An Essay on the Arian Order of Architecture, as Exhibited in the Temples of Kashmir

by Alexander Cunningham

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1848 edition. ...temples should have been exactly the reverse of that of the Avantipura temples. The latter were entirely overthrown, while their surrounding walls have escaped; in the one almost entirely, in the other partially. The former temples, on the contrary, have been saved, while scarcely a trace now remains of their surrounding walls. Temple of Sankara-gaureswara. This temple is similar in plan, and in internal arrangement to the former; hut the porticos, like those of Avantiswami, have only one foot of projection beyond the walls of the building. The entrance is to the eastward; and leads to an inner chamber, 17 feet square, which is quite plain, as in the Marttand example, and as in other Kashmirian temples. The side walls of the entrance are, however, decorated by very elegant niches containing statues after the fashion of the Marttand entrance. Each of the side porches opens into a chambered recess, 8 £ feet long by 5 feet broad. These are now empty, but no doubt they once held linga. The porticos are of the same style as those of Marttand, with pediments of high pitch covering trefoiled arches. 2.--The walls are still standing, although much injured. It will be sufficient, however, to state, that this temple is very like Marttand, both in its style and in its present state of preservation. In size also it is much like the back view of Marttand, but somewhat smaller. The ground-plan is a square of 33£ feet, which, if the usual proportion was observed, would give a height of 67 feet for the top of the pyramidal roof above the ground. 3.--I could not discover any traces of a surrounding wall, although I have no doubt that one formerly existed, as my examination of the precincts of the temple was cut short by a heavy and continued...

34 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2013

About the author

Sir Alexander Cunningham KCIE CSI was a British archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India. Both his brothers, Francis Cunningham and Joseph Cunningham became well-known for their work in British India

Reviews

[Düsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is an idiotic notion promulgated by a certain breed of “eminent historians” and their clan of useful idiots that Kashmir was never Hindu. While any well read person knows this not to be true, this false narrative continues to gain ground, especially in this age of misinformation.

This excellent report, written in 1848, is a slap on the faces of all those people. For Kashmir was not just the land of the temples but Kashmiri hindus (then majority) were known as shastra-shilpina or architects, whose skill of temple building was famous across Bharat.

Kashmir perhaps remains the one place in India where temples were not destroyed by the bigoted Turks, but by their later day progeny, aka the converted muslims who invaded the land of rishi Kashyap in subsequent waves (thus resulting in multiple genocides of Hindus in Kashmir, the latest being 1990). Even in this report, many of the temples that now stand destroyed, are seen standing erect.

Read this, If you are a Kashmiri or if you want the truth about what Kashmir was.