Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/402

 344 FURTHER INDIA, BOOK VIII. especially in those cases where the pagoda has from time to time been built over and enclosed, as in the Shwe-Hmaudau and Shwe-Dag6n, the converse outlines are alternated with concave silhouettes which, whilst it lessens the vigour and boldness of the design, gives it at times a certain elegance ; so far has that been carried that it is sometimes possible to determine the date of the structure by its attenuation. This is shown in the Shwe- Dagdn (Plate XXXVIL), where in the last rebuilding in 1768 the lower part of the bell was widely spread out, and the finial or spire, originally conical with straight side, has been given a concave outline. The decorative treatment of the pagoda resolves itself into three divisions. (A) The boldly projecting mouldings of the sides of the platforms or terraces, the introduction of square terra-cotta panels with figure bas-reliefs between the upper and lower mouldings, and in later examples the addition of an elaborate cresting. (B) The carving of lotus leaves at the base of the bell and in the upper part of the finial, the rich ornament applied to the bell consisting of pendants on its upper surface, a deep moulded ring round with bead festoons held in the mouths of gorgons and other surface ornament above the ring. The pagodas of Seinnyet and Petleik have in addition niches with figures of Buddhas on the four sides facing the cardinal points, with enriched pediments over-crowned with miniature storeys and .sikharas. And (C) additional decorative features such as ranges of small pagodas on the lower terraces as in the Shwe-Dagon and the Shwe-Hmaudau, or at each angle of the several terraces, in many cases taking the form of elaborate finials which in the Seinnyet pagoda are of fine design. Some of the pagodas have in the centre of each face a flight of steps leading to the upper terraces, and on the level of the first platform an archway similar to the examples in Boro-Budur. In one or two cases also there are porches in front of each flight of steps, cruciform in plan, similar to those of the temples of Cambodia. In the Sapada and Tamani pagodas, above the bell is a square moulded plinth which by some authorities is thought to be symbolic of the chamber in the basement containing the Buddhist relics, and is in fact known as the " dhatu-garbha " or relic-chamber. The feature is, however, of ancient origin, as it is shown on the dagabas in Karle and Ajanta (ante, vol. i., Woodcuts Nos. 70 and 71). It forms an essential feature in all the Sinhalese Dagabas, and as Sapada, the builder of the pagoda bearing his name, was a Buddhist monk from Ceylon, he probably introduced it into Burma.