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

io8 THE BRAHMA

SHRINE

of Islam for

anthropomorphic

symbolism, that the

lingam

in its present form was

substituted for

the four-headed

Brahma image, like the splendid

sculpture

at Elephanta

(PLLIVand fig.

55).

Thesymbolismof the sttlpa is,

however, still

retained in

the domes surmounting the high

pyramidal roofs of Siva

shrines
;

but as these no longer serve

a structural purpose,

theyarebuilt in solid masonryand brickwork,

andonlygive

intheirexternalsculpturedform theevidence

oftheirstructural

origin.

While

innumerable Vishnu and Siva shrines

are thus

dedicated to

the last two persons of the Hindu

Trimtirti,

it

might seem as if Brahmi, the Creator, remains without any

structuralsymbolofworship. It isafact thatthereare very

few temples in India dedicated exclusively to Brahma, but

every chaumukh shrine, or that which has four doors facing

the cardinal points, covered by a Vishnu sikhara or a Siva

dome, is a Brahmi-Vishnu or Brahm^-Siva temple, as the

casemaybe. ItisonlytheuninformedEuropeanwhoregards

Brahmi, Vishnu, and Siva as three "gods," instead of the

threeAspectsof theOne.

An

importantpointtowhichtheattentionofarchaeologists

seemsnever to have

been directed is that the orientation of

an Indian temple

invariably indicates the particular Aspect

of the Nature-force

{Prakriti), or Soul-force

{Purusha), to

whichthetempleis dedicated

;

for theworshipper

must place

himselforherself

"

in tune

withthe Infinite,"

justasanIndian

singeralwaysknows,either

byintuitionor by

study, the time

of dayor night and season of the

year atwhich

the r%a he

sings must be sung. A Brahma

temple-

has four entrances,

facingthefourcardinalpoints

;

aVishnu

templeoneentrance,

facingtherising sun

;

andaSiva templeone

entrance, facing

thesettingsun. But

thethreeAspects

areoften combinedin