Ancient Indian Architecture

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Ancient India Architecture

Harappan / IVC
Building Architecture:
  • Age: Started around 2500 BC
  • Major sites: Harappa, Mohenjo-daro
  • Minor sites: Dholavira, Lothal, Rakhigarhim,Ropar, Balathal, Kalibangan, Surkotoda, Banawali, Alamgirpur
  • Important architecture aspect: Urban civic planning
  • Features of Architect: Network of towns at rectangular grid pattern, roads cutting at right angles, advanced drainage systems
  • Other features: 3 types of buildings - dwelling houses, public buildings and public baths. All built with burnt mud bricks.
  • Other features: City divided into two parts
    1. Upraised Citadel consisting of granaries, pilloried halls, administrative buildings for Elite class
    2. Lower city with one roomed constructions for working class
  • Examples: Great bath, a public bath at Mohenjo-daro; 2 rows of six granaries at Harappa; Water reservoir & management system at Dholavira, Dockyard and double burial at Lothal
Mauryan
Building Architecture:
  • Age: Started around 400 BC
  • Under the patronage of Kshatriya rulers
  • Religious influence: Buddhism
Palace Architecture:
  • Major site: Pataliputra, Kumrahar
  • Principle building material: Wood
  • Example: Ashoka palace at Kumrahar
Pillar Architecture:
  • Independent pillars are built to disseminate state directives/ to commemorate battle victories/ to propagate sermons
  • Height - Avg 40 ft
  • Principle building material: Chunar sandstone
  • Parts of pillar: 4 (shaft -> capital -> abacus -> animal figure)
  • Shaft: monolith; Capital: either lotus or bell shaped; Abacus: circular or rectangular base
  • Major site: Lauria Nandangarh pillar at champaran, Sarnath pillar at Varanasi (National Emblem)

Stupa Architecture
  • Stupas are burial mounds in which relics and ashes of the dead are kept
  • Principle building material of stupa - Unburnt brick
  • Principle building material of Medhi and Torana - Wood
  • Way of worship: Walk around pradakshina patha/ ambulatory passageway
  • Major sites: Sanchi stupa at Madhya Pradesh, Piprahwa stupa at Uttar pradesh
Post Mauryan
Building Architecture:
  • Age: Post 200 BC
  • Religious influence: Hinduism
  • Patronage: Shungas, Kanvas, Kushanas, Shakas in North; Satvahanas, Ishavakus, Abhiras, Vakatakas in South & West
Cave Architecture:
  • Two types of rock cut caves: Chaitya & Vihar
  • Vihars - Residential halls for the Buddhist and Jain monks
  • Chaitya - Prayer halls which are quadrangular chambers with flat roofs
  • Major sites: Karle chaitya hall, Ajanta caves

Stupa Architecture:
  • Stone replaced wood and brick
  • Toranas are made as beautifully decorated gateways (with hellenistic influence)
  • Major sites: Bharhut stupa at UP
GUPTA
  • Age: Around 400 AD
  • Hailed as Golden period of Indian Architecture
  • Religious influence: Buddhism at initial phase and hinduism at the later phase
Cave Architecture
  • Unique feature: Mural paintings on the wall
  • Example 1: Ajanta caves at Aurangabad - 29 caves; developed around 200 BC to 650 AD; Patronage of Vakataka kings (Harishena); Buddhist influence (5 during Hinayana phase, 24 during Mahayana phase); fresco paintings of life of buddha & Jataka stories; Absence of blue colour and presence of red outlines
  • Example 2: Ellora caves at Aurangabad - 32 caves; Mix of Brahmanical (16 caves), Buddhist (12 caves) & Jainism (4 caves) influences; developed around 500 AD to 1100 AD
  • Major differences between Ajanta and Ellora caves.
Ajanta Caves
Ellora Caves
On the Stiff slope of  mountains
On the  slant slope of mountains
Absence of courtyards
Presence of courtyards
Other Examples:
  • Bagh Caves (9 buddhist caves) at Madhya pradesh - 600 AD Junagadh Caves at Gujarat.
  • Nasik Caves (23 Buddhist caves) at Maharashtra - 100 AD.
  • Mandapeshwar Caves at Maharashtra - 800 AD.
Stupa Architecture
  • Decline in development of stupas.
  • Few Examples: Dhamekh Stupa at Uttar Pradesh.
Temple Architecture
  • Basic forms of any Hindu temple contains the following
  • Sanctum sanctorum aka Garbha griha : literally means Womb house, a cubicle which houses the principal deity
  • Mandapa: Entrance to temple. A portico/hall to house the worshippers
  • Shikhara: Mountain like a spire. Shape varying from pyramidal to curvilinear
  • Vahana: Vehicle of the main deity. Placed before the sanctum sanctorum
  • Emerged during the Gupta period
  • Gradual progression from the flat roofed, monolithic temples to Shikara (tower) styled temples
  • It can be divided into 5 stages
a. First stage: Temple no 17 at sanchi
    • Flat roof
    • Square shaped sanctums
    • Low platforms ad shallow pillars
b. Second stage: Parvati temple at Madhya pradesh
    • Two storied temples
    • Covered ambulatory passageway around the sanctum sanctorum
    • Upraised platforms
c. Third stage: Dashavatara temple at UP, Durga temple at Karnataka
    • Emergence of curvilinear shikaras
    • Panchayatana style of temple making: placing 4 subsidiary shrines along with temple of principle deity with the crucified shape ground plan,
d. Fourth stage: Ter temple at solapur
    • Similar to third stage, except the main shrine became more rectangular
e. Fifth stage: Maniyar math at Rajgir
    • Introduction of circular temples

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