Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c21.7

c21.7

These two temples not only overlook the town of Badami, but they also face towards the series of rock-cut halls described in Chapter XI, and dating from the latter part of the sixth century. In comparing the Malegitti temple and its nameless neighbour, with the rock-cut examples it is difficult to realize that the former were executed probably a century later than the latter. The inferiority of the structural productions as a whole, but particularly of the design and workmanship of the pillars is most noticeable. There is something very primeval in the square plain shafts and heavy bracket capitals of the porches in these buildings specially when contrasted with the refinement of the fluted pillars and elaborately moulded struts of the rock-cut halls. The clumsiness of the later work when compared with the skilled execution of the earlier, implies a retrogression in conception as well as in technique. But the explanation is that two such opposing forms of production are evidence of the great change that was taking place at this juncture in the building art, a change which went to the very root of architectural practice. Hitherto architectural form had been determined by the rock-cut method, permanence being assured by the stability of the cliff side. This system was now about to be superseded by the use of stone masonry. Such a change was however not destined to be a revolutionary one, the process being very gradual, as the rock-cut method was to persist for several succeeding centuries. But rock-architecture had by this time been developed until it had achieved a high standard of achievement, while on the other hand the art of building with blocks of stone was relatively in its infancy. One can almost imagine the surprise of the rock-cutters on seeing this new method, which they no doubt felt was a transitory expedient compared with the lasting qualities of their own performances. For although looked upon in the present age as a common procedure, the art of placing one stone on another so as to form a strong and shapely structure had to have its beginning. And moreover when finally perfected, masonry buildings were more pliant, more ductile, and in certain respects even more lasting than the sometimes crumbling rock. But apart from its technical qualities, masonry construction brought a new architectural content into the temple scheme, for its very nature implied the important conception of an exterior elevation, an aspect and dimension hitherto little known to the rock architect, who dealt almost exclusively with interiors. From the difference in the principles of the two methods, the one an art of building up, the other of cutting down, it seems fairly certain that each was in the hands of a separate guild of workmen operating independently according to their own particular technique. Not that they omitted to learn from one another, the course of both arts shows that there was a mutual understanding in the matter of architectural style, but in practice they did not combine, they progressed on parallel lines.