History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s4.48

v1.c19.s4.48

have been the intended arrangement of the lowest storey; but, from the wider spacing of the pillars externally, it is evident that in a structural building stone, and not wood, would have been employed. From the arrangement of the exterior we gather that there would have been four free-standing pillars in the centre, as shown in dotted lines in the plan and section (Nos. 189 and 191). It is not clear, however, how many of the eight piers that surrounded these four were free-standing or attached as pilasters to thick external walls. What stopped the completion of this and the other raths, we shall never learn. They are certainly very like Buddhist buildings, as we learn to know them from the early caves, and it seems hardly to admit of doubt that we have here petrifactions of the later forms of Buddhist architecture,¹ and of the first forms of that of the Dravidians.