History of Indian and Eastern ArchitectureFergusson, James
History
History of Indian and Eastern Architecture
Fergusson, James
Architecture -- India; Architecture, Asian
Besides these, Pollonarua possesses another point of interest of
considerable importance, though hardly germane to our present subject.
Among its ruins are several buildings in the Dravidian style of
architecture, whose dates could easily, I fancy, be at least
approximately ascertained. One of these is called the Dalada Maligawa,
apparently from its possessing at one time the tooth relic; for it is
hardly probable that when migrating southward for fear of the Tamils
they would have left their cherished palladium behind them. If it was
sheltered here, and this was the first building erected to receive it,
it would be a most important landmark in the very vague chronology of
that style. Another, though called the Vishnu Deyanne Dewala, was
certainly either originally, or is now, dedicated to the worship of
Siva, as is testified by the presence of the bull alongside of it, and
also apparently on its roof. But be this as it may, it is the lowest and
flattest of those buildings I have yet met with, and more like a direct
literal copy from a constructive vihara than even the raths at
Mahavellipore (Woodcut No. 181). This may arise either from its being a
copy of an actual vihara existing at the time it was built, or to its
being very old. Those at Mahavellipore, even if older than this one,
may have gone through certain stages towards their present conventional
forms before they were cut in the rock. But more of this hereafter.
* * * * *
It is unfortunate for the history of architecture in Ceylon that the
oldest and finest of her rock-cut temples--as those, for instance, at
Dambul and Dunumadala Kanda--are only natural caverns, slightly improved
by art; and those mentioned above, as the Isurumuniya at Anuradhapura,
and Gal Vihara at Pollonarua, besides being comparatively modern, have
very little architecture about them, and that little by no means of a
good class. Generally speaking, what architecture these Ceylonese caves
do possess is developed on applied façades of masonry, never of the same
age as the caves themselves, and generally more remarkable for
grotesqueness than beauty. Besides, the form of these caves being
accidental, they want that interest which attaches so strongly to those
of India, as illustrating the religious forms and ceremonies of the
early Buddhists. Indeed, their only point of interest seems to consist
in their being still used for the celebration of the same rites to which
they were originally dedicated 2000 years ago.
CONCLUSION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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