国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

resting on squinches about 4 feet high at the corners. As usual in the case of
temples of this style, the shrine comprised two stories, there being an upper
cella about 9 feet 6 inches square. This, too, carried a dome which rested in the
corners on squinches formed by four projecting courses. This cella was enclosed
within a square circumambulatory passage about 2 feet wide. From this it
received light through windows 2 feet 3 inches wide and a door probably once
situated above the entrance of the lower cella. The enclosing passage had
three narrow loophole-like openings on each side splayed towards the interior.
The passage slightly ascended from its south-west corner. To this stairs built
into the thickness of the wall enclosing the lower cella, but now no longer
traceable, appear to have given access. Whether the sloping passage ascended
still farther, or what surmounted the now broken top of the upper dome, can
no longer be ascertained.

From Fig. 6 it will be seen that the height of the whole structure, as extant,
measured from the foot of the base, is approximately 35 feet 8 inches. It is likely
to have been originally considerably greater. Owing to the heavy debris covering
the floor of the lower cella it was not possible to ascertain by tracing the position
of the snānadroṇī or by other indications, to which divinity the shrine was
dedicated. The three deep niches on the outside walls, no doubt, once held
images; but of these nothing has survived. By clearing the debris below the
northern corner of the temple there was laid bare the top of a platform showing
a moulding decorated with a string of lotus petals, pointed and of late shape.
None of the other temples in the Salt Range showing a similar style of con-
struction and decoration can be exactly dated, and in the case of the Nandana
temple, too, definite evidence as to the date is wanting. But on general grounds
I am inclined to believe that the temple was erected in the period of the Hindu
Shāhiya dynasty (A.D. 9th–10th century) or possibly somewhat earlier.

At a distance of about 130 yards from the temple there rises at the north-
eastern end of the top of the ridge and at its highest point a conspicuous ruin of
a puzzling character. Its large base is joined by a high bastion-like terrace
(Fig. 10). As seen in the sketch plan (Plan 4), this massive pile of solid
masonry extends for about 48 feet in length and is 9 feet thick in the middle,
where a hole has been cut right through it. Obviously it is but the remnant of
a large structure, the rest of which has completely fallen owing to the base
having given way on the very steep slope to the north-west. Heavy masses of
debris cover this slope, marking the extent of that portion of the structure which
has disappeared. Its remains rise to a maximum height of about 18 feet 6 inches,
including a barely recognizable plinth of about 4 feet. On its top the ruin
measures about 32 feet in length. The hole already referred to, about 5 feet
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