Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c32.11

c32.11

Probably the finest of the whole group, and also one of the earliest of its kind is the temple of Ambarnatha in the Thana District of the Bombay State. (Plate CXI, Fig 1) Although not situated strictly within the confines of the Deccan, it is quite clearly of the same style as the temples which developed there Moreover, it provides a fixed date from which this group as a whole may be considered, as it bears an inscription equivalent to A.D. 1060 In a delightful situation by the side of a long deep pool, this temple, when complete, was a model of rich perfection, typical of the style when the architect had been given a free hand and unlimited time. For there are few buildings of the Indo-Aryan order, which display more refined architectural perception combined at the same time with intricate decoration lavishly but tastefully applied To the western eye, disciplined to the principle of ornamental passages being balanced by plain spaces, such a tumult of sculptured forms distributed over every surface of the structure, the piling of ornament upon ornament, apparently defying all the accepted conventions of the building art, is bewildering. But a study of this temple reveals the fact that, although the plastic embellishment may lack restraint, and implies occasional formlessness, the architectural and functional treatment of the structure as a whole, is reasoned and logical.