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From the central door one enters the 'Solakhamba' mandap, a hall with sixteen pillars. The hall is approximately 41' by 46'. It has four rows of four pillars and four pilasters in each wall. It is constructed on the Yadav order. The ceilings of each square cell thus formed are on thetrebeate style and scenes from the Dashavataras and Krishna-lila decorate them. Around this 'Solakhamba mandap' are grouped a number of cells that house various deities like Kashivishvanath, Rama-Lakshman, Kalbhairav Dattatreya etc. Of the sixteen pillars in the hall the base and capital of the second in the second row are plated with gold and its shaft with silver. This shaft bears a small image of Vishnu and it is said to be standing in the place of an old Garuda stambha that stood here before the Vitthal before the mandap waserected. Pilgrims embrace the pillar and make money offerings to it.
In the backwall of this mandap are several doors the central one of which leads to the Chaukhamba, a mandap with four pillars and measuring 22' by 20'. In the southern wall of his Chaukhamba is the Elephant gate that is used by the priests to get entry into the garbhagriha when the main entrance is crowded. A deep niche in the northern wall serves as the bed-chamber of the deity, known as the Shejghar. This shejghar is furnished with a silver couch with bed clothes and some of the raiments. Except at the time of the shejarati the door of this chamber is closed. The next member of the architectural scheme is the ante- chamber. It is also known as the Kaman or arch because of a pointed arch that forms its frontage. From this antechamber one enters the garbhagriha.
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