Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c42.19

c42.19

Of the other class at structure at Pagan, the temple, there are numerous excellent examples, such as the Gawdawpalin ("Throne of the Ancestral Hall," built in 1200), the Thatpyinnyu, the Shwegugyi, and the Sulamani, but the largest and by far the most imposing of all, besides being the noblest monument in the whole of Burma, is the Ananda Pagoda, founded by king Kyanzittha (1084-1112) in 1090 A.D. A description of this typical temple will give some idea, not only of the character of the group as a whole, but also of the architectural perceptions of the Burmese builders during this, their finest period.² In size alone this grand building is of no mean proportions as across its width including its porticos it measures 300 ft. each way, while the four-entranced enclosure within which it is centrally placed is a square of 570 ft. side. Its height too is impressive as from the ground level to the finial of its main spire it is over 160 ft. But its architectural effect lies not so much in its dimensions as in the disposition of its parts, in the fine projecting porticos, the graduated terraces of its roofs, and its ascending tapering volume as a whole. The underling intention of the building has also been carefully considered, while the relation of the exterior features to the arrangements within, leaves nothing to be desired. That some of the treatment of the external facades verge on the extravagant, if not inclined to be fantastic, may of course strike the eye of the occidental spectator, but it should be remembered that the entire appearance of the building was designed to please the taste of a people with whom form and colour have few limits, a people who revel in brilliant hues, and where curves and foliations, spirals and volutes are favourite elements in their ornamental patterns On plan the Ananda temple is cruciform in shape, its extended porticos reaching out to produce its four expansive arms, thus converting the whole into the semblance of a Greek cross. For the central portion of the structure is an immense solid square block of masonry above which rises the main sikhara or spire On each face of this middle core is a tall arched alcove, each enshrining a large standing figure of a Buddha, 31 ft. high, with hands raised to the breast in the pose of the *dharmachakra mudra*, while around the entire interior are carried two concentric corridors, their vaulted ceilings partly supporting the terraced ogee roofs above. (Plate CXXX).