The art and architecture of India - Buddhist, Hindu, Jain (Art Ebook)

256 THE GOLDEN AGE AND END OF BUDDHIST ART
hundred feet. . . . With respect to its magnificence,
its dimensions, and the statue of Buddha
placed in it, it resembles the great vihara built
under the Bodhi tree.' 3
The actual excavations at Nalanda have
revealed little of the magnificence described by
Hsiian-tsang. Certain buildings are sufficiently
preserved to give an idea of the architectural
character of this last stronghold of Indian
Buddhism. A stupa that was disengaged from
the masonry of a larger structure built around it
at a later period reveals a style that is a continuation
of Gupta architectural forms [193]. The
building rests on a podium. The elevation of the
base consists of two storeys, the first filled with
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in niches separated
by columns derived from the Gupta order; the
second zone is decorated with chaitya arches
framing smaller images. Above this is
an attic
storey separated into two levels by projecting
roll cornices. The drum ofthe stupa is octagonal,
with its faces alternately plain and decorated
with Buddha statues in niches. The whole is
surmounted by a saucer-like dome. The treatment
of the facade is not unlike that of the
Mahabodhi temple as we see it to-day [194]. As
the view of the ground storey reveals, the revetment
of the Mahabodhi shrine dating from the
93. Nalanda, stupa at Site No. Ill 194. Bodh Gaya, Mahabodhi temple, detail