Picturesque Nepal . ractically devoid of symbolism,and its sanctuary is a severely empty building,wholly unadorned with images or Nepal, secure in its Himalayan fastness,remained untouched by this epoch-makingcurrent which permanently changed everyaspect of the great countries with which itcame into contact, and therefore its value tothe student of Oriental history is the words of Fergusson, Nepal presents uswith a complete microcosm of India as it wasin the seventh century, when Hieun Tsiangvisited it—when the Buddhist and Brahmanicalreligions flourished side by s
Picturesque Nepal . ractically devoid of symbolism,and its sanctuary is a severely empty building,wholly unadorned with images or Nepal, secure in its Himalayan fastness,remained untouched by this epoch-makingcurrent which permanently changed everyaspect of the great countries with which itcame into contact, and therefore its value tothe student of Oriental history is the words of Fergusson, Nepal presents uswith a complete microcosm of India as it wasin the seventh century, when Hieun Tsiangvisited it—when the Buddhist and Brahmanicalreligions flourished side by side ; and when thedistinctive features of the various races werefar more marked than they have since becomeunder the powerful solvent of the Mohammedandomination. The situation represented by the foregoingwould tend to indicate that Nepal, especiallythe Valley, lay in a secure pocket in themountains, and, entirely undisturbed, heardthe legions thunder past, but such is notexactly the case. Through the kingdom runs. o S o — p CHINESE INELUENCE 135 one of the thoroughfares—a long and tortuousone, it is true, but nevertheless a line ofcomniunieation—connecting India with theChinese Empire. To the constant intercoursebetween these two different countries, andthe influences at various times exercised fromthe one or the other, is due the generalcharacter of the architecture of Nepal. Duringthe Buddhist period, the inhabitants of theValley looked to India for inspiration andguidance, and the buildings of this early timeare of the solid stone order, in the manner ofthe Chaityas and Stupas of the GreatTeachers native country. It is possible thatin Nepal in the third century Asoka him-self introduced this style when he visited theValley and built the four large Buddhisttemples at Patan, one opposite to each of thecardinal points of the compass. These arestill in evidence at the present day, and areslightly different from those subsequentlybuilt in Nepal, as they more nearly
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidpicturesquen, bookyear1912
