HINDU ARCHITECTURE. 33 



numerous, and some twelve or fifteen of them may 

 be called large ones. Recent investigations have 

 proved that tlie Indian religious monuments are of 

 a much later period than they formerly appeared, and 

 those of Ellora are distinctly of a subsequent date to 

 those I have already described, showing a much 

 richer and more advanced type of architecture. 

 Messrs. Fergusson and Burgess, in their recent 

 publication, " The Cave Temples of India," fix the 

 beginning of the eighth century of our era as the 

 period at which the largest of the group has been 

 constructed, whilst Dr. Liibke, of Stuttgart, in 

 matters relating to sculpture generally, not a mean 

 authority, hints at the thirteenth century, which, how- 

 ever, does not appear to be borne out by historical 

 facts. In fantastical wildness, the Brahminical temples, 

 no doubt, surpass the Buddhist shrines, yet, as regards 

 a sound, well digested style, and rich artistic decora- 

 tion, we shall see that in Ceylon and in Java — and 

 even in India, as recent excavations show — there are 

 some splendid specimens belonging to the latter. 

 On the other hand a number of fine works of Hindu 

 art have been produced in India until late in the 

 seventeenth century ; long after Buddhism had 

 ceased to exist there. 



But to return to the picture now before us at 



D 



