File:The Civil engineer and architect's journal, scientific and railway gazette (1839-1850) (20033459303).jpg

Title: The Civil engineer and architect's journal, scientific and railway gazette
Identifier: civilengineerarc13lond (find matches)
Year: 1839-1850 (1830s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture; Civil engineering; Science
Publisher: London : (William Laxton)
Contributing Library: Northeastern University, Snell Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Northeastern University, Snell Library

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1850.) THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL, 37 But if we notice points of resemblance, we must also notice striking marks of dissimilarity—for instance, the Egyptians always made ornament subservient to a meaning, and never allowed it to interfere with the grandeur of the outline: the Hindoos, on the contrary, sacrificed purity of outline to the elaborate ornament with which their pagodas are overloaded. In Egypt, the temples were of one simple angular form; and the peculiar worship to which they were dedicated, whether of Osiris, Amun, or Athor, was taught by the sculptures and hieroglyphics on the walls: in India, the whole exterior form of the temple was made to bear a certain significance; thus a corrupted form of Mithratic worship gave the circular dome, which in the interior was to represent the holy concave of the heavens, and was sprinkled with stars on an azure ground, or decorated with a sculptured zodiac; other pago- das took the more ancient pyramidal form, and some the two com- bined, showing a pyramid terminated by a cupola or globe; other
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Hindoo Temple at Deo, in Bahar, Indian temples assumed, from the theology of their builders, the oval form of the mundane egg; and others, again, a square or cross symbolical of the four elements and four cardinal points. 1 he Egyptians, though avoiding all expression of human action or passion m their statues, never gave them those additional heads and limhs that deform Hindoo sculpture: while in some of the Indian bas-reliefs there is an idea of grouping and graceful attitude, not seen amongst the Egyptians. The term "pagoda" applied to Indian and Chinese temples is derived from the Persian words pout, an idol, and ghmhi, a temple. Ihe exterior of the pagodas are generally covered with figures of Indian deities or animals, sculptured \vith great spirit; and the lotty walls and ceiling of the interior are profusely adorned with rich painting and gilding: daylight is only admitted by the soli- tary entrance-door, but they are illuminated by ever-burning lamps suspended from the roof. The banks of the Ganges, Kistna; or other sacred rivers is, when possible, selected for the site of the great temples, m order that the worsliippers may have the benefit ot ali)uti(ui in the holy stream: when the pagodas are at a distance trom the river, a large quadrangular tank or reservoir is con- structed in front, lined with freestone or marble, and having a f ^ o"i„ 1"^ descending from the margin; many of tlie tanks are trom 300 to 400 feet in breadth. The entrance to all the principal pagodas is formed by a portico with lofty columns, and ascended by a flight of stone steps, sometimes, as in that of Tripelli, to the number of one hundred. The gate is always fronting the east. 1 he interior is divided into three parts, which may be compared to a centre and two side aisles; at the further end is the sanctuary, surrounded by a stone balustrade to keep ofl' the populace. The pagoda of Santidus, in Guzzerat, is described by Tavernier as in- cluding three courts, paved with marble, and surrounded by por- ticoes supported by marble columns, and decorated with female figures sculptured in the same material. Into the inner court no one was allowed to enter without taking off his sandals. The ceil- ings and walls of the interior of the pagoda are adorned with mosaic work and variously coloured agates. The courts of the temple of Seringham, measured round the outer wall, are nearly four miles in circumference, and are entered through immense pyramidal gateways on each of the four sides. The pyramidal gateways leading to the magnificent pagoda of Chillambrun, on the coast of Coromandel, exceed 120 feet in height. The Choultry, or hall, in some cases is of enormous size, having 100 columns in length and 10 in width, or 1,000 columns in all: they are popu- larly called "halls of a thousand columns;" and this is usually lite- rally true. AVhen it is remembered that each of these columns is ornamentally carved from capital to base, that these carvings are usually all different in design, and that the material used is gra- nite, it must be admitted that they are wonderful works. The excavated temples of Hindostan have afforded a fertile theme for argument,—some authors taking their remote antiquity for granted, while others deny their existence beyond the invasion of the Saracens. Lieut. Fergusson upholds the latter opinion, prin- cipally on account of the frequent use of the arch. Now, the vault being a sacred form, a section of it may have been adopted in ancient times, and thus account for the semicircular arch so con- stantly found in these rock-cut temples; yet we must allow that when the ogee arch also appears, it affords conclusive evidence of their more recent date, as it is well known that this form was first employed by the followers of Jlahomet. The remote antiquity of the excavations in India, as in Egypt, is objected to because most of them are imitations of structural models. Lieut. Fergusson says, that the Brahminieal caves are always imitations, though those of the Buddhists are generally simple excavations. A mistake may have arisen from treating these rock-cut temples as if ex- cavated at one period, when it is probable they were the work of successive centuries; for it is known that the Buddhists were the earliest cave-diggers, and that they made use of natural caverns, which they improved by art. The most simple excavations con- sist of a square cell with a porch; but frequently in the monastery eaves, the verandha or porch opens into a square hall, three sides of which are occupied by cells—the hall being sometimes so large as to require the support of pillars; in a deep recess of it, facing the entrance, is placed a statue of Buddha: thus tlie cave is a place of worsliip as well as an abode for the priests. The Brahminieal caves have generally a temple attached, which consists of an ex- ternal porch, an internal gallery over the entrance, and a centre aisle twice the length of its breadt'i, having a vaulted roof, ter- minating in a semi-dome, under which stands a dagopa; a narrow aisle surrounds the whole interior, separated from the centre by a range of massive columns. This side aisle is generally flat-roofed, though sometimes in earlier examples covered by a semi-vault.

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