Mukteśvara compound: Mārīcīkuṇḍa doorframe

Doorframe of Mārīcīkuṇḍa well. The door is framed by three bands of scrollwork above the arched niche at the base housing the river goddesses. The outside band of incipient vartulā scrollwork is transformed into a frieze of ascetics on the lintel flanking the center image of Lakulīśa. The door is flanked on either side by a nāga/nāgī-stambha depicted in a descending mode. The loose slab in front of the wall is decorated with ratikera scrollwork on its face. a typical 8th century scroll which does not appear on the Mukteśvara and most likely belonged to the temple in the vicinity no longer extant. The door-opening measures 57 3/4 inches by 29 1/8 inches. [Donaldson 1986: p. 1007; Fig. 2566]

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