Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/131

 CHAP. II. GREAT TEMPLE AT BHUVANESWAR. 103 but it differs from the style of the porch to which it is attached more than the leanest example of Tudor art differs from the vigour and grace of the buildings of the early Edwards. All that power of expression is gone which enabled the early architects to make small things look gigantic from the exuberance of labour bestowed upon them. A glance at the Nata-mandir is sufficient for the mastery of its details. A week's study of the Jagamohan would every hour reveal new beauties. The last woodcut may convey some idea of the extent to which the older parts were elaborated : but even the photograph hardly enables any one not familiar with the style to realise how exquisite the combination of solidity of mass with exuber- ance of ornament really is. During the five centuries which elapsed between the erection of these two porches, Bhuvane^war was adorned with some hundreds of temples, some dozen of which have been photographed, but hardly in sufficient detail to enable the student to classify them according to their dates. 1 On the spot it probably would be easy for any one trained to this class of study, and it would be a great gain if it were done. The group nearest in richness and interest is that at Khajuraho, mentioned above (p. 49) ; but that group belongs to an age just sub- sequent 2 to that of the Bhuvane^war group, and only enables us to see that some of the most elaborate of the Katak temples may extend to the year 1000 or thereabouts, by Babu Rajendraiai It is to this date that I would ascribe the ^t^^ erection of the Rajarani temple. The names 50 ft. to i in. of the more notable, of which I have photo- graphs, with their approximate dates, are given in the list at the end of this chapter ; but I refrain from burdening the text with their names, as I despair, by any reasonable number of woodcuts, of illustrating their marvellous details in anything like a satisfactory manner. The Rajarani temple, as will be seen from the woodcut (No. 317), is small; but the plan is arranged so as to give great variety and play of light and shade, and as the details 1 Photographs have enabled me to supply to some extent the deficiency of my local knowledge ; but unless photo- graphs are taken by a scientific man for scientific purposes, they do not supply the place of local experience ; but a full archi- tectural survey also is much desiderated. 2 Cunningham's 'Reports,' vol. ii. p. 416,