Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c10.6

c10.6

From Buddhism the Hindus borrowed the custom of using the courtyards or the walls of the sacred shrines which the pilgrims or worshippers perambulated as national painting and sculpture galleries. The courtyard of one of the temples dedicated to Vishnu at Prambanam is decorated with a remarkable series of sculptures illustrating the great Hindu epic, the Râmâyana. Two of the finest passages taken from Dr. J. Groneman’s work are given in Plates XXXIX. and XL. The date of the sculptures is supposed to be about the eleventh century.