Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/523

 CHAP. IV. PRAMBANAN 433 earthquakes are frequent, a very little shake reduces a tall temple to a formless heap in a few seconds. If cemented, they might have been cracked, but not so utterly ruined as they now are. 1 Be this as it may, the temple architecture of Jdva is probably the only one of which it can be said that it reached a high degree of perfection without using either columning, or arches, or mortar in any of its buildings. CHANDI JABANG. About 1 8 miles due east of Boro-Budur is a temple known as Chandi Jabang (Plate LI I.) the plan of which is circular, with rectangular projecting bays facing the cardinal points, and raised on a lofty substructure consisting of a double podium, square on plan, with projections in the centre of each face. Above the cell were probably five storeys, of which parts of the two lower ones only remain. In front of each bay are project- ing doorways enriched with sculpture and surmounted by a huge gorgon mask. The lower podium is richly carved, with a running frieze representing lions with serpent's tails along the upper part of the plinth. The entrance doorway faced west and was approached by an extremely steep flight of steps, now much ruined. The merging of the upper circular portion of the structure into the lower rectangular substructure is a remark- ably fine piece of design which, omitting the gorgon masks, might pass as a classical conception of exceptional quality. PRAMBANAN. South of Chandi Jabang, and about 24 miles south-east of Boro-Budur, is a group of temples marking the old Hindti capital of the island which are almost as interesting as that great temple itself. The more important of these have all been measured in the last few years, and their plans and elevations illustrated, with conjectural restorations in some cases, and numerous photographs. The most important group seems to be that of Loro Jonggrang, close to Prambanan (the ancient Mendang Kamulan), which consisted of a central enclosure, about 360 ft. square with six temples in two rows, the central temple in the rear being much larger than the other five. There is also an outer enclosure about 720 ft. square and between the two, but in close proximity to the central enclosure, 1 56 small temples or cells in three rows round the same. The principal temple measures 41 ft. square with projecting bays on 1 Yule, in 'Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,' vol. xxxv. p. 3. VOL. II. 2 E