Fergusson, James: History of Indian and Eastern architecture (Band 2) (London, 1910)

Chap. II.

ORISSA CAVES.

*3

fronts of the chaitya halls, and which we are now so familiar
with from the Bharaut sculptures, and from the openings
common to all wooden buildings
of that age. The compartments
between the doors of the cells
contain figure sculptures—one of
them seemingly almost a replica of
a scene on the frieze of the upper
storey of the Rani-gumpha. The
centre panel is occupied by a roof
carved in low relief with three
pinnacles, and a rail-pattern frieze
over it.

The other cave is very much
larger, being two storeys in height,
both of which were originally
adorned by verandahs : the upper
63 ft. long, opening into four cells,
the lower 43 ft, opening into three
(Woodcuts No. 268 and 269). All
the doors leading into these cells
have jambs sloping slightly inwards,
which is itself a sufficient indication
that the cave is long anterior to the (From a Sketch by the Author.}
Christian Era. Of the nine pillars

of the upper verandah only two remain standing, and these much

268. Upper storey, Ranl-gumpha.
Scale 50 ft. to 1 in.

269. Lower storey, Ranl-gumpM.
(From Plans by H. H. Locke.)

mutilated, while all the six of the lower storey have perished.1 It
seems as if from inexperience the excavators had not left sufficient

1 The pillars in both storeys were
restored a few years ago by slender
shafts, described by the Collector of Puri

as “ shoddy work of the most gim-crack
description.”—‘ Report to Government of
Bengal,’ 16th May 1902,