Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c28.4

c28.4

These regional developments are some six in number, the majority of which correspond in some degree to the main territories into which the country as a whole is divided. One of the earliest movements, and one of the most definite in its evolution, was that on the eastern seaboard, in the State of Orissa, or, according to its ancient name, Kalinga. Rather later in its origin, and, as it is confined to one locality and one period, so that it consists of a group rather than a movement, are the examples at Khajuraho in Central India, all of which were built in a hundred years, from A.D. 950 to 1050. Further west and spread over the country of Rajputana and the adjacent portions of Central India, are the remains of many temples, representing what may be termed a post-Gupta period as it was in this direction that the Gupta empire extended. South of this region, an important epoch of temple building took place in Gujarat and Kathiawar, the former being specially rich in architectural remains as the artistic traditions of its people are noteworthy. Still further south, in the Deccan, a phase of the building art prevailed in which the most southerly examples of the Indo-Aryan style are found. Finally, as they are rather of a distinctive character a few temples in the Fort at Gwalior and a local development at Brindaban near Muttra are referred to as small separate groups. Although each regional manifestation has its own particular qualities, there is throughout the entire range of this type of architecture, a certain undercurrent of thought resulting in a standardization of forms, principles, and procedure, which indicate that fundamentally all these examples belong to the same wide movement.