DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9541#0670
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FURTHER INDIA.
Book VIII.
purpose of rendering its peculiarities available for scientific purposes :
the fact being that this monument was erected just at the time when
the Buddhist system attained its greatest development, and just
before its fall. It thus contains within itself a complete epitome of
all we learn from other sources, and a perfect illustration of all we
know of Buddhist art or ritual. The 1000 years were complete,
and the story that opened upon us at Bharhut closes practically at,
Boro Buddor.
The fundamental formative idea of the Boro Buddor monument
is that of a dagoba with five procession-paths. These, however, have
become square in plan instead of circular; and instead of one great
domical building in the centre we have here seventy-two smaller
ones, each containing the statue of a Buddha (Woodcut No. 364),
visible through an open cage-like lattice-work ; and one larger one
in the centre, which was quite solid externally (Woodcut No. 36;")),
but had a cell in its centre, which may have contained a relic or some
precious object. There is, however, no record of anything being
found in it when it was broken into. All this is, of course, an immense
development beyond anything we have hitherto met with, and a sort
of half-way house between the majestic simplicity of the Abhayagiri
at Anuradhapura, and the somewhat tawdry complexity of the pagoda
at Mengun (Woodcut No. 354).
With the idea of a dagoba, however, Boro Buddor also combines
that of a vihara, such as that illustrated by AVoodcuts Nos. 66, 67.
There the cells, though only copied solid in the rock, still simulated
the residences of the monks, and had not yet advanced to the stage
we find in the Gandhara monasteries, where the cells of monks had
become niches for statues. Here this is earned further than in any
example found in India. The cells of the Mahavellipore example
are here repeated on every face, but essentially as niches, and are
occupied by 436 statues of Buddha, seated in the usual cross-legged
attitude. In this respect Boro Buddor is in advance of the Takht-i-
Bahi, which is the monument in India that most nearly approaches
864. Section of out' of the smaller
Domes at Boro Buddor.
805. Elevation of principal Dome at IJoro Buddor.
(From Sir S. Baffles 1 History of Java.*)
FURTHER INDIA.
Book VIII.
purpose of rendering its peculiarities available for scientific purposes :
the fact being that this monument was erected just at the time when
the Buddhist system attained its greatest development, and just
before its fall. It thus contains within itself a complete epitome of
all we learn from other sources, and a perfect illustration of all we
know of Buddhist art or ritual. The 1000 years were complete,
and the story that opened upon us at Bharhut closes practically at,
Boro Buddor.
The fundamental formative idea of the Boro Buddor monument
is that of a dagoba with five procession-paths. These, however, have
become square in plan instead of circular; and instead of one great
domical building in the centre we have here seventy-two smaller
ones, each containing the statue of a Buddha (Woodcut No. 364),
visible through an open cage-like lattice-work ; and one larger one
in the centre, which was quite solid externally (Woodcut No. 36;")),
but had a cell in its centre, which may have contained a relic or some
precious object. There is, however, no record of anything being
found in it when it was broken into. All this is, of course, an immense
development beyond anything we have hitherto met with, and a sort
of half-way house between the majestic simplicity of the Abhayagiri
at Anuradhapura, and the somewhat tawdry complexity of the pagoda
at Mengun (Woodcut No. 354).
With the idea of a dagoba, however, Boro Buddor also combines
that of a vihara, such as that illustrated by AVoodcuts Nos. 66, 67.
There the cells, though only copied solid in the rock, still simulated
the residences of the monks, and had not yet advanced to the stage
we find in the Gandhara monasteries, where the cells of monks had
become niches for statues. Here this is earned further than in any
example found in India. The cells of the Mahavellipore example
are here repeated on every face, but essentially as niches, and are
occupied by 436 statues of Buddha, seated in the usual cross-legged
attitude. In this respect Boro Buddor is in advance of the Takht-i-
Bahi, which is the monument in India that most nearly approaches
864. Section of out' of the smaller
Domes at Boro Buddor.
805. Elevation of principal Dome at IJoro Buddor.
(From Sir S. Baffles 1 History of Java.*)