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On the eastern skirt of the village Gunja there lies a tank which is built with a flight of steps on its western side. There is also a temple, jutting out into the tank, facing the 26. Kms. west to Mehsana. The village is situated in between N. W. to Visnagar and S. W. to Vadnagar to a distance of near 5 Kms. from both the Rly. stations of Western Railways.

Appendix A 513 village. The temple is approached by a stone bridge supported by 24 stone pillars, placed in two rows of 12 pillars each, being located at the interval of 2 meters each. The bridge is nearly 2 meters high from the present ground level. The buried portion of the bridge suggests that it is a storied-one, the lower storey being buried beneath the ground. The exposed steps, attached to the Ghata of the tank and leading to the down storey, support the assumption about the existence of lower storey of the bridge. The bridge is nearly 25 meters in length and its outward width is nearly 2.5 meters. Inwardly it is round about 2 meters in width. The stone-paved bridge is flanked by a parapet like vedika carved with heavy lozengeshaped design on its external side and superimposed by sloping seat (kaksasanas). The platform (Jagati) on which the extant temple rests is nearly 10 * 8.75 meters in size and is corresponding to the bridge 2 meters high from the present ground level. Except from the west (as it is attached in that direction with the stone bridge) it has a flight of steps leading to the water level on all its sides. The portion of it in veiw contains mouldings like ratnapattika, kumbha, kalasa etc. The temple faces west i. e. in the direction on which the village is situated, and is approached by a small flight of steps resting on the platform. The temple originally consisted of a garbhagrha ( measuring nearly 2 meters square, now extinct) and an open mandapa fronted by small rectangular porches on three sides. Only the mandapa and porches now survive, the rest, along with the upper portion of the superstructures of the mandapa and porches, being lost. (Fig. 162). meters. The The square mandapa measures 4.5 * 4.5 porches on its sides are 1 meter in length and 0.5 meter in breadth. The supersrtucture of the mandapa is supported by 12 pillars (2.2 meters in height). The projected porches are supported by two more pillars each. The upper portion of the superstructure of the mandapa, which originally might be of

514 The Structural Temples of Gujarat samvarna type, is, now, covered with bricks and stucco; while the lower and internal portion falling in the mandapa contains a beautifully carved ceiling (fig. 190) which contains five courses (i. e. kolas & gajatalus). The frieze under these courses is depicted with war and amorous scenes, elephant fights, scenes of playing cards, instrumental music, hunting etc. Central pendant of the ceiling seems extinct. 38/1