A handbook for travellers in India, Burma, and Ceylon . . ch of the four corners is a carvingof two human figures with the Botree between them. A low door inthe W. side of the porch leads intothe court of the Mosque, which wasdeserted for 25 years, and inhabitedby Moslem fishermen, who dried theirfish in it, but is now used again. To reach the Old Temple of Som-nath it is necessary to drive to theend of the bazaar of Patan and turnto the right. The structure is closeto the sea. Mr Fergusson considersthat it was probably never a largetemple, but adds that the dome of itsporch, which measures 33
A handbook for travellers in India, Burma, and Ceylon . . ch of the four corners is a carvingof two human figures with the Botree between them. A low door inthe W. side of the porch leads intothe court of the Mosque, which wasdeserted for 25 years, and inhabitedby Moslem fishermen, who dried theirfish in it, but is now used again. To reach the Old Temple of Som-nath it is necessary to drive to theend of the bazaar of Patan and turnto the right. The structure is closeto the sea. Mr Fergusson considersthat it was probably never a largetemple, but adds that the dome of itsporch, which measures 33 ft. across,is as large as any we know of its interior of the porch is even nowin its ruins very striking. Fromwhat fragments of its sculptureddecorations remain, they must havebeen of great beauty, quite equal toanything we know of this class oftheir age. It was, no doubt, likethe temple of Nemnath, on Girnar,surrounded by an enclosure which would make it a strong place. Nowthe temple stands alone, strippedeven of its marble, like, but superior. Plan of Temple of Somnath, byMr J. Burgess. to, the temples of Dabhoi and Lak-kundi. There are three entrances tothe porch, and a corridor round thecentral octagonal spice, which wascovered by the great dome. Thereare four smaller domes. The domein the centre is supported by eightpillars and eight arches. The pillaron the right hand, looking from theE., next but one before reaching theadytum, has an inscription, which isillegible except the date, Samwat1697 = 1640 The walls on theN., S., and W. sides have each twohandsomely carved niches, in whichthere have been idols. The temple is said to have beenfirst built of gold by Somraj, then ofsilver by Ravana, then of wood byKrishna, and then of stone by Bhim-deva. Though three times destroyedby the Mohammedans, it was never-theless three times rebuilt, and so lateas 1700 was still a place of greatsanctity. But in 1706 Aurangzeb l6o ROUTE II. FROM AHMEDABAD THROUGH KATHIAWA
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishercalcuttathackerspi
