Temple's tower seen from north-east.

The terminal shallow dome (¿ikhara) of the monument is borne by a very small drum (20 CMS) called gala. Its section is square with two axial projections and an axial large n¡sik¡ called bhadra n¡sik¡. It is 2.20 M in its axis at the base, 1.10 at the top. Its height is 95 CMS. Its double curve is comparable to the graceful one of the padma moulding. A rib marks the passage from the convex curve to the concave one, which starts in slight recess below the fall of the first one. The topmost motif (st£p¢) is made of three beautiful lotiform mouldings diminishing in size and a lotus bud with its base. The dome is hollow and is closed by the slabs of the st£p¢.

Starting from the cella the plan of the main monument shows a succession of elements placed on the west-east axis. After the cella there is an antechamber of equal volume. The dividing wall between the two is very thick (75 cm). The opening is arranged with two slabs placed obliquely. There is a doorframe with a threshold richly decorated on the side of the antechamber. The antechamber has the same construction and ceiling as the cella. Its outer walls are the prolongation of the vim¡na wall. It is topped by a projection from the tower of small size (length 1.30 M, width 1.55 M). The term ¿ukan¡s¢ is employed for both the projection and the antechamber situated below.

North facade, north-east angle of the Vim¡na.

The antechamber is open to the east, through a richly decorated doorframe with a threshold, into a pillared hall of square plan, on the same east-west axis. This hall is much more spacious (5.30 M). It has four central pillars forming a square. The height of the ceiling is the same as in the cella and the antechamber. The distance between two pillars is 1.85 M. Therefore they determine a cubic volume similar to that of the cella and the antechamber. The structure of the ceiling is also identical to that of the cella and antechamber but endowed with more ornamentation. This space is also marked by a very low platform.

This platform, in spite of its very low height (no more than 5 CMS) is considered as a stage. It may have been the place of music and dance performances offered to the deity as a part of worship. This is especially reflected in the usual denomination of this pillared hall as ra´gama¸·apa "stage-pavilion".

Pillars of the Ra´gama¸·apa.

The pillars have a base, a shaft divided in three parts, two of square section and between them one which is itself divided in three parts, one of octagonal section between two of hexadecagonal section. The upper part of the pillar consists of three main elements with transition mouldings allowing the passage from the square section to a circular section: first a recessing curved moulding, an astragal in the recess, a band of circular section, a recess, then a large three-faced band jutting out by 8 CMS, a recess, finally a large abacus with a lower doucine, jutting out by 18 CMS. Above the pillar, after the recess marked by the square v¢raka¸·a, there is an intermediary system of corbels (bodhik¡) carrying the architraves (uttara). áilpa¿¡stra nomenclatures of pillars cannot be applied in this particular case with certitude. The middle and upper elements of the capital may be the kumbha and ma¸·i commonly mentioned in association in Ajit¡gama for example. But the lower series of mouldings seems to be much more than the t¡¶¢ given in that position, but appearing to be a simple astragal.

Southern porch, east facade.

The hall is open on three sides: in the west the access to the antechamber of the cella, in the east an opening in the east-west axis, in the south an opening in the north-south axis. The two last openings are equipped with a very richly decorated doorframe and threshold and are preceded by a porch. The doorframes on their external side are the parts which have received the most elaborated decoration in the whole monument.

The porch of square plan is made of two thick pilasters, one on each side of the door, and two pillars resting on a kind of high bench with a railing slanting towards the outside. The outer face of the bench (90 CMS high) has a double plinth, which is the continuation of that of the monument, then a frieze of decorative small pilasters with architectural superstructure. On the western and eastern sides of the southern porch, there is a long niche, at the level of the frieze of small pilasters. Now, they are empty, and one does not know their original destination. It seems to be an original feature of this monument.

The distance between the pillars is 1.80 M, and from the pilaster to a pillar 1.90 M in the eastern porch, 2.10 MS in the southern one. The elaborately decorated ceiling of both porches is at the same height as in the central volume of the hall, the antechamber and the sanctum. Therefore we have again a delimitation of a volume approximately equal to those already described.

The pillars belong to the type made of a square base, a series of mouldings of circular section, a bulb, a second set of circular mouldings and a large abacus supporting a corbel system. Even though they are of short size and relatively simple, they are good samples of the pillars, which typically adorn later C¡½ukyan temples (compare with the porch pillars of the temple of Som®¿vara in Hara½aha½½i).

The architraves bear a long eave with a graceful curve carved in a solid mass of stone which on its inward face shows a figuration of a wooden carpentry work made of rafter ends with transversal connections. The top of this long eave is at the same level as the short eave of the rest of the monument. The same mouldings and frieze of ¿ikharas is continued above the porches.

The term mukhabhadra occurs in an inscription of the Ked¡r®¿vara temple in Ba½½ig¡ve, where it seems to refer to the porches of the vast ma¸·apa. Mukha- may refer to an opening and bhadra in southern áilpa¿¡stra refers to a jutting out, axial part of a monument. The porches of Mukte¿vara temple are quite similar to those at Ba½½ig¡ve. Therefore the designation of mukhabhadra seems appropriate for them.

Both openings of the ra´gama¸·apa to the exterior are characterised by an elaborate set of three doorframes. Each one is made of two doorjambs and a lintel. In fact, the second and the third can be told to be a frame for the previous one. Consequently they are of increasing size.

They are also of different structure.

The first, inner and real doorframe, is the frame to the opening and bears the hinge-pins of the wooden door-panels. The jambs and lintel are simple, being of quadrangular section. On their outer face they bear a specific decorative motif (doorjamb first band).

The second is the frame of the previous and protruding towards the exterior. It is also of quadrangular section. It bears its specific decorative motif (doorjamb second band) on its sides exposed to the exterior.

The third, being a frame for the second, is much larger. It is characterised by a protruding eave topped by a series of seven figurative vim¡na towers. That is supported by two pilasters jutting out of each jamb. The pilasters have their specific, intricate design. The spaces between them and the sides exposed to the exterior have each their specific decorative motif (doorjamb bands 4, 6, 7). The lintel bears also a central hanging ornament on which is sculptured an image of Mahe¿vara and on each side a hanging ornament in the form of a twelve-petalled flower bud. The eave tops all these elements, pilasters and hanging ornaments. Miniature vim¡na -towers are placed above each of these elements.

These three "concentric" doorframes are all inserted in the wall of the ra´gama¸·apa, so that the lintels appear topped by the architrave and the doorjambs flanked by the large pilasters characteristic of the wall structure.

This is an architectural element, hewn out in stone, but wrought out like a piece of jewellery.

One can distinguish three parts, a base, a shaft and a capital. Each part, even the shaft, has been made into a set of delicately worked mouldings.

The base is a block, 52 CMS high, bearing an image of a door-guardian (dv¡rap¡laka) under an arch topped by a foliage motif, an elaborate variant of creeper 1.

The shaft (96 CMS), of square section, is made of six repetitions of a motif of mouldings. The set of mouldings is made of three protruding elements, reminding of those of a monument base: a flat band, a kumuda and a quarter of a circle; they are separated by recesses, all transitions are done with the help of lotiform curves (padma) and tiny square bands (kampa). This set is vertically mirrored. And the basic motif is made of the two symmetrical parts. In addition to this, it is also duplicated by the method of axial projection in a reduced size, shown on all visible sides of the pilaster, so that in elevation one sees the central prominent portion, on each side the part of the shaft not covered by the projection, and again on each side the profile of the projection done on the orthogonal face.

It is only 15 CMS long for a total breadth of 6.5 CMS (3.5 CMS for the central projection, 1 for the side view of the shaft, 0.5 for the profile of the orthogonal projection). Every moulding, every recess is shown on all the visible faces.

There are variants of some elements of this motif on the different pilasters of the doorjambs.

The capital is a long series of small elements similar to those of the wall pilasters, on a total height of 40 CMS.

The transition of the porch to the wall of the ra´gama¸·apa is decorated with an original element. The support of the horizontal slab of the bench has the same height as the adhiÀ¶h¡na or wall-base. At this level, at the junction of the bench-structure and the wall, there is a vertical slab engaged in the wall, half the height of the wall, decorated on its outer face with a socle and a frieze of a jewellery foliage motif. A protruding element joins it to the bench; it is decorated like the base of the porch, with a small pilaster and a dancing figure. Above a square band bearing the motif of creeper 6, rises a curious foliage element: from a bunch of vegetal crooks a larger outgrowth grows, supporting a flower on its stem, just starting to open. This seems to be another original feature of this temple.

South Porch, ceiling.

The ceiling inside the porch is elevated by doubling the architrave, as in the pillared hall. It is made of one stone slab on which is represented a beautiful carpentry work. That is an assemblage of nine beams, crossing at right angles and delimiting nine squares. The beam is ornamented with the motif of creeper 1 and on each side with the motif of a petal leaf on a socle. In each square they support a ceiling in the form of a shallow dome. Two types of dome are being represented.

The first consists of three concentric, corbelling rings of semicircle coffers with graceful cusps at their joints. In each ring there are sixteen coffers and cusps. They are disposed, so that the cusp of the middle ring is in the axis of the aligned coffers of the other two rings. In the centre is a representation of a hanging flower bud. In the corners of the square, between the angle and the curve of the ring, there is the motif of the lion-face. This type is seen in the central square and in the squares of the four directions.

The second type is the representation of an open flower with three recessing rings of thirty-two petals, with the hanging flower bud at the centre. It is used in the four corners.

One has to note the regularity and delicacy of the carving of these complicated motifs in a rather small size. This is a kind of representation of the large ceilings called n¡bhicchanda in a number of contemporaneous temples of Karn¡¶aka (Hangal etc).

The most simple of these structures has a square plan and consists of the following elements:

a) A double base, upap¢¶ha and adhiÀ¶h¡na. The top moulding of the upap¢¶ha has a large attic window (n¡sik¡) in its centre, one or several (according to its size) attic windows on each side symmetrically, at the extremities a small one in recess on the slope of the roof. The first moulding of the adhiÀ¶h¡na shows the ends of beams which seem to radiate from the centre of a square.

b) On the square base is a slender pilaster in each angle which bears the system of corbels, architrave and eave seen on the wall.

c) A roof with its base. In the case of a structure with a square plan there is the shallow dome (¿ikhara) above.

This structure is therefore a miniature reproduction of the structure of the main monument. A variant of this square structure is a miniature building made of the same elements in oblong plan. The only remarkable difference with the previous one is the cylindrical shape of its roof built on high hoops with gable-ends.

There are several scales of reduction for this structure. It is represented by one side or by two in an angle. Several of these structures, being of diminishing scale, can be superimposed one upon the other.

Vim¡na, north wall.

On the external wall of the vim¡na, on the two axis, on the north, west and east sides there is a system of three projections of diminishing size superimposed one upon the other. Each one is the representation of an architectural structure, at all the levels, base, wall and roof; it has a pillar at each angle and a longitudinal cylindrical roof. The roof of the third and narrowest one is placed orthogonally so that only its gable-end is visible. A fourth miniature building is again superimposed on the wall of the third projection in the same axis; it differs from the previous ones by its smaller size and by the fact it has a real opening, so that it plays the role of a niche. The opening is decorated with a representation of a doorframe sheltered under a long eave. Its roof is the miniature representation of a tower with double attic and dome, an exact copy of the vim¡na tower of the main monument. There has been in the niche a statue, which was worshipped; a small channel has been carved in the stone for the outflow of ablution waters. Today the statue has disappeared and the absence of any other document hampers all attempt of identification.

At each angle of the square plan of the vim¡na, on the outer wall, there is a superimposed representation of a square structure made of the same elements, in slight projection. It has a pilaster in each of its visible angles and a dome. Each of its visible sides bears the representation of a miniature temple, with a double-storied tower, replica of the main monument, but without opening and not made into a niche like the axial one.

North facade, north east angle of the Vim¡na wall.

In the interval between the axial projections and the corner one there is a little space of wall which is not left undecorated, but bears one more type of architectural miniature representation (paµjara) consisting in the image of a short pillar supporting an architectural superstructure under decorative arch. The two attics of the tower repeat the same sequence of miniature structures with the same elements, with the exception of the base, in diminishing sizes. Images of deities are carved on the gable-ends of the roofs. In the axial gable-ends there were separate small stelae which have now disappeared, but mortises are still there to show that a provision had been made for them.

It is thus clear that all these miniature architectural representations are not a mere ornamentation. With the main structure they form an architectural unit representing the theological concept of the supreme inward abstract form of God surrounded by a hierarchy of outward anthropomorphic manifestations.

The antechamber is a transition element. On the external side the separation between the cella and the antechamber is marked by the position of the antechamber's wall in recess from the cella's wall. The transitional character is shown by the representation of a thick pilaster, which seems to be a transitional motif in this style of architecture. Here it is shown on a projection of the double base of the monument and topped by the eave and a separate superstructure motif. The shaft of square section is very short. The upper portion is very elaborate: an astragal between recesses, a large lotiform moulding, a lower parasol shaped moulding, a large recess, a bigger projecting chamfered band (kumbha), a new recess and a large abacus (ma¸·i) on a lotiform moulding. The whole pilaster is repeated in slenderer size in the form of axial projections superimposed on itself.

The superstructure of the antechamber, i. e. the projection of the tower, is made of the continuation of the tower motifs at the level of the first attic, one square architectural structure, without the base, in the east-west axis, two superimposed one on the other on the north and south sides. At the level of the second attic of the tower, there is the long roof of the ¿ukan¡s¢, made of stone slabs dotted with many schematised n¡sik¡. On the eastern side there is a large gable-end. It must have been decorated with a sculptured stela, which has disappeared now.

On the northern side, in the north-south axis there is a system of three projections with a pilaster in the visible angles and longitudinal cylindrical roofs. A fourth projection has a cylindrical roof in orthogonal position showing only its gable-end. A fifth axial projection shows the representation of a temple with an opening, playing the role of a niche; it has a miniature doorframe, long eave and three three-levelled towers, exact copies of the main vim¡na. Here also, the image in the niche has disappeared. The figuration of three towers may be an indication that there were three images in the niche.

There is a structure with a square roof at each angle of the ra´gama¸·apa. Each visible face of these structures bears one more representation of a miniature temple with a double-storeyed tower.

On the northern side the transition between the axial system of projections and the angle projections is made by the transitional thick pilaster in a slight recess. On the other sides the transitional pilaster appears also between the angle projections and the implantation of the ¿ukan¡s¢ or the porches. The frieze of roofs of the main part of the monument is continued on the porches. On each visible side of the porch the frieze consists of a central cylindrical roof and square domes in the angles.

There is no space of wall, which has been left blank. As the ra´gama¸·apa has a larger size, the space between the pilasters of the central projections is sufficiently large to be occupied by one more architectural motif, a small pilaster supporting a double-storied tower. On each side of the transitional thick pilaster there is the motif of the pilaster with simple super-structure under an arch.