Pillar from a Siva Temple Porch

Indian temples were often covered with elaborate decoration. This ornamentation, known as alankara in Sanskrit, is intended to make the temple a beautiful and auspicious place for the deities who reside there. The horizontal bands decorating these two architectural pillars contain a variety of fascinating motifs. In the upper registers of the topmost bands, arches rise from the open mouths of monsters called makaras. These alternate with medallions containing dwarf-like nature spirits called ganas. Filling the spaces beneath the arches are either ganas or floral motifs. Below, festoons and garlands are suspended, sometimes from monster masks. The lower bands of the columns are decorated with flowers, leaves, pearls and diagonal lines. The horizontal bands decorating these two architectural pillars contain a variety of fascinating motifs. In the upper registers of the topmost bands, arches rise from the open mouths of monsters called makaras. These alternate with medallions containing dwarf-like nature spirits called ganas. Filling the spaces beneath the arches are either ganas or floral motifs. Below, festoons and garlands are suspended, sometimes from monster masks. The lower bands of the columns are decorated with flowers, leaves, pearls and diagonallines.