Temple 17

Sanchi

This view, looking west from Vihara 45, shows the small Temple 17 in the distance. (The tall columns in the background, and the platforms in the middle distance, are not part of the temple.) Its simple structure is an early example, consisting of mandapa and garbhagriha only, and dates to the Gupta period in the first quarter of the 5th century. At this time, the art of building in stone was still in its infancy. The absence of a foundation led to buckling of the walls and the partial collapse of the roof (now corrected in restoration). The walls are not solid stone but rather rubble faced with stone, as in the early stupas. Without a shikhara and exterior decoration, it is hard to see any continuity between this and later temples in India. Yet, two essential features of the later temple, namely the shrine and a much-abbreviated pillared hall, are present even here.