| Temples & Legends of Himachal Pradesh |
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| Temples & Legends Of India |
CHAMBA |
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these very elongated niches (three feet six inches) Ganga stands on the left side on her
makara, holding in her four hands a vessel, rosary, book and a long lotus stalk, and on
the right side Yamuna on her tortoise, with similar emblems in her four hands. The next
set of niches is much smaller (one foot ten inches high) and ends in big kirtimukha masks
evolving from the foliage of the arches. That on, the left encloses a standing four-armed
figure holding a lance, lotus and water-vessel, whereas one hand rests on the hip. The
figure in the right niche is its exact counter part, although with many small differentia-
tion’s. The top niches ending in foliage scrolls are again somewhat lower (one foot eight inches high) and enclosed rather stout, likewise four-armed figures, the one on the left side holding a trident, rosary, mirror and a fruit (sitaphala-custard apple) and the other a makara-staff, a skull-bowl, a skull-staff and a symbol now lost.It deserves notice that these two figures have the same emblems as the satellites flanking the dancing Shiva and Parvati on the western panel of the ceiling. Next comes a frieze composed of flowers strung up in an Indian wreath, then another border with flame or lotus-petal design. The next set of door-jambs, naturally much smaller, consists of five niches on each side, four ending in scrollwork arches, the topmost in a horizontal lintel on which a broad capital of Roman -Kashmiri type rests. In these niches the ten avtaras of Vishnu are arranged, on the left (from bottom upwards) Matsya (fish) Nar Singh (four-armed); Vamana with staff and parasol; Krishna as Vishnu with lion,human and boar head, and four arms holding the usual attributes; and at the top, Buddha in bhumisparsa-mudra; on the right kurma (tortoise); varaha boar-headed and fore armed; Parasu Rama,with battle- axe and yajnopavita; Rama, with bow and arrow; and, on top, Kalki onhorseback, a battle- axe in his right hand. |
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