| Distinctive
of this phase is the use of the black basalt stone. Inside the garbhagriha, wherever the
old flooring had worn out, it was replaced by black basalt stones. In the water outlet
'B', a carved drain piece of this black stone was inserted to ensure against leakage of
water into the wall itself. Of the same variety of
stone, a new jaladhari, which encompassed the standing linga in two halves, was
substituted. One such piece was found lying in the south-west corner of the cella. Both in
the pradakshina marga and on the outside, the floor-level was raised by about 9-11 inches.
The plinth of this phase was elaborately carved in maha pitha tradition; the width of the
garbhagriha along the section was about 72 feet. |
