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

90

BHIMA'S

RATH

In this particular the Saivaites of

the seventh century

were
probably

borrowers or adaptors of Buddhist

structural

ideas, though Saivaite and

Buddhist art as a

whole comes

from acommonIndo-Aryansource.

Thegroundplan

(fig.

39)

showsthehall,ortemple, measuringinthe

modelabout 10 feet

by
30

feet, which was probably intended to be

open on the

sides, like theBharhutprototype.

Fig.39.—PlanofBhlma'sRath(fromFergusson's

"

CaveTemples

").

Exceptingtheroof,allthedetails—thepillarsandpilasters

;

thechhajas; therows ofcellssurroundingtheprocession-path

onthefirstfloor,etc.—arethe sameasinthe four-storiedpyra-

midalmonasterylastdescribed. At eachend ofthegreat hall

ortemplein theupperstoreya Sivashrineissculptured under

a richlycarved gable,which in Europewould besaid
tobe a

masterpieceofGothiccraftsmanship. Thebracketswhich

sup-

portthearches under

thebarge-boardsareidenticalwith

those

which afterwards appeared in Akbar's buildings.
Under the