Mr. Fergusson has thus traced, in fuller detail than our space will allow, mations that have taken place in Buddhist architecture, which, whatever its artistic qual ities may be, has at least the very interesting feature of being a style which has existed from 200 years before Christ up to the present day.
The other styles of Indian architecture are illustrated by the temples of the Jainas and those of the Hindus. The former seems to have been an imitation the Buddhist temples without the cells for the priests. Their religious structures consist of a sanc tuary surmounted by a spire; in front of this a pillared vestibule, with a dome, and round the whole an arcaded inclosure, with cells all round, containing images. The cells are also surmounted with spires, and the arcades with domes are often repeated to a considerable number within one inelosure. The most striking feature of this style is the dome, which is constructed by horizontal jointing, not with regular arches. The domes, with the pillars, bracket capitals, etc., are all elaborately decorated.
Hindu architecture is divided into two styles—northern and southern. Al] the finest examples are southern, and are found s. of Madras. The temples consist of the temple or vimana, in front of which is the pillared porch or mantopa, the gate pyramids or gopuras, forming the entrances to the inclosure, and the pillared halls or ch•ultries. in the s. the temple is always pyramidal, and in many stories; in the n. the outline is curved. and in one story. The finest example is the pagoda of Tan jore. It is 82 ft. sq. at base, and 14 stories, or about 200 ft., in height.
The gopuras are similar to the pagodas, but oblong in place of square.
The pillared halls arc very wonderful structures, containing sometimes as many as 1000 columns, and as these are all elaborately carved, and all different, the labor of their construction must have been enormous. They are used for many purposes con
nected with Hinduism, their most important use being as nuptial halls, in which the mystic union of the divinities is celebrated. The general arrangement of these halls sometimes produces a good effect; but from their fiat roofs they cannot equal the beauty of the domed arcades of the Jains. These buildings are of various dates, from the commencement of the Christian era to the last century, and it is remarkable that the oldest examples are the finest—the style growing gradually more and more debased, till, at the present day, it has become, like the religion,, a mass of absurdity and obscen ity. The celebrated rock-cut temple, called the Itylas, at Ellora (q.v.), belongs to this style.
When the Mohammedans conquered India they imitated the style of the country in their mosques, and afterwards the Hindus borrowed from them, and thus a mixed style was created, which, in the palaces, tombs, etc., of the native princes, produces pictu resque effects. The Mohammedans also covered the country with specimensof their Moorish style, which will be treated under SAnActc ARCIUTECTURE.
Some of the finest buildings of India are the ghauts or landing-placeS, with their broad flights of steps; the reservoirs or bowlees, and dams, all ornamented with temples, kiosks, stairs, etc.; but our space will not permit us further to describe them There is one very remarkable fact connected with Indian architecture, viz., that although the form of the atch is constantly used-1n domes, arcades, etc., especially in the style borrowed from the Moslems—yet the radiating arch construction is never adopted. The architraves are supported on bracketed capitals, which project, bracket over bracket, till the space is spanned by one lintel. This leads to many beautiful results in the early styles, and in the later mixed style, the bracketed cornices are amongst it finest features.