The ancient and medieval architecture of India: a study of Indo-Aryan civilisation

56

SUN-WINDOWS

aureoleofaseated figureofthedivinity,the

formofwhichwas

associatedin the mindofthedevoutwith the

lotusleaf. The

outside line ofthe arched opening, following the curve ofa

villagethatchedroof, tooktheshapeof

aconventionalisedleaf

of the sacredpipal—the

Bodhi

tree(fig. 20).

These sun-windows, asthey maybe called,

in the oldest

Indian buildingshad no sculptured ornament, but in

carved

representations of them as symbols the ends of the purlins

whichsupported the rafters of theroof

were shown, and also, as a rule, the

wooden screen or lattice whiqh filled

them.

Later

on,

at

Ajanti and else-

where, anelaboration ofthesymbolism

wasbrought

in(fig. 18). The

outeredge

on each side started at the springing

from

the mouth of a makara, a fish-

dragon,

which suggested the water or

cosmic

ocean from whichthe sun rose,

and

intowhich it sank at eventide: it

was anemblem

ofthecloudsorvapours

which

sometimes veiled, but never

impaired,

the glory of the sun.* At

the pointed

crown of the sun-window

was carved the head of another

dragon—Rahu, the

demon

of the eclipse

—

philosophically regarded

as a manifestation

of the tamasic quality of Siva which

Vishnu, the

Preserver,

prevented from destroying the universe.

Sometimes,

when

the

sun-window

was only a symbol, it

was filled bya

single

head representing Siva,

either in his

sattvic or

tamasic

1

Themakarawasalsothesymbolof

Kima-deva,the

GodofLove,whose

eyes,like

thoseofafish,neverclosed,butwere
forever gazingat
the objectofhis
desire: the

antithesisoftheblindgodofEurope.
TotheIndianmind,
closedeyelids,
ortheshutting

outofsensualvision,suggest meditation
and theopening
ofthe third
eyeofspiritual

consciousness.

Fig.20.—LeafofthePipalTree

(^Ficusreligiosa).