History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s4.9

v1.c19.s4.9

The one hypothesis that occurs to me as sufficient to account for this peculiarity is to assume that it was a constructive necessity. If we take for instance an assumed section of the diagram (Woodcut No. 184, p. 324), it will be seen how easily a very tall pointed horizontal arch, like that of the Treasury at Mycenæ referred to above, p. 312, would fit its external form. In that case we might assume that the tower at Bodh-Gayâ took a straight-lined form like the doorway at Missolonghi and the 'Gate of Lions' at Mycenæ, while the Hindûs took the more graceful curvilinear shape, which certainly was more common in remote classical antiquity,¹ and as it is found in Persia may have reached India at a remote period.