An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c19.s6.4

v1.c19.s6.4

Two other shapes—trapezoidal or wedge-shaped and L-shaped—are also found. The former is used both by the Harappans and their predecessors, seemingly for circular structures like a barn or the top of the floor around the rim of ring-wells or for wells. This is found also in the early historical period in one of the *stūpas* at LAURIYA-NANDANGARH and in the *stūpa* at KAUNDINYAPURA and in the apsidal part of a *caitya*-hall of the Kushan period at RISHIKESH. In a reservoir of the same time at KĀVERĪPAṬṬINAM chamfered and round-edged bricks are used. The L-shape is suitable for the paving of bath-rooms at corners as right-angled quoins. In the *Śulba-sūtras* the shapes required for various types of altars are: pentagonal, triangular and trapezoidal. Remains of altars called *śyena-citi* have been found—one at KAUŚĀMBĪ of *c.* 2nd century B.C. and the other at JAGATGRAM of the 3rd century A.D., where the bricks are inscribed. The Kṣatrapas, Guptas and later rulers used decorative pieces of forms produced by moulding. The practice was in vogue for quite some time in temples at such places as Bhitargaon, Nibiakhera, SIRPUR, Rajim, NĀLANDĀ, VIKRAMAŚĪLĀ, etc., and survived in e. India till the medieval period.