The Ruins of Paharpur 02

-A tapering mass of 3 receding terraces, 356’ north south and 314’ east west, reaching 72’ height above the courtyard, in its present condition.

-In plan, it is cruciform, square with projecting angles between arms.

-Each receding upper terrace has circumambulatory passage around the monument, enclosed by a parapet wall – access to 1st and 2nd terraces was originally by a grand staircase in the north.

-Most of the upper part is now missing originally it appears to have been surmounted by a terracing superstructure on top of the three terraces.

The whole design of this complicated temple centred around a square hollow shaft, rising high above the three terraces and, as observed by the Archaeologist K.N. Dikshit, was the result of a predetermined proposal for a single central unit in which future expansion was anticipated in a vertical direction. On each of the cardinal points around this brick shaft, is added a rectangular ante- chamber and a mandapa. As the rectangular projections are equal in length the resulting shape is a mirror of the lower platform. Most of the upper part of the temple is now missing but, originally it appears to have been surmounted by a towering superstructure with the main shrine crowning the top of the three terraces. and the four shrines placed at each cardinal point . Halls and ante -chambers were located on the second terrace whilst ambulatory passages were provided at each floor

The terracotta of Paharpur

The terracotta art of the temple, however, plays the most prominent part in the scheme of decoration. There are still about 2000 plaques in situ and about a further 800 were collected from the site during excavation. The richness technically rather crude, are unrivalled. The principal Brahmanical deities represented are Siva, Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesha and Surya ; whilst the Mahayana Buddhist divinities include the Buddha, Bodhisattva, Padmapani, Man - jusri and Tara . In addition, familiar stories from the Panchatantra are depicted with evident humour and vivacity. This rich plastic art portrays all conceivable subjects which must have attracted the simple mind of the rustic artists: human and animal motifs, floral and geo - metric decorations and divine and semi-divine beings.