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

THE

PHILOSOPHY OF

TEMPLE

BUILDING

119

(PI. XXIX),

is

another fine

example of

the siyana

type, but

here

thecell remains

square,and

only

thedouble

vaulted roof,

gabledatthe

endswith

sun-windows,

showsthat

itwas

meant

for

an image

ofVishnu-N^riyana.

Fergusson

attributes

itto

about the

tenth or eleventh

centuries

;

but

the data

bywhich

he

calculated, inthe

absenceof

inscriptions,

wereinmost

cases

very

unreliable,

and probably

the temple,

like that

at Bodh-

Gay^, is

agood manycenturies

earlier

thanhis

estimate.

The

raising of

sculpture from

an accessory

detail to the

principal subject in

design, or, in

modern

phraseology,from

a

decorative toafine

art, was an

epoch-making

event in Indian

architecture.

Thesculptured

imagesof

thegodswhomwesee

at

Karl^ and Nasik mqrely

as onlookers,

became the

sacred

symbolsforwhichthe

shrineswere built.

The symbolism of

theshrine,asregards

plan and

structure, had tobeadapted

to

theparticular

type of image for

which itwas intended.

And

these

considerationsparticularly

affectedthedesignof

theroof.

Indian

temple builders

nevertroubled

themselveswith pagan

notions ofbeauty

for beauty's sake.

The skilful juggleryof

linesand

spaceswhich modern academicians

teach as the art

of

buildingwouldhave

seemedtothemchildish play.

Thegreat

thinkers ofIndia, whoanticipatedWesternen-

deavours

to establish religion upon a scientific basis, taught

theirmaster-builderstoexpress inconcretearchitectural

terms

thetheoretical

principles of the cosmicforces, as thedifferent

schools

of philosophy conceived them to be. Indo-Aryan

builderswerepurescientists

—

philosophersin brickand stone.

Yetthefine

intuition ofthe

artist-craftsmanclothedthescience

ofnatural

religion withagraceand splendour

ofitsown

;

and

thus Indianart

grew,

likeatreeorflower,consciousofits own

beauty

and rejoicing in it always

—receiving it in wondering

adorationas agiftfrom heaven,but never

strugglingtoattain

toitbythe
pedantic

andcoquettisharts ofthe Renaissance.