Manasara Series (I. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture; II. Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra; III. Manasara on Architecture and Sculpture: Sanskrit Text; IV. Architecture of Manasara: Translation; V. Architecture of Manasara: Illustrations; VI. Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad; VII. An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Architecture) v6.c41.s17.34

v6.c41.s17.34

‘There is one thing more certain than another,’ emphatically declares Fergusson, ‘that Angkor Vāt was not originally erected by Buddhists or for Buddhist purposes.’ This fact is abundantly proved. ‘In the first place, there is no sign of *dagoba*, or of a *vihāra*, or of a *chaitya* hall in the whole building, nor anything that can be called a reminiscence of any feature of Buddhist architecture. More than this, there is no trace of Buddha, of any scene from his life, or from the Jātakas to be found among the sculptures.’ Referring to the Buddhist temples at Bharaut, Sanchi, Amaravati, Gandhara, and Boro-Budur, Fergusson concludes, most unhesitatingly asserting, that ‘there is not a trace of Buddhism in any of the bas-reliefs yet brought to light from Angkor Vāt, nor an integral statue of Buddha or of any Buddhist saint about the place.’¹