点评:The Visvantha temple, enshrining a Siva-linga, is among the finest temples, of Khajuraho with all the elements of the developed temple-type, viz. entrance-porch, mandapa, maha-mandapa with transepts, vestibule and sanctum enclosed by an ambulatory with transepts on the sides and the rear. Like the Lakshmana temple, it was a temple of the panchayatana variety, but of the four subsidiaries only two survive— in the north-east and south-west corners. Architecturally this temple comes midway between the Lakshmana and the Kandariya-Mahadeva and its importance lies in the fact that it anticipates the Kandariya, which marks the culmination of the central Indian building-style. Three sculptural bands of equal size on the facades of the jangha (wall) and the representation on the basement niches of the seven Mothers with Ganesa on one end and Virabhadra on the other are peculiar to this as well as the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple at Khajuraho. Even the sikharas of the two temples are essentially similar in design, though that of Visvanatha is appreciable simpler, showing fewer minor sikharas. This temple has indeed the most proportionate sculptures with admirable poise and balance, which include figures of sura-sundaris and couples, erotic or otherwise. A long foundation inscription fixed in this temple states that two Sivalingas, one of stone and the other of emerald (after which the temple in named Marakatesara) was enshrined in this temple, built by the Chandelle king Dhanga in A.D. 999. (Information from ASI)
翻译:供奉湿婆林伽的维斯凡塔神庙是卡修拉荷最精美的神庙之一,拥有发达的神庙式建筑的所有元素,即入口门廊、曼达帕、带有横厅的摩诃曼达帕、前厅和圣殿,圣殿四周环绕着回廊,回廊两侧和后面都有横厅。与罗什曼那神庙一样,维斯凡塔神庙也是一座潘恰亚塔那式神庙,但四座附属神庙中只有两座幸存下来,分别位于东北角和西南角。从建筑风格上看,这座神庙介于罗什曼那神庙和坎达里亚-摩诃德瓦神庙之间,其重要性在于它先于坎达里亚神庙,而坎达里亚神庙是印度中部建筑风格的巅峰。墙壁正面的三条大小相同的雕塑带和地下室壁龛上七位母亲的雕像(一端是甘尼萨,另一端是维拉巴德拉)是这座寺庙和卡修拉霍的坎达里亚·玛哈德瓦神庙独有的特色。即使是这两座寺庙的 sikharas 设计也基本相似,尽管维斯瓦纳塔的 sikharas 设计明显简单,显示的次要 sikharas 较少。这座寺庙确实拥有比例最匀称的雕塑,具有令人钦佩的平衡感,其中包括苏拉-桑达里和情侣的形象,无论是色情的还是其他的。这座寺庙中固定的长篇地基铭文指出,这座寺庙供奉着两个 Sivalingas,一个是石头的,另一个是翡翠的(寺庙以它命名 Marakatesara),由 Chandelle 国王 Dhanga 于公元 999 年建造。(信息来自 ASI)