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

74

THE kARLE

CHAITYA-HOUSE

it

persisted witha

symbolical meaning

only,when the

original

practical purpose had

ceased to exist,

as it does in modern

Bengalitemples.

Thegreat lotus-leaf

arch, or sun-window,

overthe main

entranceservedtolightupthechaitya

withthemost

impressive

effect; but, likeotherconstituentsof

the structural design of

thechaitya-house, itwasnotmerely

placedtherewiththeself-

conscious motive of formal

academic

composition, which

modern

authoritiesdeclaretobe

the wholeart

of architecture

;

the light

had to be focussed

upon the chaitya, for the latter

was the sacred object upon

which the devoted labourofthe

craftsmen

was concentrated.

Incidentally the windowwhich

illuminatedthealtarwasusedtoprovidethe

bestpossibleven-

tilation

for

thewholechaitya-house. The ends of thepurlins

whichwould havesupported thewooden orbambu rafters of

an

Asokan house or

cottage(PL I, b)roofed in this way,but

herepiouslycarvedfordecorativeeffectonly,appearontheinner

edgeofthearchedwindow; theouteredgeisthe ptpalleaf,as

before explained. Part of the opening is filledwith a frame-

work of wood, resemblingthe toransofavillagegateway. A

framed lattice of this kindisalmost invariably

shown in

the

sculptured sun-windows used as symbolic decoration,

except

when theyserveasshrinesfordeities. Thewholefagade
above

the entrances is decorated withthese

symbols, combinedwith

theVedicsacrificial rail. Most, if notall,

ofthe figure sculp-

turewasadded inthelater Buddhistor Mahayana

period.

Theextremedimensionsof the interior

are about

124

feet

by

43J

feet. The great nave, or hall

of the Sangha, is

shown in PI. XIX. It is

25^

feetwide,

and separated from

thepradakshinipathofthelaymenby
fifteensculpturedpillars

oneitherside, with capitalssimilarto

the twowhich flank the

main entrance, but otherwise differing

slightlyin symbolism.

Their shafts are octagonal, or, in the

technical terms of the