History of mediæval art . are oblong, andfollow in some measure the arrangement of the Buddhist chaityas. The Dravidian style appears far more developed in the Kylas ofEllora, which probably dates from the ninth century. This rock-cut temple,—one of the most important works of Indian architect-ure,—consists of a connected series of monuments which, instead ARCHITECTURE. 147 of being hewn out of isolated rocks, as at Mahavellipore, are ex-cavated from a solid plateau according to a regular plan. Thequarrying out of the extensive court, leaving the entire temple stand-ing within it, must have be
History of mediæval art . are oblong, andfollow in some measure the arrangement of the Buddhist chaityas. The Dravidian style appears far more developed in the Kylas ofEllora, which probably dates from the ninth century. This rock-cut temple,—one of the most important works of Indian architect-ure,—consists of a connected series of monuments which, instead ARCHITECTURE. 147 of being hewn out of isolated rocks, as at Mahavellipore, are ex-cavated from a solid plateau according to a regular plan. Thequarrying out of the extensive court, leaving the entire temple stand-ing within it, must have been a task of enormous difficulty. More-over, at Ellora the interior was not neglected, as was the case inthe before-mentioned rathas, and the rigid symmetry of the originaldesign excluded all adaptation of the plan, during the progress ofthe work, to the peculiarities of the geological formation. The ornamentation of these rock-cut monuments, favored bythe manner of their execution, was profuse, but this was far sur-. Fig. 81.—The so-called Rathas of Mahavellipore. passed by the sculptured decorations of the free-standing Dravidiantemples, which were so overloaded as to render a systematic de-scription of them here impossible. The most fantastic decorations,consisting of floral and animal forms as well as of patterns ofstraight and curved lines, are combined with mouldings and cornicesin a manner so disconnected that the entire structure appears un-organized and without fundamental static principles. The decora-tive details, like the vegetation of the country, form a rank over-growth, entirely burying the constructive members beneath awhimsical and distorted ornamentation. It would lead us too far to follow in detail all the remaining 148 INDIA. architectural styles of India,—the chief works of which, moreover,do not come under our present consideration, inasmuch as theywere created subsequently to the mediaeval epoch and to the Mo-hammedan invasion. The Chalukyan styl
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