Sambodhi 2009 Vol 32

Author(s): J B Shah, K M patel
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 60

THE IMMORTAL STONE-WORKS OF GUJARAT
Kamla Garg & Preeti Singh
Among men's early friends in nature, stone comes only to the earth and wood. It also marks his devising and gaining mastery over new tools and implements, sharper, more effective than before. The period is dated as men's entry into a definite age of achievement, historically named after the stone as the stone age. Architecture is a great tradition which reveals this integration. Its primary purpose is to ensure that men's life is a sheltered living, sheltered from the inclemency of weather, the attacks of predators. But it has always sought to ensure that the convenient ambience is a beautiful one too. Mass and volume, size and proportion of components, are matters where decisions are primarily made in the light of the lay out of living space that would be the most convenient.
According to Fergusson there was no stone architecture in India before the third century B.C. and he contends that it was Ashoka who introduced it. Actually the rich stone carvings in old temples fully testify to the high art of Hindu stone mason. The remarkably uniform buildings can be seen fully developed by the midst of the eleventh century.2
The Gujarat architectures are almost akin to the Rajasthan style of architecture. The pillared hall in Gujarat is much ornate and richer in design?.
The history of Indian architrcture comprises of four styles of building4 as shown in Fig. 1
Stone carving
Islamic
Hindu
Jain
Jain
Buddhist
Pathan
Local
Mughal
Fig. 1 : Style of Indian Architecture