| Temples & Legends Of
Maharastra |
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| Temples & Legends Of
India |
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PANDHARPUR - VITTHAL |
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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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