Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/440

 368 FURTHER INDIA. BOOK VIII. The naked form of these monasteries if the expression may be used will be understood from the following woodcut (No. 457) of one erected at Mandalay. It is apparently five storeys in height, but as a matter of fact only one storey is occupied, the first, or " piano nobile " as we would call it. The reason for this being that the Pongyi or priest would refuse to reside in a building where any one's feet were above his head. The first storey of a Kyaung, and this applies to the example at Mandalay, is always raised about 8 to 10 ft. above the ground, being carried on great timber posts. It is surrounded by a balcony on three sides, access to which is obtained by flights of steps enclosed between balustrades with a peculiar 457. Monastery at Mandalay. (From a Photograph.) curved termination in front, shown in the woodcut (No. 455). The steps, the walls carrying them and the balustrades are all in brick, whilst the rest of the structure is entirely in timber. On the eastern side is a shrine, in which is a statue of Gaudama, above which is the Pyatthat, a lofty structure with three, five or seven roofs according to the importance of the Kyaung ; thus in the Royal monasteries and the King's Palace there are seven roofs, as in Woodcut No. 456. The monastery at Mandalay (Woodcut No. 457) was not completed when the photograph was taken, but not being masked by the elaborate carving as shown in Woodcut No. 455, the scheme of its design is easier to read. There are four storeys of roofs, the upper one covers a lantern only ; the roof below covers the