Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 1.djvu/91

 CHAP. II. STAMBHAS OR LATS. 59 is replaced by the more purely Buddhist ornament of a flock of the sacred hansas or geese. In both instances there are cable ornaments used as neckings, and the bead and reel so familiar to the student of classical art. The last named form is also, however, found at Persepolis. These features it may be remarked are only found on the lats of Ajoka, and are never seen afterwards in India, though common in Gandhara and on the Indus for long afterwards, which seems a tolerably clear indication that it was from Persia that he obtained those hints which in India led to the conversion of wooden archi- tecture into stone. After his death, these classical features disappear, and wooden forms resume their sway, though the Persian form of capital long retained its position in Indian art. Whatever the Hindus copied, however, was changed, in the course of time, by decorative additions and modifications, in accordance with their own tastes. To the preceding five we have to add four more lats found in recent years. These are: (i) one at Rampurwa near Pipariya, also in Champaran district, on the edge of the Tarai, discovered in 1881, but not quite excavated; (2) at Nigliva in the Nepal Tarai, about 18 miles north from Chilliya in Basti district, a broken pillar, bearing an inscription by Asoka, stating that it had marked the birthplace of Kanakamuni Buddha ; (3) at Rummindei about 13 miles south-east from the preceding and north of Paderiya, the lower 22 ft. of a lat, discovered by Dr. A. Fiihrer in 1896, and bearing an inscription stating that it marked the spot where Sakyamuni was born, 1 and (4) a large fragment and capital found, about three years ago, at Sarnath, bearing a portion of an Asoka. inscription. It is more than probable that each of these A^oka lats stood in front of, or in connection with some stupa, or building of some sort ; but all these have disappeared, and the lats themselves have some of them at least been moved more than once, so that this cannot now be proved. So far, however, as can now be ascertained, one or two stambhas stood in front of, or beside each gateway of every great tope, and one or two in front of each chaitya hall. At least we know that six or seven can be traced at Sanchi, and nearly an equal number at Amaravati, 2 and in the representation of topes at the latter place, these lats are frequently represented both outside and inside the rails. At Karle, one still stands in front of the great cave sur- 1 Cunningham, ' Archaeological Re- ports,' vol. xvi. pp. nof. and plate 28 ; Fiihrer, ' Buddha Sakyamuni's Birth- place.'pp. 2;f. ,33f.,andplates4-6. There is also a fragment of a stambha at the great Sanchi stupa, with remains of an A^oka inscription on it. 2 ' Tree and Serpent Worship,' plates I, 5, 89 and 90.