An Essay on the Arian Order of Architecture, as Exhibited in the Temples of Kashmir (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1848 edition. Excerpt: ...temples should have been exactly the reverse of that of the Avantipura temples. The latter were entirely overthrown, while their surrounding walls have escaped; in the one almost entirely, in the other partially. The former temples, on the contrary, have been saved, while scarcely a trace now remains of their surrounding walls. Temple of Sankara-gaureswara. This temple is similar in plan, and in internal arrangement to the former; hut the porticos, like those of Avantiswami, have only one foot of projection beyond the walls of the building. The entrance is to the eastward; and leads to an inner chamber, 17 feet square, which is quite plain, as in the Marttand example, and as in other Kashmirian temples. The side walls of the entrance are, however, decorated by very elegant niches containing statues after the fashion of the Marttand entrance. Each of the side porches opens into a chambered recess, 8 feet long by 5 feet broad. These are now empty, but no doubt they once held linga. The porticos are of the same style as those of Marttand, with pediments of high pitch covering trefoiled arches. 2.--The walls are still standing, although much injured. It will be sufficient, however, to state, that this temple is very like Marttand, both in its style and in its present state of preservation. In size also it is much like the back view of Marttand, but somewhat smaller. The ground-plan is a square of 33 feet, which, if the usual proportion was observed, would give a height of 67 feet for the top of the pyramidal roof above the ground. 3.--I could not discover any traces of a surrounding wall, although I have no doubt that one formerly existed, as my examination of the precincts of the temple was cut short by a heavy and continued...