The passage discusses the architecture and art of South India, providing a historical rather than aesthetic perspective. Aesthetic appreciation is a matter of individual taste, and the role of an art critic differs from that of a historian.

Continuity in the evolution of art forms and the mutual influence of different schools across various localities and ages are acknowledged, but no in-depth study is provided.

The earliest monuments to note are the caityas and vihäras in the north-western Deccan, often mistakenly called caves or cave-temples. These are large, well-planned temples and monasteries carved from solid rock.

Percy Brown has suggested the term “rock-architecture” as more appropriate for these structures, emphasizing that such work was more about sculpture on a grand scale than construction engineering.

The caitya was primarily a temple or place of worship, often with a stupa symbolizing the Buddha’s presence. Vihäras were monasteries.

In Hinayana Buddhism, the Buddha was not represented sculpturally, but symbols like throne, footstool, and cushions represented him. The Buddha image became common in Mahayana Buddhism and was introduced in some early caityas such as those at Kanheri and Nasik.

Hinayana rock-cut monasteries and shrines are located within 200 miles of Nasik, mainly in Bombay State.

The caitya typically had a large, vaulted hall with an apsidal end, divided by two colonnades into a nave and two aisles. The stupa stood in the apse, and worshippers circumambulated the stupa along the aisles.

The vihära was a monastery with a central hall, entered via a doorway, surrounded by square cells for monks.

Caityas are more architecturally notable than vihäras due to their elaborate structures and imitation of wooden buildings, with wood being used in the façade and interior, even in rock-cut structures.

Early caitya halls include those at Bhaja, Kondane, Pitälkhora, Ajanta (No. 10), Bedsa, Ajanta (No. 9), Nasik, and Karle, dating from the second century BC to the second century AD.

The pillars in early examples were copies of plain wooden posts. In later examples, the columns became more elaborate, with bases and capitals, evolving into more complex structures.

The horseshoe archway above the entrance also evolved, with significant changes seen in Bedsa and Karle.

Bedsa and Karle are noted as the finest examples of the early caitya series, with Bedsa featuring vase-shaped columns and capitals adorned with figures and animals, while Karle features a complex façade, including doorways, sculptures, and a large horseshoe window.

Karle is the largest and most refined example, measuring 124 feet long, 46 feet wide, and 45 feet high. The façade includes two stages, a frieze-like effect, and elaborate sculptures between doorways.

Kanheri’s caitya, though a copy of Karle, is smaller and more decadent in design, representing a decline in quality.

Vihäras were monastic houses excavated near caityas for monks to pursue religious observances in seclusion. They started small and later grew to include rooms like a dormitory, common room, refectory, and individual cells.

Ajanta (No. 12) is an early single-storeyed vihara example, while Kondane features a similar type next to the caitya.

Nasik has the most decorative form of the vihara with three examples from the first century AD, each with a columned portico and no pillars in the central halls, which contain stone beds for monks.

The three vihäras at Nasik are named after Nahapana, Gautamiputra, and Sriyajña, identified by inscriptions.