79? 84, and plates 44, 49, 57, and 59; vol. viii. p. 94 and plate 82. 2 L. Griffin's ' Famous Monuments of Central India,' plates 87-89 ; Cunning- ham's ' Reports,' vol. xix. p. 80 and plate 19. 3 Cunningham, ' Reports,' vol. x. p. 33. 4 * Epigraphia Indica, ' vol. i. pp. 1 54f. ; Cunningham, ' Archaeological Reports,' vol. ii. pp. 335, 355 ; and Sir L. Griffin,

  • Famous Monuments of Central India,'

plate 39. 5 Rajendralal Mitra who translated the inscription read ' Padmanatha ' and tried to identify the name with Padmapra- bhanatha the 6th Tirthankara. Cunning- ham, 'Archaeological Reports,' vol. ii. P- 357- 6 ' Indian Antiquary,' vol. xv. p. 36.