CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. 



, u correspondent ooc below, except two feet leu 



r.thehe^il. 



Another room within the foregoing, depth 35 



Dkto length 37 



height 1+ 



The rack teens to hare giren way iu the centre of 

 thi room, and the nibbiih bu fallen in. 



Centre. 



Balcony over the gateway 14 fret by 8, and 8 high. 

 A room wit!. in it, '.Meet square, and about 9 feet high. 

 Another v arne dimensions. One on each side 



ftow the centre, 28 X 15 each. Bridge 20 feet X 18, 

 with a parapet, S feet 6 inches high. Ascent by 9 steps 

 from the bridge into a distinct room, in which is the 

 Bull Nundre, 16 feet S inches square. Another bridge, 

 31 feet X 23 broad, leading to the upper portico of 

 the temple. This portico, with the parapet wall, is 

 18 feet X 15 feet 2 inches, and 17 high; within a 

 bench that is rounded, of 4 feet high, by 3 feet 7 in- 

 ches broad. You can enter this portico from the gate- 

 way, by a passage that the filling up of the rubbish has 

 afforded ; but the proper passage is by flights of steps 

 on each side, of '36 strp<; each, leading up on each side 

 the body of the temple. 



Grand Temple. 



Door of the portico 12 feet high X 6 feet broad; 



length from the door of the portico entering Ft. In. 



the temple to the back wall of the temple, .103 6 

 Length from the same place to the end of the 



raised platform behind the temple, 142 6 



Greatest breadth of the inner part of the temple, 61 

 Height of the ceiling, 17 10 



Two porches on each side, measured without, 34 feet 

 10 inches X 15 feet 4 inches. 



The particulars of the intricate measurement of this 

 fit* temple will be best understood from the plan form- 

 ed on the spot. 



Height of the grand steeple or pyramid computed a- 

 bout 90 feet from the floor of the court, and of the 

 mailer ones about 50 ; height of the obelisks about 38 

 feet ; base 1 1 feet square, being 1 1 feet distant from 

 each side of the room in which is the Bull Nundee. 

 The shaft above the pedestal is 7 feet square. The two 

 elephants on each side the court or entry are larger than 

 life." 



BlSHL'RMA, or VlSWAKURMA KA JoOMPREE. 



The CarjKnler's HoveL Front W. 5 S. 



According to the legend, Bishurma * was the artist 

 who fabricated the whole of these wonderful works in a 

 might of six months ; but the cock crowing before they 

 Were finished, they remained imperfect, and he retired, 

 hating wounded his finger, to this hovel, in which state, 

 the figure in front ( 1 ) of the entrance of this beautiful 

 excavation, is said to be a representation of him holding 

 the wounded finger; but it is more probable, that the fi- 

 jure u lit the act of devout meditation, as many fingers, 

 with similar positions of the hands, occur. But quitting 

 .Mr for itu: fact, this excavation is, in beauty, infe- 

 nor ta none. In form it is unique, and in design elegant. 

 Tie portico it light, and uriking to the beholder. On 



the right hind, as you enter, is a fine cistern of water. 

 Above the gateway (H.) which is richly sculptured on 

 the outside, it a balcony, which seems well suited, if not 

 intended, for a music gallery to the interior temple (i,) 

 which has the appearance of an elegant thapel, with au 

 arched roof, ana is exactly in the style of a similar ex- 

 cavation at Canara on the island of Sakettc, and ano- 

 ther at Ekvera, near the top of Bhore Ghaut, first ex- 

 plored by Mr Wales the painter. At the upper end is 

 the figure (I) above-mentioned. From the ceiling are 

 projected stone ribs, following the curvature of the arch 

 to the capitals of the pillars on each side, through the 

 whole length of the excavation, Beside the grand aisle, 

 or body of the excavation, there is a small passage form- 

 ed by the row of pillars on each side round the altar ; 

 but it is dark an J narrow. This singular form of a cave, 

 wherever it has been met with, has conveyed the same 

 impression of its being a place of congregation and 

 adoration, rather than of residence or habitation, and 

 has given rise to an idea, from the orbicular ceiling 

 and the name and attitude of its inhabitant, that it may 

 be meant to represent the Almighty, meditating the 

 creation of the world, under the arcli or canopy of un- 

 limited space. It is necessary, however, to accompany 

 this idea with an acknowledgment, that the similar 

 caves of Ekvera and Canara are not inhabited by Bishur- 

 ma, they having only a very high altar, the top of 

 which is circular, and situated as represented in the an- 

 nexed drawing at the back of Bishurma. 



Dimensions. 



Ft. Jr.. 



Area, square, 49 



Veranda below, in front, and each side, having 



12 pillars, and two pilasters, .... broad 14 



roof high 10 4 



Doorway 4 feet broad X 8 feet 4 inches high ; 



gallery above the door, square 14 



Length of the temple from the entrance to the 



opposite wall behind the altar, 79 



Breadth of ditto from wall to wall, 43 5 



Height of ditto from the centre of the arch to 



the floor, S5 



N. B. The height between the pillars and the 



wall where the ceiling is flat, is 1410 



Breadth between the pillars and wall, 7 8 



Circumference of pillars (two square, and 28 oc- 

 tagon ones,) 8 1 



Altar at the end about 24 feet high. 



3. The third kind of temples ait; those composed of s 

 square inclosures ; the largest is that of Seringham, si- c io, urei . 

 tuated near Tritchinopoly. The pagoda is composed of 

 seven square inclosures, one within another ; each side f^."^^ 

 of the outermost is a mile in length, making the whole c loiurc." 

 four miles in circumference. The walls of each inclo- 

 sure are 350 feet from those of the others ; they are 

 25 feet high, and four feet thick. Each inclosure has 

 four gateways, that is, one in the middle of each side, 

 opposite the cardinal points. In the outward wall, the 

 gateway which fronts the south is ornamented with pil- 

 lars, several of the single stones 33 feet long, and five 

 feet diameter ; those of which the roof is composed are 

 still larger. AU the gateways are covered with figures 

 emblematical of their divinities. In the innermost in- 

 closures arc the chapels. Into the last, which is 1024 

 feet square, and contains the sanctuary of Veeshnu, no 

 European is willingly admitted; but during the vr 



Creator of Hie World, but olJegoricaJly artificer of Rm. 



