New-York tribune., 1901-10-07
GRANITE N ANCIENT INDIA.
THE ART OF CUTTING AND POLISHING
HIGHLY DEVELOPED
From The Stone Trades Journal.

From The Stone Trades Journal
Long centuries before the Western world had
awakened at the trumpet call OF ciyIiization-"n@e @
unknown-when. the stones that form the pyrac
Egypt the deft fingers of Indian Workmen We're
hewing with marvellous skill and deNterity mas
OF the human race the arts of granite cutting and
polishing first were mastered and even yet human
of those ancient craftsmen. So wonderful was
their skill that many centuries afterWard. when
the native tribesmen. but visitors from forelsn
e ahTS tb SnWork of the gods In the early years
of the Christian Fa Hian a Christian pilgrim.
Royal Palace the different parts of which Asoka
commissioned the genii 70 construct by pillng up
ured designs are no human work" Another Chris
Describes not without Il touch OF awe the sculpt-
ured stones of the land and also what can only
SAYS "a stone pillar bright aand shining
mirror it's surface glistening and smooth as ice
tresses and pagodas. The earlier pasodas however.
were not the stone nullt towers ana manslRiS a Ri
Veda but underground temples hewn from the
mountain. To this period (and perhaps most an
cient of alb belongs thc famous pagoda in the
island OF Eephante, near Bombay Halfway
toward the mountain top spacious hall. 40 feet
square, is hewn out OF the neart OF the mountain;
there regular intervals for the purpose of sup,
above 1.-THE whole forming striking picture OF
rugged strength and beauty. Coeval with those
Dowletabad and Asseergur two gigantic granite
strongholds situated so advantageously that even
in these latter days it would be no mean feat of
arms to capture them by force DR.. Kennedy.
who has given lifetime study to these matters.
those gigantic undertakings were a small chisel
round point and the face of the mallet had
deen hollow lined with lead with such simple
tools he adds they formed fashioned and
scooped the granite rock which forms the tremen-
dous fortress of Dowletabd and excavated the
means probable that the Hndoo stone cutters
WORKED with any other tools
Granite agates bookstores and crystals were
Fashioned with such primitive instruments into
cups and other hollow articles delicately
shaped as those of the most plastic porcelain.
King solomon. it will be remembered. received
from the East a ruby cup containing the elixir
OF life" So at least runs the legend In forming
the cavity o the cup small holes a quarter OF
inch i'm depth first bored all the surface
with a diamond tipped drill. The remaining por-
tions around the holes then Clipped away
and the process repeated time after time. until the
desired form and depth were obtained. Infinite
labor bestowed every detail characterized all
the products of ancient Indian art With the fall
OF the ancient Hindoo kingdoms the art and
craft of masonry died gracefully away. Whether
IL will again be resuscitated one hesitates to
vet none the less in centuries Yet to come. the
architects and artisans of the West will turn
with wonder and delight to view those enduring
monuments of human industry reared long aEps
ago by the builders and sculptors of the patient
st