Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c12.47

c12.47

Although a rather bare and obviously unfinished example, Kanheri provides some useful information as to the disposition of the exterior of these chaitya halls, besides explaining the arrangements in front of Karli before the fall of the cliff destroyed its symmetry. In front of the exterior at Kanheri is a well-defined courtyard, contained within a dwarf wall, and entered by a flight of steps; as this wall is decorated with a rail-pattern in bas-relief, with figures of doorkeepers (*dwarpalas*) on either side, the whole scheme forms an attractive frontal approach. Within the forecourt, on each side, are the *sinha stambhas*, or "lion pillars", as at Karli, but at Kanheri, apart from several differences in detail, these pillars are not free-standing but attached to the rock, like large and prominent pilasters "*in antis*". Moreover the middle of the octagonal shaft is interrupted by a "cushion" member, and above the abacus are the remains of supporting figures, or gnome-like atlantes, which appear conspicuously, in a somewhat similar capacity, in the architecture of the mediaeval period. Beyond the *stambhas* is the outer facade, a plain wall-screen with three tall square-headed openings below, and a range of five windows, in the form of a clerestory, above. As the surfaces of this rock screen contain many mortice-holes, it is clear that it was in practice little more than a stable support for a considerable amount of woodwork, including a hanging gallery for musicians. It is noticeable that every portion of the chaitya hall is patterned with holes for attachments, so that much of it was presumably supplemented with timber construction. This is significant, as it goes to prove that as this type of excavated hall progressed, it began to return to its earlier form of being more than half-timbered.