Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c22.22

c22.22

The first stage of the work, although laborious, was simple. It consisted in excavating out of the hillside three huge trenches at right angles, cut down vertically to the level of the base of the hill, thus forming a rectangle 300 feet by 175 feet. This operation outlined the shape of the courtyard and at the same time left standing in the middle a large isolated mass or "island" of rock, over 200 feet long, 100 feet wide and 100 feet high at its apex. Beginning at the top, the process of rough-hewing the irregular mass into shape was next undertaken, but those employed on this "pointing" were immediately followed by the sculptors, for each portion of the carved detail appears to have been completely finished as the work progressed downwards, thus avoiding any need for scaffolding. Such a method would naturally lead to deviations from the structural type, as the Kailasa is more closely allied to sculpture on a grand scale than to architecture, the effect being obtained by the process of cutting down, as distinct from building up. This accounts to some extent for the abnormally high plinth, which it was easy to leave in the living rock, and also for the "bridges" connecting certain portions of the scheme, none of which occur in any masonry buildings. Authorities¹ have shown that this method of production by excavation involves much less expenditure of labour than by building, but on the other hand the general effect is marred by the rock production always appearing in a pit, a disadvantage from which the Kailasa obviously suffers (Plate XXVIII, Fig. 2).