History of Indian and Eastern ArchitectureFergusson, James
History
History of Indian and Eastern Architecture
Fergusson, James
Architecture -- India; Architecture, Asian
There is still another group of these small viharas, called the
Chumarwarra, or (if I understand correctly) the Chumars’ (or
‘shoe-makers’) quarter. The first is square, with twelve pillars on the
same plan as those at Ajunta, though the detail is similar to the
Viswakarma. There are cells, and in the sanctuary Buddha sitting with
the feet down; it never has been finished, and is now much ruined.
The second is similar in plan, though the pillars are of the cushion
form of Elephanta and the Dehrwarra, but the capitals are much better
formed than in the last example, and more ornamented; the lateral
galleries here contain figures of Buddha, all like the one in the
sanctuary, sitting with their feet down, and there are only two cells on
each side of the sanctuary.
The last is a small plain vihara with cells, but without pillars, and
much ruined.
The whole of the caves in this group resemble one another so much in
detail and execution that it is difficult to make out any succession
among them, and it is probable that they were all excavated within the
same century as the Viswakarma.
The next three temples are particularly interesting to the antiquarian,
as pointing out the successive steps by which the Buddhistical caves
merged into the Brahmanical.
The first is the Do Tal, or Dookya Ghur, a Buddhist vihara of two
storeys; most of its details are so similar to those above described
that it may be assumed to be, without doubt, of the same age. It is
strictly Buddhistic in all its details, and shows no more tendency
towards Brahmanism than what was pointed out in speaking of the
Viswakarma. It apparently was intended to have had three storeys, but
has been left unfinished.
The next, or Teen Tal, is very similar to the last in arrangement and
detail, and its sculptures are all Buddhistical, though deviating so far
from the usual simplicity of that style as almost to justify the
Brahmans in appropriating them as they have done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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