Photo 1002/2(79)

Genre: Architectural Photography

Described in 'List of Ancient Monuments in Bengal. Revised and corrected up to 31st August 1895' (Calcutta, 1896), pp. 330-331:

On the road between Daudnagar and Gaya, about 16 miles from the latter, is the village of Konch. It consists of two parts, the bazar on the roadside, and the village proper about 100 yards to the north. Between the two there are extensive mounds of brick rubbish, and a great many figures and statues scattered about. The principal one is life-sized and beautifully carved, but the head is wanting. It probably represents Surjya. Higher up on the mound there are two purely Buddhist figures with the creed in inscriptions round the head, and two others, probably of Surjya, of a later type. The temple is of brick with tall pyramidal tower, ornamented by mouldings cut in the bricks. It was formerly Buddhist (of the latest Buddhist epoch), but is now a Saivic shrine with a lingam. It consists of a single chamber below, occupied by a sanctum, and one above formed by the hollow of the pyramidal tower which surmounts the building. The lower chamber measures 28' x 28' outside and 11⅓' x 11⅓' inside, which gives 8' 4½'' as the thickness of the walls. The bricks are large, (some measuring 13'' x 7'' x 2¾'') a sign of antiquity. The ceiling of the sanctum is constructed of the tunnel vault of arcs meeting at the crown in a ridge. The arch sheeting is entirely of brick cut to shape in the lowest course. In the arch sheeting at the springing, the bricks are placed, not as usual, with their beds horizontal, but on their edges with vertical beds. A cornice runs along three sides of the interior of the sanctum at the springing of the tunnel vaults. The entrance is spanned by an arch of overlapping bricks, and is divided horizontally by a stone beam. This opening serves the double purpose of giving entrance to the sanctum below and light to the chamber above. This temple, though quite 700 or 800 years later in date, bears a strong resemblance to the great temple of Buddha-Gaya. The most noticeable point of difference is that the earlier temple has a slight tapering convexity of outline, whereas ther later temple presents only flat surfaces exteriorly. In the courtyard and porch a great many figures have been inserted or ranged along the walls, many of which are figured in 'Martin's Eastern India.' To the north of the temple there are two cenotaphs of fomer mahants, but there is no monastic community settled here now, and the temple itself is not considered orthodox. Notwithstanding that there is a linga now occupying the shrine, the building itself is locally said to the work of Kol Rajas.'

See also Cunningham and Garrick, op. cit., pp. 52-61 for detailed descriptions. Printed from a damaged negative.