TULJAPUR - BHAVANI

The second or central mandap is similar in construction to the first one, although the impression of disorder is absent from this building. This mandap has also four openings natural to a cross-planned construction, the southern one opening in the courtyard, the eastern one leading to the outer mandap and the western to the garbhagriba. On the northern side is a room known as the Shejaghar or bed room of the goddess. The garbbagriha is square on plan and is surmounted by a superb stucco shikhar of the best Maratha style. Pyramidal in aspect it is built in fourstoreys each of a slightly diminishing height. Each tier is formed  by arched niches in which numerous stucco figures are placed. The lowermost storey, that is the one immediately above the cornice is ornamented with large stucco figures of elephant riders. The whole is surmounted by two lamalakas' domical in shape. The finial is the golden 'kalash' donated by one Thigale from Bid some hundred years ago. The dimensions and proportions of the various components of the shikhar structure are so arranged to make it an elegant specimen of 'Maratha temple architecture. The Mahatmya attributei the construction of this 'prasada', the palatial dwelling of the devi to Vishvakarma, the divine architect. As reality stands Vishvakarma cannot claim to have fathered the present shrine; nor was Brahmadeva the patron under whose instructions it was built. Not more than two hundred years have passed since the time when some local craftsman inspired by some Hindu Chieftain, brought off this renovation of a medieval shrine from the ruins to which it was reduced.

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