History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c19.s5.31

v1.c19.s5.31

Turning from these generalities to the temples themselves, the first great difficulty hitherto experienced in attempting either to classify or describe them was that so very few plans of them had been published. There are probably upwards of thirty great Dravidian temples, or groups of temples, any one of which must have cost as much to build as an English cathedral, some a great deal more; but of all these there were few of which, till lately, trustworthy plans were available. This is, of course, irrespective of some early examples of village temples, and, it may be, of some groups which have been overlooked. If these temples had been built like those of the Greeks, or even as the Christian churches in the Middle Ages, on one uniform plan, changing only with the progress of time, one or two plans might have sufficed; but the fact is that, in nine cases out of ten, the larger Dravidian temples are a fortuitous aggregation of parts, arranged without plan, as accident dictated at the time of their erection; and, without plans, no adequate idea could be conveyed to those who have not seen them.