History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v2.c25.s6: Conclusion.

History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v2.c25.s6

Language: English

Conclusion.

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The above may be considered as a somewhat meagre account of one of the most complete and interesting styles of Indian architecture. It would, however, be impossible to do it justice without an amount of illustration incompatible with the scope of this work, and with details drawn on a larger scale than its pages admit of.²

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² Thirty years ago it was hoped that Râjendralâl Mitra's work would, to some extent at least, have supplied the deficiency of the first draft of this outline; but this expectation was not realised by its publication in 1880. With a moderate knowledge of the science of archæology and accuracy of observation it would not have been very difficult to arrange the temples in some sort of approximate sequence determined by careful study of the style. Nor has much information in this direction been added since.

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An attempted classification, though merely tentative, has on several occasions been made in order to attract attention to the subject, in hopes that some one with opportunities and knowledge might examine and revise it. With only such photographs as are available to depend upon, we can come to no satisfactory conclusions: at best they give only a partial, literally one-sided view of a building, and to ascertain its age we ought to be able to look all round it, and make ourselves familiar with its locality and surroundings. The thing will not be satisfactorily done till some one visits Orissa who has sufficient knowledge of the principles of archæology to arrange the temples in a chronometric scale; and this should not be difficult, the buildings are so uniform in character, and their architects expressed so simply and unaffectedly the feelings and art of their age.

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A good monograph of the Orissan style would convey a more correct idea of what Indian art really is than a similar account of any other style we are acquainted with in India. From the erection of the temples of Parasurâmeswar and others, perhaps in the 7th century, to that of Jagannâth at Purî, A.D. 1100, the style steadily progresses without admixture of foreign elements, while the examples are so numerous that one might be found for every fifty years of the period, and we might thus have a chronometric scale of Hindû art during these centuries that would be invaluable for application to other places or styles. It is also in Orissa and Kalinga, if anywhere, that we may hope to find the *incunabula* that will explain much that is now mysterious in the forms of the temples and the origin of many parts of their ornamentation.

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It is not only, however, that many technical questions will be answered when any competent person undertakes a thorough examination of the ruins, but they will afford a picture of the civilisation and of the arts and religion of an Indian community during seven centuries of isolation from external influences, such as can hardly be obtained from any other source. So far as we at present know, it is a singularly pleasing picture, and one that will well repay any pains that may be taken to present it to the English public in a complete and intelligible form.

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Tentative List of Dates of the Principal Orissan Temples.¹

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¹ This list must not be regarded as in any sense authoritative ; rather it is submitted for revision on larger knowledge. Were these temples photographed and planned in the way the Dutch Archæological Survey of Java does its work, it would be possible to arrange definitely the Orissa temples.

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| Dates. | |
| 650-900 . . | Parasurâmeswar, N.W. from Mukteswar. Sisireswar. Kapâlinî. Uttareswar. Somesvar at Mukhalingam. |
| 900-1000 . . | Sâri Deula. Mukteswar, S. from Siddheswar Lingarâj, Tribhuvaneswar or Bhuvaneswar Great Temple. Kedâreswar, S. from Mukteswar. Siddheswar, 50 yards N. from Mukteswar. Bhagavatî. Somesvar, 250 yards N. from the Great Temple. Brahmeswar. Mukhalingeswar. Virajâ and Varâhanâth at Jâjpur. Mârkandeswar at Purî. |
| 11th century . | Nâkeswar. Bhâskareswar. Râjarânî, 300 yards N.E. from Mukteswar. Chitrakarnî. Kapileswar. |
| 12th century . | Râmeswar. Yameswar. Maitreswar. Great Temple of Jagannâth at Purî. Megheswar. |
| 13th century . | Vâsudeva, on S.E. of the Vindusâgara tank. Kanârak Sun Temple. Nâta Mandap of Lingarâja temple. Vishnu temple at Mâdab, in Katak district. Gopinâth at Remunâ. |