Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c41.71.3

c41.71.3

Briefly, in place of the abstract tumulous in the form of the stupa or dagoba, a desire arose for an anthropomorphic conception of the founder of the religion for the purposes of worship, and so in the course of time temples were erected enshrining colossal figures of the Buddha within halls specially adapted for this purpose. This movement naturally affected to no inconsiderable degree the formation of the building as a whole, and the Lankatilaka or Jetawanarama Temple is a typical example of the procedure adopted to attain this end. (Plate CXXVIII) Constructed entirely of brick covered with stucco, even the statue of the Buddha which is nearly sixty feet high in the interior being built up by the same process, the external appearance of this building shows how the Tamilian sytle of Southern India maintained its hold. Clearly designed as a shrine rather than a temple, the interior consists of two compartments longitudinally aligned measuring 170 feet in length by 70 feet wide, the outer one forming a kind of portico leading to the great cella containing the standing statue, obviously the main intention of the scheme. Except for the fluted buttresslike pilasters which flank the main entrance, no special originality is shown in the architectural treatment of the building, but when in its prime it must have been a stately and dignified structure, worthy of the city which it adorned.