Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/401

 1868.] A History of Architecture : — The Hindoo. 323 nesses of the past, — to get a glimpse into, and form some, it may be but a faint and imperfect, conception of a race, who flourished and decayed, so many centuries ago. There can be but little doubt, we think, that those majestic and sublime con- structions, — which stand unrivalled to this day in grand and colossal propor- tions, and awe-inspiring beauty, — and of which we will endeavor to give, here- after, a brief description, — are of a birth coeval with, if not anterior to, the Pyra- mids of Egypt. The attempt has been made to argue, — as a proof of their greater age, than that of the Egyptian monumental re- mains, — that we, of this day, are in possession of every possible proof, as to the founders of the latter ; and can tell almost, if not quite, the exact year and reign, in which they were built ; but we are yet groping in utter dark- ness, — with not a ray of light, to guide us in any way, — as to the origin or elate of these other, if possible, still more stupendous and wonderful temples — excavations in and from the solid liv- ing rock — fairhy hewn out with the ham- mer and the chisel, a work to fashion which must have occupied an immense concourse of laborers many lengthen- ing years. This reasoning, however, will not yield a single date. Indeed, it is fruitless, at the best, because we have really nothing definite, to assist us in our research. We assume little or nothing, however, in saying, that the best informed, upon the chronology of the stjdes, assign to these artificial cave temples an antiquity far higher, than the stupendous remains of ancient Egypt. Of these excavated temples, there are numerous and extensive examples, to be found in different parts of Hindustan : in some cases, quite plain ; in others, again, profusely covered and embellished with sculptures of the most diversified forms and figures. They are to be met with in Balkh, Cabul and Cashmere. But the most famous are those of Ele- phant a, Salsette and Ellora, all in the vicinity of Bombay. Of these latter, we will proceed to give a brief descrip- tion ; and, from it, the reader will be able to form a pretty good general idea as to the character of all excavations of this nature. Elephanta is a small island, about 3 miles distant from Bombay ; and is so named from the fact of there being a colossal carved representation, in the liv- ing rock, of an Elephant, on the southern shore of the island. The cave is half way up the side of a mountain ; and in dimensions about 120 feet square and 18 feet high. It is entirely exca- vated out of solid rock, having its en- trance on the north. The mass of the solid rock roof, which in this cavern is flat, is supported by four rows of columns of graceful proportions, — of entirely a different order, or style, from that of any other known, and of form differing from any prescribed rules, — regularly disposed ; and each standing on a square pedestal, beautifully fluted. The shape of these columns is of that peculiar to this and the Egyptian architecture, not cylindrical, but bulging out towards the centre. The capitals of these col- umns are also fluted, similarly to the columns themselves. On the tops of these pillars runs a stone ridge, cut out of rock, resembling a beam, about one foot thick ; and the roof is carved to represent timbers. Upon the sides of this immense cav- ern are ranged, in every direction, mighty and gigantic statues, sculptured out of the face of the rock, in graceful and correct proportions, but not de- tached from the side of the cave. These sculptured figures are 40 or 50 in number, and 12 to 15 feet in height, some having the head surmounted by a helmet of a pyramidal form, others, again, wearing crowns of elaborate devices, and still others with only their own flowing and curled locks. Some of these figures have four, others six hands, grasping sceptres,