The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c14.16

c14.16

The whole site of Sarnath was covered with innumerable brick-built and monolithic stûpas of different dimensions, and it is probable that pairs of Vishnu and Siva symbols were often placed there by the same devotee. Perhaps some of the brick bases now remaining will prove to have belonged to Vishnu shrines, instead of stûpas, for the tall sikharas which crowned them were much easier to destroy than the more solid structure of the stûpa.