Indian Architecture.

Progress, Volume II, Issue 4, 1 February 1907, Page 136

Indian Architecture.

By F. de J. Ciere, F.R.I B.A

Indian Architecture, like that of other countries has, as far as its ancient examples are concerned, to be studied in the remains of its temples and tombs, as these are practically the only buildings that have stood through the ages required to form history. Indian civilisation is, of course, infinitely more ancient than that of our own race , and while our ancestors were painting themselves with woad and were satisfied to live in groves and caves, the people of Hindustan were erecting buildings which excite the wonder and admiration of the European traveller of the present day. To write anything like an exhaustive account of Indian buildings would be the work of years. Fergusson, who wrote many years ago, and whose knowledge ol Indian architecture was comparatively circumscribed in consequence of many of the finest temples being in out-of-the-way and ruined districts, tells us that the introduction of Mohammedanism into India led to the formation of fifteen distinct styles of Saracenic architecture in that country alone , and when we consider that this was not till the end of the 12th century, and that there are still existing Buddhist buildings that go back to 250 years b c , we can to a certain extent realise what an immense field for study the different phases of Indian architecture present. The earliest buildings extant are of Buddhist origin and are known as topes Some of these are towers, and others are enormous hemispheres of masonry, but what their use is seems to be rather obscure. They were, however, evidently considered sacred and were probably built to mark some holy spot or to hold some venerable Buddhist relic Though much smaller than the pyramids of Egypt they were no mean structuies. The one at Sanchi, of which we give an illustration, is circular in plan and 120 feet in diameter at its base, and about 60 feet high. After the topes in antiquity come some of the earlier rock-cut temples, or monasteries, of which nine-tenths were Buddhist and the rest Brahmmical or Jain The Jain weie an important non-conforming sect of the Brahmins and weie famous as builders, the wonderful shrines on Mount Abu, which are among the seven wonders of India, being their work The earliest of the Buddhist series of these cave-temples is that of the time of Asoka, 250 b.c , while the date of the latest is about 700 a.d ,or 950 } r ears afterwards Several of these cave- temples are in plan very similar to our ordinary Christian churches, the main part being a nave with an apsidal end and having aisles on each side, with a colonnade supporting the nave roof. They vary much in size, some being over a hundred feet m length, and others small chambers not largei than a cottage living-room. Most are rich in sculpture and carving, and in some cases their walls are covered with frescoes which, in the estimation of many, are thought

hill side. When reading of rock cut temples the imagination naturalh pictures the buildings as being caves , but there is one echhce that of Kailasa, one ot the Elloia group which is quite unique inasmuch as though it is cut out of the solid lock, it stands tulh exposed to the air on all sides The famous lock-cut temple of Elephanta is 130 feet long 110 feet wide and 14' 6" high, with a fiat ceiling supported on four rank-, of columns each i) feet high Iheie aie also well-known ca\e- temples at Canarih in the Island of Salsette, in which there are 300 chambeis, and of which the principal temple is 84 leet long, 40 feet broad, and the \aultecl roof rises to a height of 40 feet The meie tabulation ot these buildings gives some idea of the stupendous work done by the Indians m tins class of edifice alone but the country is still nch m raised buildings ot more than ordinan chaiacter and importance We say still nch, for it is a melanchoK fact that many temples aie being lapullv destio\td chierH through the acti\e agenc\ ot tiees — the bain an perhaps, being the chief oriendei A seed is diopped between the stones, takes loot, and soon the swelling of the growth foices the joint open , and within a com-

paratively short time the place is in ruins and hidden by vegetation. In Hindu work the outlines of roofs seem to be nearly always pyramidical ; of pointed gables we have met with no examples, although semi-circular, or horse-shoe, gables are not uncommon The dome is distinctly Saracenic and an introduction into India of comparatively late date In a climate like that of Hindustan courts form, a considerable part of all temple buildings* and the entrances to these are often surmounted by splendid structures known as gopuras. We give an illustration of a very beautiful and characteristic one at Chidambaram, about 130 miles south of Madras. It will be noticed in another illustration how very much of the rich effect of the design is obtained by having sharply cut horizontal recesses running in continuous lines around the building. In a tropical country and with the sun generally at a high altitude, dark shadows are thus obtained which are most effective This emphasis of the horizontal lines is one of the chief features in successful architecture of most sunny climes, while m the indigenous architecture of the countries of Northern Europe (Gothic and its variations) the vertical lines of a building are most pronounced. In the detail of a part of the Somnathpur Temple, which lies 22 miles east of Mysore, we can see an exceedingly fine piece of the Oriental magnificence of carving which characterises so much of the Indian work. Here the whole surface of the building is covered with sculpture in bas-relief. The lowest is a procession of elephants, above them horsemen, then a scroll pattern, then a scene from one of the sacred stories, then a fifth course of strange beasts, and finally, as a finish to the base, a row of the sacred geese. Above the base is a series of shrines, and then the highly ornamental roof. To a£ Englishman there is something barbaric in this exuberance of carving, this unframed honeycombing of surface, and the eye longs to repose a moment on some unbroken masonry or plain straight or curved line. At the same time there is an air of coolness given by the deep recesses which seems to be perfectly in keeping with the surroundings of the temple. Some of the Indian buildings are more broken in outline than even those we have illustrated, and they suggest a series of mushrooms growing one out of another, each layer being less numerous than the one below it, till the apex is reached and one larger than the rest crowns the whole. In the great temple at Tanjore the Pagoda, which dates from the fourteenth century, is from its proportions and mass decidedly impressive. We regret that we cannot give more illustrations of these fascinating structures, for though at first sight there is the same likeness between many of them that we see m a group of Chinese work, yet upon closer examination and nearer acquaintance we find that there is an immense variety of expression and design which is not immediately apparent to the observer. Compare the outline, for instance, of the Mukteswara temple at Bhuvaneswara, some 250 miles southwest of Calcutta with that of Tanjore: both are fine examples and, though the horizontal lines are well defined in each there are in one strong vertical lines as well, and the outlines of the buildings are far from similar The Mukteswara temple dates from about 637 ad. There is another tower with very much the same outline at Khajuraha. Hitherto all the temples mentioned in this paper have been Buddhist, Jam, Dravidian, or IndoAryan Arches in them seem to have been used most sparingly, if at all The roofs have been formed by a system of corbelling in with large stones till the whole is enclosed, and wall openings have been spanned by lmtels, either m one piece or resting on corbels With the introduction of Mohammedan architecture at the end of the 12th century under the Pathan dynasties a considerable change was made Wherever the Saracenic influence was felt, there we find domes and arches, minarets and other features more or less like those of Persia and other neighbouring countries. That marvellous tomb, the Taj Mahal at Agra, might almost be a Persian building transplanted to India , and, like the German-designed cathedral on Italian soil at Milan, it fails to give that full satisfaction to many which its beautiful material and workmanship ought to ensure. At Mulwa the Jumma Musjid mosque, which was built between 1405 and 1432 is one of the most remarkable in India. It is 290 feet long by 275 in width, and though built in a district where Jam influences predominated, and where it would be expected to have square openings pointed arches and domes are used throughout There are some beautiful pierced stone windows in a mosque at Ahmedabad placed within an arcade which is almost Gothic in its proportions and shape In other respects this city is especially rich in its architecture — Fergusson telling us that its buildings are the most elegant and characteristic of the Indo-Saracenic style in the country One photograph we are able to give is that of part of the Rani Cipn mosque, and we

-venture to think from it that Mr. Fergusson's remarks are well deserved The Mohammedan towers and minarets in India have balconies like those of other Eastern countries, and many of them are of good design , some on the other hand are decidedly top-heavy and not happy in their outlines The modern buildings of India, like the modern buildings of all countries, are not specially interesting. Sir William Emerson and some other architects have done splendid work, and have contrived to give an Eastern character to their modern buildings, but many of the new palaces and public edifices are of very ordinary character Perhaps these new style? are best suited to the requirements of this age, and the present buildings in their turn will be considered interesting when age has surrounded them with associations , and, no doubt, the antiquarian of some far future period will find in them an expression of the genius of our time, and of our occupation of the great and wonderful country called India The illustrations accompanying this article were taken from Dr. Workman's interesting book on India.