The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c12.43

c12.43

Obviously the vaulted roof, nearly semicircular in section but stilted at the springing, with its wooden ribs, were derived from the bambu-and-mat chhai of the Bengali village chaitya-house. Though there are striking resemblances with regard to planning and general arrangements between these great Buddhist temples and the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, it is impossible to draw any useful comparisons between them. The technical problems which confronted the Indian craftsmen in carving these chaitya-houses out of the living rock were totally different from those with which the Gothic builders had to deal: