Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c16.34

c16.34

The nature of the terrace on which the Sindh type of stupas was built, has been revealed by excavations on the site of another of its kind, that of Mirpur Khas. (Plate XL, Figs. 9 and 10). Rising 18 feet from the ground this has a side of 50 feet, and the base of the circular structure above measured 37 feet diameter, thus leaving ample space on the upper surface of the platform for a processional path. The domical portion has almost completely disappeared but from the dimensions of its plan, its total height, including the finial, could not have been less than 60 feet Three sides of the terrace were perfectly regular retaining walls divided up into shallow compartments by pilasters, each compartment being enriched with a conventional niche in the centre, a simple yet very effective form of decoration But the middle portion of the remaining side, that on the west, was projected so as to give place to a structural addition of an unusual character. Some kind of portico with flights of steps leading to the upper platform of the terrace was the principal exterior feature, thus forming the entrance to the shrine. In conjunction with this was a vestibule leading to three chambers, the whole comprising a small triple sanctum tunnelled out of the solid brickwork of the basement. Each of these cells evidently contained a statue of the Buddha, so that the monument as a whole was a combination of a temple below and a stupa above.