PAGODA.
Toe-dee, Po-ya, . BUM. I Dewal, . . . URDU.
Bhoo-ra, Po-rah,. „ I But-kadah, . . . „ Koil, Tem. But-khana, Murat, „ This is a term by which Europeans designate the religious temples of the Hindus and Buddhists of India, Further India, China, and Japan. The pagodas of Hindus and Buddhists, and the mosques and tombs of Muhammadans, are of im portance in the architectural history of these countries, being numerous, and almost the sole structures which have survived through the re volutions of dynasties and religious. The name has been variously derived,—from Muhammadan authority, as Bfft-kada, from But, an idol, and Kada, a temple. It may have been applied in the S. of India from Dhatugarbha or Doh and Gopa, a Buddhist shrine, a relic receptacle. It may also be from Pe or Pei, TAM., a devil, and Gudi, TEL., a temple. Some of the Hindu and Buddhist temples are magnificent. The most costly pagoda in British India is that built by Bimul Sah on a spur of the Aravalli mountains. The site cost sixty lakhs to level, and it took fourteen years in building, at a cost of eighteen kror of rupees; perhaps in all twenty millions The more celebrated of those of peninsular are at Achaveram, Che]lumbrum, Con jeveram, Jaganath, Seringham, Tripati, Trivadi, Verdachellum, and Wariore. Trinom ally is 222 feet high. The whole exterior of many of the largest of the Burmese pagodas (Buddhist) is gilt. In the capital, some of the most beautiful and elaborate khyouugs or priests' houses are covered with the richest and most ornate gilding from top to bottom ; and in some cases the cost of gilding alone, for a single build ing, has exceeded 110,000 sterling. On the ocraqion of festivals, also, it is a prevailing custom among the Burinans to attach to their pagodas leayes of gold, even when the building generally is not gilt, which is the origin of the little patches of gilding seen on the temples near every village of any size or wealth.
The prominent parts of the Hindu temples are the Gopura or Torana, the gateway ; and the Kalasa, with the Mora and Kangni.
The architectural form of the pagodas of dif ferent parts of India have distinctive forms.
. The Dravidian temples at Mahavellipur, Tanjore, Madura, are in storeys with cells ; those of Bengal present no trace of utilitarianism, no pillars or pilasters, no reminiscence of habitations, but have a polygonal base, and all the lines of the pyramid or sikra are curvilinear, The chief Dravidian temples are at Chelluin ini, Combaconum, Conjeveram, Itainisscram, Jura, Seringham, Tanjore, Tinnevelly, Tiruva , Vellore, l'eroor, Vijayanagar, Availea, Kovil, •ringepurrun, Taramangalam, Mahabalipumin, misses, and others.
The ruined temple at Chellumbrum is supposed have been dedicated to Subramanya. As it w exists it was built at intervals from A.D. 927 o the year 1685 ; it has a hall 340 feet by 180 feet, with 1000 columns, each of a single granite atone, and all ornamented. A temple to Parvati is near the hall.
Tiruvalur, 30 miles W. of Madras, has a double shrine of Dravidian form dedicated to Siva and his consort, standing in a cloistered court, which measures 192 feet by 150 feet over all, and has one gopura in front. This has afterwards been enclosed in a court measuring 470 feet each way, with two gopuras, and containing numberless little shrines and porches ; and subsequently the whole was enclosed in a court 940 feet by 701 feet, with five gopuras and several important shrines, amongst them a hall with 688 columns.
Seringham temple, near Trichinopoly, is a small village shrine, but with six enclosures, the inner most enclosing a hall 450 feet by 130 feet, with 1000 (960 ?) columns, each of a single block of granite, and all elaborately carved. Each en closure was intended to have four gopuras. The outer wall that encloses all measures 2475 feet by 2880 feet. It has four great outer gopuras. The northern one leading to the river and to Trichino poly measures 130 feet in width by 100 feet in depth, and is one of the most imposing masses in S. India, and is severe and in good taste through out. There are in all 14 or 15 great gate towers. This great Vaislinava temple at Seringham owes all its magnificence to buildings erected during the Naik dynasty, A.n. 1532-1742.