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The lower beam had a procession of elephants, the middle beam of lions, and the upper probably of crocodiles, The rai] was 9 feet high, and the inner side was ornamented by a continuous series of bas-reliefs, divided from each other by a beautiful flowing scroll. About a hundred bas-reliefs have been recovered, all representing scenes or legends, and. nearly all inscribed with the title of the Jataka represented. It is the only monument in India which is so inscribed, and this gives the Bharhut rails a unique value. We make no apology for quoting the following remarks of Dr. Fergusson’s about the state of Indian: sculpture as disclosed by these rails. “When Hindu‘ sculpture first dawns upon us in the rails of .Buddha Gay& and Bharhut, B. C. 200 to 250, itis thoroughly original, absolutely without a trace of foreign influence, but quite capable of expressing its ideas, and of telling | its story with a distinctness that never was surpassed CHAP. VIII.] BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE, &C. 125 at least in India. Some animals such as elephants, deer and monkeys, are better represented there than in any sculptures known ‘in any part of the: world; so too, are some trees, and the architectural details are cut with an elegance and precision which are very admirable. The human figures too, though very different from our standard of beauty and grace, are truthful to nature, and where grouped. together combine to express the action intended with singular felicity. For an honest purpose-like, pre-Raphaelite kind of art, there is probably nothing much a to be found anywhere,” ~ The rail surrounding the great tope of Sanchi in the kingdom of Bhopal, is a circular enclosure 140 feet in diameter, and consists of octagonal pillars 8 feet in height and two feet apart. They are joined together. at the top by a rail 2 feet 3 inches deep, and between the pillars. This is, however, about the simplest rail arrangement, and the ornamentation on the rails increases in other places, until the scrolls and disks and figures become so elaborate and profuse as to completely hide the pillars and bars from the sight, and to entirely change the character of the- original design, The great tope of Sanchi of which we have spoken before was probably constructed in -Asoka’s time. Each rail is shewn by the inscription on it to be the gift of a different individual. The four gateways were 1 126 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOoK IV. wednaenacanaacemans a6 Ss AZ Raw av SANCHI. then added to the rail probably during the first century of the Christian Era. Dr. Fergusson thus describes them :-—~ ‘ “All these four gateways or toranas as they are ‘properly called were covered with the most elaborate sculptures both in front and in rear,—wherever in fact their surface was not hidden by being attached to the rail behind them. Generally the sculptures represent scenes from the life of Buddha, *-* In addition to these ate scenes from the Jatakas or legends, narrating events or actions that took place during five ‘hundred births through which Sakya Muni had passed before he became so purified as to reach perfect CHAP. VIIL.] BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE, &C. 127 Buddhahood. One of these, the Wessantara or the “alms-giving” Jataka, occypies the whole of the. lower beam of the northern gateway, and reproduces al] the events of that wonderful tale, exactly as itis narrated in Ceylonese books at the present day. * * Other sculptures represent sieges and fighting and consequent triumphs, but so far as can be seen for the acquisition of relics or subjects connected with the faith, Others pourtray men and women eating and drinking and making love. * * The sculptures of these gateways form a perfect Picture Bible of Buddhism, as it existed in India in the first century of the Christian Era.” The date of the Sanchi rail is said to be three centuries after that of Buddha Gaya and Bharhut rails ; and the Amardvatt rail is again three centuries posterior — to the Sanchi rail. The date of the Amardavati tail is said to be the 4th or 5th century A. D. Amardavati is situated on the southern bank of the Krishna river near its mouth, and was long the capital of the Andhra empire of Southern India. The Amar4vatt rail is loaded with ornament and sculptures. The great rail is 195 feet in diameter, and the inner 165 feet, and between these two was the procession path. Externally the great rail was 14 feet and internally 12 fect, while the inner rail was solid and six feet high. The plinth of the great rail was ornamented by a frieze of animals and boys, and the pillars as usual were octagonal and ornamented with disks. The inside of 128 ; BUDDHIST PERIOD. [ROOK Iv. the great rail was more richly ornamented than the outside, and the upper rail was one continuous bas- relief 600 feet in length. The inner rail was even more richly ornamented than the great rail with figures most elaborately carved with scenes from the life of Buddha or from legends. Two woodcuts given in Dr. Fergusson’s work, one from the great rail, and one from the inner rail, are interesting. The former represents aking seated on his throne and receiving’a messenger, while his army in front defends the walls. Lower down the infantry, cavalry and elephants sally forth in battle array, while one of the enemy sues for peace. The latter, 2. ¢, the woodcut from the inner rail, represents three objects of worship, viz., a stfipa with its rails, a chakra or wheel of ‘religion, and a congregation worshipping a relic or sacred tree. “We now come to the important subject of CHAITYAS, @.é, assembly halls or churches. The great distinguishing feature of these Buddhist churches is that they are not constructed but excavated. Twenty 4f thirty churches are known to exist, and all of them with one exception are excavated rocks. The external view of European. churches and of Hindu temples forms their most distinguishing and noble feature; but of the Buddhist churches,—-excavated in rocks,—there is no external view except the froritage which is often ornamented. : CHAP. VIIL] BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE, &C. 129 Nine-tenths of the Buddhist churches .which exist belong to the Bombay presidency, and this is explained by the fact that the western presidency ‘is the great cave district of India, with rocks peculiarly fitted for excavation. . There is a cave in Behar which .is ‘believed, to-be - the identical Satapanni cave of R&jagriha, in - which, or in front of which, the First Council was. held imnies _diately after'the death of Gautama to fix the canon: It is a natural cave slightly. ‘improved .by art,. and, it was seen by Houen Tsang when he resided -in “Magadha. There is an interesting group of ¢ caves 16 milés sortie of Gaya, of which the. most interesting is ‘the one known at Lomasa Rishi’s cave, The form ‘of the roof is a pointed arch, and the frontage is ornamented with simple sculpture. The interior is a hall 33. ft: by- 19 ft., beyond which there is.a nearly circular apartmént. All the caves of this group are said to have- been ex: cavated in the 3rd_century B. C.: ran Fs There are’ five or six Chaitya caves in the Western Gints all of which are said to have been excavatéd. before the Christian Era, and of which the cave at Bhaja is said to be the most ancient. As in the Buddhist rails, so in the Chaityas, we find architecture in stone slowly evolving itself out of wooden forms. -. The pillars of the Bhaja cave slope inwards at a. considerable: angle, as wooden posts would slope, to give strength to R.C. D., A, 1—IIl. 9 . 130 BUDDHIST PERIOD. [BOOK Iv. a structure; and the rafters of the cave are still of wood, many of which remain to this day; the date of this cave is said to be the 3rd century B. C. In the next group of caves, at Bedsor, consider- able progress is manifested. The pillars are more ‘upright, though still sloping inwards. The frontage is ornamented with rail decoration, the design being taken from -actual rails as described before, but represented here merely as ornament. The date of the’ caves is said to be the first half of the second century. - The next cave is at Nassik. The pillars are so . “nearly perpendicular that the inclination escapes detec- . tion, and the facade though still exhibiting the rail decoration shews a great advance in design. The date of the cave is said to be. the last half of the second century, . And “when we come at last to the cave at Karli, on the road bebween Poona and Bombay, we find the archi- tecture of this class in its state of perfection. The pillars are quite perpendicular, the screen is ornament- ed with sculpture, and the style of architecture both inside and in front is chaste and pure. The Chaitya is said to have been excavated ih the first century before. Christ, and it is+ the largest and the most perfect Chaitya yet discovered in India; and the style of architecture was never surpassed in succeeding centuries. CHAP, VIIL] BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE, &€. 131: The following account will interest our readers :—~ | “The building, as will be seen’ from the annexed. illustration, resembles ; ; to a great extent an early Christian church in its arrangements, consisting of a nave and. side aisles, terminating in an apse or semi-dome, round which the aisle is carried. The general dimensions of the inte- rior are 126 ft, from the entrance to the back wall, by 45 ft. 7 in. in width ; the side aisles however are very much narrower than in Christ- ian churches, the cen- -tral one being 25 ft. 7 in., so that the others. are only 10 ft. wide, including the thickness Karli Chaitya, of the pillars. * * Fifteen on each side ‘separate the vane from the aisles; each, pillar has a tall base, an.