Indian Art and Letters

Author(s): India Society
Publisher: India Society

Page 72

P'ra Vihān (Vihara) But if once one begins to think of the task of building such a temple, the imagination boggles at it. I asked a Siamese railway engineer who was with me, “How would you like to give up building your railways and take in hand the construction of such a temple as this?" Everything is built of sandstone, and much of the carving, which still remains intact, on the doorways and lintels is beautiful to a degree. It is a true saying that "the lintel is the glory of Khmer art."
One little story in conclusion. I have referred to the rocky fields we crossed in climbing the hillside In the middle of one of these I suddenly came across the single imprint of a man's foot, sunk, in parts at least, an inch deep in the rock and clearly outlined, as if in mud. I put my own foot inside it and it fitted very well, except that the big toe of the imprint was much splayed out.
nk this a fitting end to what may already seem to some a “ Louis de Rougemont" story, but, unless I and the people with me suddenly became subject to illusions, it was, and still is, there.
What is the meaning of that footprint? It would be interesting to know if any similar imprints have been found in other parts of the world, and, if so, what explanation is given of them.
The illustrations accompanying this article are from photographs taken by Mr. Groote of the Narasingh Photo Studio in Bangkok, to whom I am much indebted for permission to use them
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