Archaeological Remains In Kashmir

· 1935 · Published 1931 to 1947 · archive.org ↗

2up from the water surface. The place afforded shelter

3and rest to the travel-weary and the temple bells

4afforded the necessary relief to his spiritual thirst.

5Time passed on and this silent votive offering to the

6community, which was never walled in, was elaborat-

7ed for the exclusive enjoyment of a prince, a landed

8magnate or head of a commercial guild. The

9trees giving shade went into back-ground,

10giving place to fruit-bearing trees or exotic plants

11and creepers of an ornamental character. Flower-

12beds, as in Europe of prerenaissance days, came in

13later. But the garden described in the Ramayana,

14wherefrom Sita saw Rama drawn to Mithila to bend

15the bow or that in which Malati espied Madhava

16or which later formed the rendezvous of

17Abhisarikas as described in the Dashkumar Charita,

18have the same characteristics. The water

19reservoir with lilies, the pleasure-houses subservient

20to the garden wherefrom the elect enjoyed the

21beauties of nature improved by art, shady trees,

22fountains, aviaries, lawns, artificial hillocks, bridges

23and balustraded steps, were all there, as witness the

24Baratnasi songs and pictures wherein each of the

25twelve months gets a characterisation. Therein are

26mentioned those pleasure-houses — Sawan and Bhadar-

27wak houses and Basant Kutis — in which the damsels

28of the court disported themselves in individual or

29group dancing in the celebration of the special festival

30of each month.