History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v2.c34.s8.4

v2.c34.s8.4

admitted is that which enters through the entrance door, the glazed screens in the rear of the verandah, and three others on the north side. All the side bays and the remaining eight on the north side are filled in with walls in brick, which are plastered over on the inside and outside, and rise to the soffit of the lowest transverse beam. Externally these walls have a very ugly effect, especially as the beams and groups of brackets above are all richly painted in various colours and in part gilded. The roof of the hall is carried on forty columns about 30 ft. high, and of which the diameter is 3 ft. 5 in.; the coffered ceiling is carried on great beams at two different levels with bracketing between them and round the hall. The four central columns are gilded with tapestry or damask designs in relief, the others are painted red, and the beams and ceiling gilded and painted in bright colours. The columns of the verandah, the east and west narrow bays and the store-room and central recess in the rear are 20 ft. high, and carry a lower roof with bracketed eaves, and this with the eaves of the principal roof over the hall gives the appearance to which reference has been made of a double-eaved roof. The north bay of the hall is roofed at the same level as the verandah, and in the section (Woodcut No. 505) it will be seen that the filling-in of the main walls of the whole hall, and against which the verandah roof rests, consists of a series of beams one above the other, tenoned into the great columns, the spaces between them being treated as friezes and decorated with various designs.