Chapter 15 - The architectural treatment of the Shukanasa

CHAPTER XV THE ARCHITECTURAL TREATMENT OF THE SUKANASA (i) Early examples in Gujarat. The superstructure of the antarala, projected on the front side of the curvilinear sikhara, is technically known as Sukanasa, 1 The form literally denotes an object having an acquiline ( strictly speaking like the parrot's nose) nose, and here seems applied to this superstructure on account of its peculiar shape. Its architectural outlines are curvilinear, its shape is that of a Sun-windows. Its archivolt filled with many figures and augmented by several figures. As the Sukanasa is emerged from the curvilinear Sikhara, the pre-Caulukyan temples which have stepped-out pyramidal superstructure have no Sukanasa. In such a case the antarala has either a flat-roofed or gable-roofed superstructere instead of the Sukanasa. The gable roofed superstructure over the antarala is illustrated by the Temples (III, V) at Roda, the old (now restored ) temple at Tarnetar and the sun temple at Kotai ( Kaccha ). Almost all the Caulukyan temples have Sukanasa, as a frontal projection to the curvilinear Sikhara, superimposing the antarala. I. It is, also, known as 'Sukanghi' (G. P. XLVII, 4), evidently as its front view appears like that of two feet of a parrot,

448 The Structural Temples of Gujarat (ii) Canonical Principles discerned. The early works like Matsy Purana 2 Ag.P.3 G.P.4 etc. introduce the Sukanasa¹ as structure attached to the body of the Sikhara. Ag.P. states that it should superimpose by the mukhamandapa ( antrarala ).5 By Sutra method, the curvature of the Sukanasa like that of the Sikhara is to be attained 6 and its position must be in the midst of the (front side) of the Sikhara." Its height must be one-half to that of the Sikhara. 8 Meter P. also corroborates the statement of Agni Purana pertaining to the height of the Sukanasa.⁹ Its architectural form is prescribed similar to that of a Gavaksa (Sun-window ). The canonical works like Samarangana Sutradhara , Aparajitapriccha Dipa., KSR (MS); Pasada-mandana give cannos about the width as well as the height of the Sukanasa. Samarangana Sutradhara, states that the Sukanasa, at its bottom, has the width of the garbhagriha (in the case of Nighudha prasada ) or it is one and quarter or one and half times (in the case of the Sandhara prasada) of the Garbhagrha,10 The early works have propounded the height of the Sukanasa one-half to that of the Sikhara, but later canonical works like Aparajitapriccha;11, Dipa; 12 Pasada-mandana 13 etc. give different variations as to its height, ranging from the ratio of 9:2, to 13:21. A general instruction is imparted by the canonical works that the height of the Sukanasa should correspond to the height of the Mandapa i. e. the height of the super-structure of the mandapa. 14 2. Meter P. CCLXIX. 8. lbid. CIV. 10 3. Ag.P. XLII, 8, 15-16; 9. Meter P. CCLXIX, 12. 4. G.P. XLVII, 4,13, CIV, 10. 10. Samarangana Sutradhara Lv, 94-100. 5. Agni Purana XLII. 8 11. Aparajitapriccha CLXXXV, 11-13. 6. Ibid. 15. 7. Ibid. 16. 12. Dipa. IX, 56-57. 13. Pasada-mandana IV, 26. 14. Samarangana Sutradhara LXVII, 102, 110.

The Architectural Treatment of the Sukanasa 449 In the extant Caulukyan temples the height of the Sukanasa of the temples at Delmal and Sander approximately correspond the height of the mandapa. In some instances, the height is found corresponding to that of the Urusring attached to the Sikhara. This may be considered as one of the factors governing the height of the Sukanasa as it is like Urusrings, a sort of projection to the Sikhara. At Sander its height corresponds to the first Urusringa, at Kasara to the second and at Ruhavi (as the extant remains of the extinct Sukanasa indicate) to the third Urusrnga of the Sikhara.