The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c8.31

v1.c8.31

When the architectural advantage of these projections was once perceived, and the nakedness of large walls had to be covered, they were repeated two, three or four times, as is to be seen in the temples of Rājarāṇi, Kapileśvara, Rāmeśvara, &c., &c., (woodcut No. 16). The next step towards improvement, was the development of these projections into distinct pilasters such as are to be seen on the temple of Ananta Vāsudeva at Bhuvaneśvara. The three-fold projection of each side is there converted into seven pilasters by slight intermediate breaks, and the artistic effect is thereby very much heightened. On the great tower of Bhuvaneśvara and other large structures, the same arrangement has been carried out to great advantage. When these projections are particularly deep, and the intermediate spaces wide, they assume the character of buttresses, which add considerably both to the mechanical strength and the beauty of the buildings by an agreeable play of light and shade. But whether deep and wide, or flat and narrow, they are always carried on along the whole length of the structure to the top of the spire, and when divided into pilasters of low relief, they give a ribbed, or fluted, appearance to the whole. On richly ornamented temples they are, on the steeple, carved into strings of small models of temples in some relief, so as to obviate the aesthetic defect of slender pilasters of great length. On the body of the building, the same object is attained by opening two or three tiers of niches for the reception of statues, or bas-reliefs. At Benares, the projections under notice are either omitted, or shaped into pilasters, and the little models are more or less detached from the spire so as to produce distinct chaplets or pinnacles, which greatly improve the appearance of the building. In Jain temples, these pinnacles are completely detached so as to convert them into little pavilions. In Bengal they are altogether wanting.