History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s1.2

v1.c19.s1.2

As remarked above, although we cannot assert that the Buddhists never employed a true arch, this at least is certain—that, except in the roofs of one or two small chaityas recently discovered, no structural example has been found in India, and that all the arched or circular forms found in the caves are without exception copies of wooden forms, and nowhere even simulate stone construction. With the Hindûs and Jains the case is different: they use stone arches and stone domes which are not copied from wooden forms at all; but these are invariably horizontal arches, never formed or intended to be formed with radiating voussoirs.