History of Indian and Eastern ArchitectureFergusson, James
History
History of Indian and Eastern Architecture
Fergusson, James
Architecture -- India; Architecture, Asian
The following plans (Woodcuts Nos. 92, 93), of the two principal
monasteries which have been excavated in the vicinity of Peshawur, will
explain their arrangements in so far as they have yet been made out. As
will be seen at a glance, they are very similar to each other,
[Illustration: 92. Plan of Monastery at Jamalgiri. Scale 50 ft. to 1
in.]
[Illustration: 93. Plan of Monastery at Takht-i-Bahi. Scale 50 ft. to 1
in.]
or at least consist of the same parts. First a circular or square court,
AA, surrounded by cells, too small for residence, and evidently intended
to contain images, though none were found _in situ_. In the centre of
each stands a circular or square platform or altar, approached by steps.
The circular one at Jamalgiri is adorned with cross-legged,
conventional, seated figures of Buddha, the square one at Takht-i-Bahi
by two rows of pilasters one over the other.[206] Beyond this is an
oblong court, BB, called the pantheon, from the number of images, small
models of topes, and votive offerings of all sorts, that are found in
it. It, like the last court, is surrounded by niches for images. Beyond
this again the vihara or residence, CC, with the usual residential
cells. At Takht-i-Bahi there is a square court, D, surrounded by a high
wall with only one door leading into it. A corresponding court exists at
Jamalgiri; but so far detached that it could not be included in the
woodcut. It is called the cemetery, and probably not without reason, as
Turner in his ‘Embassy to Thibet’[207] describes a similar enclosure at
Teshoo Loomboo in which the bodies of the deceased monks were exposed to
be devoured by the birds, and what happened there in 1800 may very well
have been practised at Peshawur at a much earlier age.
When we attempt to compare these plans with those of our rock-cut
examples in India, we at once perceive the difficulty of comparing
structural with rock-cut examples. The monastery or residential parts
are the only ones readily recognised. The pantheon does not apparently
exist at Ajunta, nor is anything analogous to it attached to other
series of caves, but a group of small rock-cut dagobas exists just
outside the cave at Bhaja, and a much more extensive one at
Kenheri,[208] and similar groups may have existed elsewhere. Numbers of
small models of topes and votive offerings are found in the
neighbourhood of all Buddhist establishments, and were originally no
doubt deposited in some such place as this. The circular or square altar
is, however, a feature quite new to us, and takes the place of the
dagoba in all the rock-cut chaitya halls. From its having steps to
ascend to it, it seems as if it was intended either for a platform from
which either a congregation could be addressed, or a prayer offered up
to a deity. If, however, it was really a dagoba, as General Cunningham
supposes, that difficulty disappears, and on the whole I am inclined to
believe he may be right in this decision.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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