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The Structural Temples of Gujarat
stable nature, in a word stone was employed where previously
had been brick and wood. From the constructional advances
shown in the st奴pas of Bharhut and Sanchi Tora峁嘺. it can be
said that the art of masonary building was progressing slowly
from timber construction to stone. 19
Taking the sequence of events at Sanchi as typical of the
movement as a whole, one of the first measures of reconstruction
at this sanctuary began as early as 150 B. C, when the existing
st奴pa was enlarged nearly twice its previous size. In the
enlargement of the stupa the new structure was made to cover
or envelope (膩chchh膩dya ) an area of 36 meters in diameter, and
to rise to a total height of 16.4 ms. the size it is at the present
day. 20 Around it was alse added a terrace (medhi) 4.8 ms.
from the ground thus providing a separate and upper ambulatory
passage, access to which was obtained by a double stairway
(sop膩na) on the southern side. The whole of the building was
then finished off by means of a facing dry masonary composed
of hammer-dressed stones laid in fairly even
flattened crest of the dome was surmounted by a superstructure
of particular design consisting of a square railing enclosing a
pedestal (harmik膩) which supported the shaft (yashti) of a
triple umbrella. 21
courses. The
Somewhat similar changes as those effected at Sanchi
appear to have been carried out in the Stupa of Bharhut. In
this instance, however, the brick st奴pa was not enlarged as it
retained its original dimensions of some 20.7 ms. in diameter,
but the railing around it was reconstructed. In size the Bharhut
stupa was only about half that of Sanchi its railing being a
little over seven feet in height, but in marked contrast to the
solid simplicity of the latter, every portion of its stone work
is richly carved in bas-relief portraying incidents in the
19. IABH. p. pp. 16-17.
20. IABH. p. pl. X Fig. 1.
21. IABH. p. pp. 17.