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Identical in construction to
the SW Corner Pavilion, its four bays are all carved, nine
of the 12 scenes have been identified as being from
Ramayana and it is likely that the remaining three are
also. They are, in anti-clockwise order, beginning with
the N bay, on your right as you enter the pavilion:
N bay, E side
Unidentified scene with two noble figures, one of them
wearing a three-pronged headdress, seated in a palace,
surrounded by courtiers. There are two prone figures, with
hair flowing outwards, below the palace.
N bay, over door
From the Ramayana: Within a naga arch, Rama and Lakshmana,
grimacing fiercely, use bow and arrow to slay the demon
Viradha, who has captured Sita in the forest. The demon
holds Sita in his left arm, and attacks the brothers with
a spear.
N bay, W side
From the Ramayana (partly damaged) Hanuman, having found
Sita held captive by Ravana on the island of Lanka,
introduces himself by offering Rama's ring. The rakshasi
Trijata sits on the other side of Sita. S bay, W side
Unidentified scene in which a four-armed Vishnu, or
Krishna, is seated in meditation, with a smaller figure
seated on the right, surrounded by apsaras dancing on
either side and below, and flying above.
S bay, over door
From the Ramayana: Framed in a naga arch, Rama and his
brother Lakshmana battle the demon Kabandha, who appears
as a giant disembodied head (similar to Rahu).
S bay, E side
From the Ramayana: at the royal court of King Janaka, Rama
wins the hand of the King's daughter Sita in an archery
competition, aiming up at a bird perched on a wheel. None
of the other competitors were strong enough to draw the
bow, which formerly belonged to Shiva.
E bay, S side
From the Life of Krishna: Krishna, riding garuda, with
his wife Satya- bhama on his right side (standing on
garuda's hand) returns victorious from having wrested Mt.
Maniparvata from the asura Naraka. The mountain, a broad
triangle with trees, is behind Krishna, while the ranks of
his army around and below him carry the spoils of war.
E bay, over door
From the Ramayana: Framed in a naga arch, Rama and
Lakshmana make an alliance with the monkey king Sugriva.
Rama is holding a bow in the centre; Sugriva faces him.
E bay, N side
Vishnu Reclining. Near the top, with apsaras flying
overhead, the god rests on the serpent Ananta, his feet
supported by his wife Lakshmi. The serpent floats on the
cosmic ocean, represented by shoals of fish. Below, a
procession of gods, riding their mounts to ask Vishnu to
appear on earth. They are probably acting as guardians of
the eight directions (dikpalas). They are, left to right:—
Kubera on the shoulders of a yaksha (N) Varuna on a hamsa
(W) Skanda on a peacock Vayu on a horse
frieze over the window. To the right of the window,
monkeys dance and play musical instruments in celebration.
1/1/ bay, over door From the Ramayana: Rama (centre) and
Lakshmana, with a monkey troop behind them at right, forge
an alliance with the demon Ravana's brother Vibhisana
(with a typical demon headdress, on the left of
Indra on his elephant Airavata (E) Yama on a buffalo (S)
Agni on a rhinoceros Ketu on a lion
On two panels below, next to the window, a frontal view of
Surya (the Sun) and Candra (the Moon) on their horse-drawn
chariots.
