The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c17.25

c17.25

politan bell-shaped” capitals are superseded at Ajantâ by a “pudding-shape.” The explanation of the symbolism of Indian pillars given above will enable the reader to see that the Ajantâ type is also the traditional Vishnu pillar. Considering the difference of age—about four and a half centuries—there is comparatively little change in the forms, only at Ajantâ there is a more voluptuous feeling for beauty, more classic refinement of detail, and a closer searching for just proportions. The Kârlê and Nâsik monasteries belong to the epic age—the art of the Mahâbhârata and Râmâyana; the Ajantâ monasteries and chaitya-houses, from the fourth to the seventh centuries, belong to the later Indian classics—the age of Sakûntala.