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The Structural Temples of Gujarat
The question about the stability of the superstructure of
temples of Gujarat was, in 1955, rediscussed by Shri Nirmal
Kumar Bose鲁 when he paid a visit to the new Somanath
temple under construction. On comparing with medieval temples
in Orissa and elsewhere in India, he contends that the Solanki
(Caulukyan) temples of Gujarat were flimsy structures in
which (i) the thickness of the walls was no more than perhaps
a fifth of the length of the cella and (ii) there were no
fransverse walls to divide the interior of the tower
several chambers. 5
into
If the remark that the foundations of the Caulukyan stone
temples in Northern Gujarat were not sufficiently deep and
solid is based on adequate data acquired by full investigation,
and if the remark applies to the classical temples of entire
Gujarat, the foundations must be admitted to be weak points
in the construction of these temples.
!
However, many of the monuments have stood the taste of
time for several centuries and most of the well known temples
entirely or partly in ruins are known to have been victims of
human forces. The extant two-storied portion of the Rudramah膩laya
at Siddhpur, for instance, has stood almost in tact even after
the lapse of about a millenium.
The want of mortor or other cementing material is relieved
by dressing the stones preceisely as well as by joining them
by means of nails of wood or metal. Moreover the elevation of
the temples was primarily based on architectural principles of
stable equilibrium.
!
3. N. K. Bose, 'A question about the Somnath Temple' Vigil
Vol. VI, No. 10.
4. It was equal to a half in Orissa.
5. In Orissa there were transverse floors at different height within the
tower, which added strength to the building by tying together.