Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c31.44

c31.44

It is instructive to compare these gateways with those produced by the subsequent rulers, the Moslems, as each type is thoroughly representative of the widely different ideals of each community. Contrasting with the fundamentally militant, but, at the same time, architecturally satisfying fortress gates of the Muhammedan period, these rare examples of the previous age have no such aggressive qualities, as they are evidently designed quite as much for their aesthetic as for their protective properties Where the Islamic gateways are definitely practical and architectural, those of the Hindus are just as definitely imaginative and decorative, a relatively peaceful and inviting approach to the city they so characteristically adorn.