| Temples & Legends Of Bihar |
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| Temples & Legends
Of India |
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KONCH |
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| The lower
rectangular portion gives admission into the sanctum. The portion above consists of an
upper rectangle surmounted by a triangular opening. This upper portion of the opening
leads to the upper chamber. J. D. Beglar, Assistant Archaeological Surveyor at that time,
had visited the place during 1872-73 and he has mentioned in his report (1878) that the
tower was surmounted by a cylindrical pinnacle as in the ease of the temple of Bodh Gaya. This
pinnacle had a hemispherical top. It also appears from his observations that the upper
portion of the opening threw light on the object of worship, while the front of the object
was dark. With the construction of the upper chamber the whole of the interior has now
become dark.
The statues and other relies, whether inside or lying
about, is Brahmanical. Inside the temple there are statues of Haragauri and the Ashta
Saktis. The most interesting piece inside the shrine is a panel sculpture of the
Dashavataras representing, Vishnu. A remarkable fact is that the Konch temple
representation of the Dashavataras differs from such representations elsewhere as it
divides the Vamana, avatara into two scenes by leaving out the ninth or the Buddha avatara
and by representing Vishnu in the tenth or Kalki avatara along with a female deity with a
small horse standing in front. These Dasharataras are exquisitely sculptured. |
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