Avantisvamin Temple

Half a mile farther up is the small but much more ornate and better preserved temple of Avantisvami-Vishnu. It is the work of Avantivarman’s youth, before he came to the throne. It has been reclaimed by the removal of an enormous mass of silt and debris which during a thousand years of neglect (for the temple had already silted up when it siiffered from the iconoclasts) had accumulated to a height of about 15' and buried the whole structure except the upper part of the walls of the gateway and a shapeless heap of stones in the centre.

The edifice comprises a colonnaded peristyle (Plates XLVIII and XLIX) enclosing a paved courtyard 174' by 148' 8", in the centre of which is the main shrine, built on a double base with four smaller shrines at the four corners. The peristyle is com- paratively plain externally except on the west side, which has a row of fluted columns. The only decoration on the other three sides is a rectangular string-course and pilasters enclosing rect- angular spaces, corresponding respectively with the cyma recta cornice of the plinth and the cells inside. The entrance, which is in the middle of the west wall, is divided by a cross-wall into two chambers, and is approached by a flight of steps bounded on either side by a plain rail and a side-wall. The front pilasters of the side-walls bear figures of Vishnu and of his consorts carved in relief. On either side of it was a portico supported on tall massive advanced columns, one of which exists to this day, though in a precarious condition.

The wall surface of the entrance is both externally and internally ornamented profusely with sculptured reliefs (Plate L). The larger female figures on the right and left hand walls of the outer chamber represent the goddesses Ganga and Yamuna, easily recog- nised by their respective vehicles, the crocodile (makara) and the tortoise. The scenes in the rectangular panel on the right-hand pilaster of the wall represent probably a Hng and his two queens seated in “ sportive fashion ” on a siihfiasana (lion throne), here symbolised by two lions facing, one on each side of the panel. On the two external sides of tibis pilaster the scenes are the same with slight variations. In the scene in front the lions have been replaced by two standing females. In the southern panel the king has his right hand in the ahhayamudra (attitude of granting immunity from fear), and the lady on his right is admiring her own charms, reflected in a round pocket-mirror which she holds in her right hand. In the other two panels the figures are seated on separate cushions; here all three occupy a single long cushion.

Three rectangular panels are carved on the huge block which forms the lowest course of the left wall of the gateway. The largest panel is in the middle and contains a bas-relief. In the centre are three figures, a male and two female ^-bearers; but much more interesting are the highly caparisoned elephants who are fighting with horned birds of monstrous size. It is evident that the elephant is fighting at a disadvantage. (Perhaps the scene symbolises the fight of (^ruda with the Nagas, the latter here being represented by the elephants and not the usual snake gods. Naga means both snake and elephant.) The otiher two scenes contain each a male figure standing with folded hands between two human-headed birds. Above this is a row of kirtimukhas, or lions’ heads, sur- mounted by a line of rosettes. Higher still is another row of circular panels, each containing a Garuda. The rectangular panel in the left cross-wall contains a male and two female figures seated on a cushioned sofa in a grove of trees. They seem to be in a joyous mood. The man is offering the lady at his left hand what seems to be a cup of wine, while the doves at their feet are billing and cooing in sympathy. Above the group is a pedimental niche which contains a smaller representation of the goddess Granga. On the narrow facets on either side of this niche is a vertical row of standing pairs of male and female figures. This row starts from a rectangular panel which contains the figure of a four-armed Atlas wearing a cushion-like head-dress. The walls were decorated with numerous groups of figures, but unfortunately most of them are now too defaced to be distinguished, much less identified.

Tlie view of tiie courtyard from the iiuaer chamber of the gateway is dianmug. In place of the bald monotony of the ext^Tial sur&ce of the peristyle, the eye feasts on all sides on the picturesque rmns of a beautiful range of cells, preceded by a noble row of 3 uted colunms. Ano ther flight of Steps similar to that on the out^de leads down to the stone-paFed canrtfzxd. The side-walls of this stair are plain, but the pilasters are cxsvered with sculptured reliefe. Each of the smaSer panels facing the courtyard depicts an erotic scene.

In die middle of the space between the gateway and the main shrine is a stepped stone which appears to be the base of a Garuda- dhvaja. It will be remembered that Gantda, the divine eagle, is the vehicle of Vishnu, and also fcwms the emblem on the banner of his Master. Thus the Garuda-dhvaja column is always an indis- pezisable adjunct of Vaishnava temples.

The central shrine is built on a double base, the only decoration of which is a torus moulding and a cyma recta comice (Pkte LXXIV). The base is intact, but the sanctum, which measured 33' square externally, has almost disappeared. In fact the only fragments remaining are some parts of the lowest courses and a few stones of the north wall.

Unlike its sister temple lower down the road, this ediflee has only one stair. But that apparent defidency is more than reedfled by the sculptured reliefs on its pilasters. The two scenes facing the gateway represent Vishnu, the deity worshipped in the temple, seated in an easy attitude between his two consorts, Lakshmi and Bhuzni (?). T^akshmi in the northern group (Plate L) is distinguished by the coraucopia which, even in the late ninth century, to which this temple belongs, was retained as die spedal emblem of the goddess, who traces her descent, through Gandhara, fium the Greek Athene. Vishnu in the northern relief pose^es six arms, two of which, in impartial afFection, endrde the bodies of his two consorts, while the remaining four hold his distinctive emblems, the bow, the mace, and the lotos, etc. Below the throne are two pairs of parrots, and the same bird crowns the capitals of the square pilasters from which springs the cusped arch which canopies the divine group. The panel is surmounted by a dentil course consisting of conventional lions’ heads (JUrtimukhas) alternating with geese and flowers. This again is surmounted by a border of square rosettes (Plates L and LXX, A).

The group on the opposite pilaster is similar to that described above, the main difference being that the god, instead of having six has only four arms. The goddesses in every case have only two arms. Both the god and the goddesses are elaborately ornamented. The former has his hair brushed neatly back and arranged in braids which are tied in knots on the top. Two roses are inserted in the braids just above the ears. Besides the necklace and armlets he wears the mandaramala garland of celestial flowers). An enormous circular ornamental disc adorns his right ear, while a smaller jewelled pendant is suspended from his left ear. The goddesses, whose exaggerated breasts and attenuated waists are even more profusely ornamented, are crowned with three-peaked tiaras. Their ear-lobes are unusually elongated by the weight of their heavy circular ear ornaments.

The relief on the inner surface of the southern pilaster represents a group of ten figures, the central and the largest pair consisting of a male and a female wearing dhotis. The male wears an ornamental band across his breast (over his right shoulder and under his left arm). The whole group seems to breathe a spirit of profound devotion to some undefined object. It probably represents the major and minor gods coming to worship the image of Vishnu in the temple.

The group opposite also comprises ten persons. The principal figures are those of a bearded and crowned male, probably repre- senting the donor, and a lady, perhaps the princess, who wears a scarf over her head which hangs low down her shoulders, a fashion which the women of Kashmir have preserved to this day. The lady is followed by a female attendant. Above her is a male, who wears a curiously knotted and twisted head-dress.

But the chief beauty of the temple Kea in its cellular colonnade (Plates XEYIIIj, LSFIH,, and LXIX). It comptraea sixty-nine cells, each of wSuch measures oit the average 8"^ hy 4^ laf^j the cell in the centre on. each, side bexag huger than the rest and advanced shghtiv forward, ABC of them are preceded hy twenly-feur-gided columns OBJ pJasHi 3<5t«Ee: bases whkh have far the most part suffered severely at the hands of the destEoyer, The only waE decoration, of the peri- style E9 the range of rjS half-engaged columns (Plates LXXI and LXSII)' on the pilasters- on both sides of die trefoiled entrance of the cel&. The hitter were jEatended to contain; rcpHcas of the main image which the temple enshrined- In one cc two o£ them in the eastern wall of the peristyle the pedestals of these images are still found as situ.

A large assortment of anticjuitiea has' been uneartiied during the ezcavation of this temple. The most valuable are a series of sculp- tures which £mre been placed in the Srinagar Museum.^ The large jars arranged in a row on the lawn above the eicavatkma were, doubtless, used for the storage of grain ami foodstoSs... Among those that have been brou^tto theMmeamisone which bears an inscription mention- ing the rame. of Avanfirvanmn- This record is of interest as being the only indepenckHt evidence of the correct idartification of the site.

EaUhana sstates thar the AvantisvaiBii temple was- occasionally subjected to sacrilegious treatment even in Hindu times. The tyrannical Kalasa^ (a.d. 1081-1089) confiscated tie villages which formed its endowments. Its military possibilities do not seem to have escaped the notice of the ancients, for “ its courtyard served as a fortification when, shortly after the accession of King Jayasimha (a.d. 1128), Bhasa, a commander of the royal troops, was besieged at Avantipur by the rebel Damaras of the Holada (Vular) district”® In the fourteenth century Sikandar Butshikan completed the destruction which had already begun in the troublous times which followed the reign of Avantivarman.