2.11. Temples at Vadanagar/Vadnagar (Mehsana)

At Vadanagar [Vadnagar], (Dist. Mehsana) the site associated with Amathora Mata temple has yeilded remains of old temples which on the basis of their architectural form may be assigned to the 10 th century A. D. Burgess has noticed these remains. From fragments lying about it can be said that it was once a small but very ornate shrine. Round it are five cells, 46 four behind and one to the right of the entrance. 47 From sculptures around the shrine and door frames it can be said that the site originally might have been dedicated to Visnu-worship. Sculptures of Varaha, Narsimha, Trimurti, Surya and others pertaining to Visnu's incarnations and panels of Navagraha etc. are frequent. The newly erected temple of Amthora Mata, in the old site contains many sculptures from the old temple. An old door-frame is 45. Architectural Antiquities of Northern Gujarat p. 108 plt. XCIII. Here figs. 65,66. In the vicinity of the temple of Nilakantha, there is a temple dedicated to goddess Brahmani. On local inquiry it is gathered that this temple was built at this site about forty years back out of materials of an old temple which stood at some distance from the present site of the village. Local eye-witnesses inform that the mandapa of the old temple was an open one, while that of the new temple is a closed one. It retains some of the original sculptures like those on the pediments of bhadra, viz. Surya, Mahesa etc. Similarly the basement and spire of the temple are original ones while the mandovara is newly built. 46. Architectural Antiquities of Northern Gujarat plt. LXI, 1. Here Figs. 67, 68. 47. Architectural Antiquities of Northern Gujarat plt. LXII, Burgess assigns the shrine about the early half of the 13 th century. But in view of its closer affinity with the temples at Sunak Delmal, Kasara etc. the shrine may better be assigned to the later half the 10 th cent. A. D.

Structural Temples of the Caulukyan Period 113 inserted into the new temple, which contains bold carvings of the Avataras of Visnu and a panel of Navagrahas above the door lintel.