CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Nagaraja Cave, Ajanta, Aurangabad, Maharashtra

A fragmentary inscription in the Nagesvara temple, with no regnal year or king's title mentions the names of Uttama Chola, his two queens, his mother Sembiyan Mahadevi and his father Gandaraditya. It seems plausible that Uttama Chola or Sembiyan Mahadevi built this temple, possibly in the early years of Uttama Chola (971 - 988 CE). Reference: M.W. Meister and M.A. Dhaky, 1963, pp. 179-181.

Nagoa, Baroque Architecture, Goa

Nahar Singh Palace is located close to NH2, in Ballabhgarh. This palace is a rectangular, double storeyed building constructed with sandstone. The main gateway is an impressive stone structure with a cupsed arched opening on the ground level and a series of arches on the upper level, covered with a bangaldar dome. A balcony supported over brackets runs along the width of the gateway. The main entrance gateway leads into a central courtyard with arcaded verandahs. The rooms of the palace are located around this courtyard. All the exterior surfaces are adorned with intricately designed stonework. This palace is currently reused as a Haryana Tourism Guest House.

Naltulai Isvaragrham at Punjai is one of the finest of early Chola temples though less elaborate; the shrine has no central and corner projections; but despite that, the architectural appeal is not diminished. These figures rank among the greatest masterpieces of early Chola sculptures. The niches are topped by ornamental / arched gateways (toranas) of high quality workmanship. The temple has impressive door guardians (dvarapalas). On the temple itself there is no inscription earlier than twenty-second regnal year of Rajaraja I (985 – 1014 CE). The subsidiary shrine of Chandesha has an inscription from around Aditya II's reign (960- 965 CE). However on the basis of the ‘classicism’ shown by the dvarapalas, Nandi and Mahakala images, this temple would warrant a date not later than the mid-tenth century. References: M.W. Meister and M.A. Dhaky 1963, pp. 175-176, D. Barrett, 1974, pp. 81-82.

Nandakal, Baroque Architecture, Maharashtra