Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c42.32

c42.32

In much the same style as the shrines and chapels around the Shwe Dagon Pagoda are the monasteries especially those in the vicinity of Mandalay, which not infrequently are buildings of some magnitude. As with most structural edifices in Burma they are raised on a substantial ground story to preserve them from damp exudations and destructive pests. Solid round pillars of teak (a wood impervious to insects) and supports of masonry form this foundational stage, above which in strange contrast rise the light and fantastic wooden gables and decorative halls of the monastic building itself. Ornamenting the angular roofs are prominently projecting eaves and barge-boards overhanging commodious balconies which encompass most of the structure, all covered with intricate carving but at the same time acting as useful protective screens against the elements, either sun or rain. To enter the higher halls of the monastery a stairway with an immense voluted balustrade is provided, and this approach, together with other ground constructions such as parapets formed of massive masonry merlons attached to the foundation story, differs in a marked degree from the light wooden architecture above. Here it becomes evident that these solid masonry appendages are a survival of the grand classical style which characterised the mediaeval monuments of Pagan. They represent an almost forgotten memory of that supreme effort, and their substantial forms are in forced contrast with the elegant, animated but fanciful woodwork they support.