Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c39.43

c39.43

In endeavouring to appreciate the scope, appearance, and character of the temple of Avantesvami, it will be useful to compare these with the same qualities as they are shown in the temple of Martand for, the two buildings are the touchstones of the style An interval of over a century separates the two examples, and the advance made during this period, although not great, is instructive. Avantivarman's fine architectural effort repeats much the same technical procedure as the older building ; it illustrates no fresh experiences. During the hundred years that ensued, the art seems to have pursued its evolutionary course, without any notable innovations. But in a close study of the two buildings one does see in the later example an increased refinement of form, a more polished effect generally, evidently a reflection of that riper cultural atmosphere which prevailed during this ruler's reign, and of which there are definite records. The main lineaments of this building are pronounced and clear cut, and the essential parts are more finely adjusted, a fact specially noticeable in the disposition of the central structure and its relation to the subsidiary shrines, and in the insistent consonance of tonality provided by the surrounding colonnade, while the whole appearance of the building is one of sensitive grace. As a contrast to the embodiment of massive bulk expressed in the temple of Martand in which we see the working of first principles, the temple of Avantesvami displays an intellectual and reasoned application of these principles, with a finished architectural unity as the result. (Plate CXXXVIII).