Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c9.45

c9.45

ROOF—The roof of the Kūṭāgāra was either domed or barrel-vaulted having a middle ridge It was built on rafters (Gopānasiyo) which in the case of the domed roof closed upwards and met in the circular roof-plate (Kaṇṇikā), which was the actual kūṭa or pinnancle of the dome. Such a roof resembling in shape a melon (खरबुजिया छत ) or bubble ( बुदबुदाकार ) is seen in the circular Bodhigharas at Bharhut, and also in the round roof at the Sudāmā Cave. The other form of the roof was barrel-vaulted (Gaja-pṛishṭākṛiti) as in Chaitya-halls. They were also of two kinds, viz. the rafters running transversely and placed parallel to the middle ridge. The ends of the beams are visible in the horse-shoe, or the ogee arches, as in the Lomasa Rishi cave This was the style derived from ancient sacrificial sheds The second variety of vaulted roof was supported on massive curved ribbings similar to the surviving timber beams in the Karle Cave.