Indian Architecture 1

The largest building found at Mohenjo-Daro is a granary

150 feet long, 75 feet wide and 15 feet high. The granary was divided into 27 compartments in three rows. It was well ventilated and it was possible to fill grain in from outside. The large size of the granary probably indicates a highly developed agricultural civilization

The Great bath at Mohenjo-Daro

179 feet long and 107 feet wide. The complex has a large quadrangle in the center with galleries and rooms on all sides. In the center of this quadrangle there is a large swimming enclosure that is 39 feet long, 23 feet wide and 8 feet deep. The entire complex is connected to an elaborate water supply and sewer system. The Great Bath was probably used for religious or ritualistic purposes.

Satavahana / Vakataka Rock-cut Architecture: Ajanta Caves

Ajanta is located about a hundred kilometers from Aurangabad, in the horse shoe shaped gorge of the Waghora River in the Sahyadari. The Ajanta caves are divided into 2 groups, which we can call Saatavahana phase and Vakataka Phase for our convenience.

Grid Pattern

Harappa and Mohen-Jo Dero were laid out on a grid pattern and had provisions for an advanced drainage system. Streets were oriented east to west. Each street was having a well organized drainage system.

apsidal

In architecture, an apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome

Influences

In the Mithuna couples of Kanheri, we find the influence of the Kushana and later, these caves were influence by Gupta art also. At the same time, Kanheri influenced Elephanta Caves, being earlier than the later

Ancient Rock-cut Architecture

India has more than 1,500 rock cut structures most of which are religious. They belong to the ancient and medieval era, and are considered to be the amazing achievements of structural engineering and craftsmanship of Indian sculptors, monks and general public.

Karan Chaupar

It has a single rectangular room with polished surfaces, contains inscription dating back to Maurya era

The grand climax of rock-cut architecture in India was the making of Kailashnath Temple at Ellora

It is a vast multi-storey structure, carved inside and outside, made out of the heart of a rock. This temple is a remarkable example of the Dravidian architecture with Pallava influence. It was designed to recall Mount Kailas and was carved out of one single rock. It was built in the 8th century by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I.

Cave 19 Chaitya

It is in excellent state of preservation and is considered as one of the most perfect specimens of the Buddhist art in India, datable to 5th century A.D. Total 17 pillars and at the centre of the Chaitya stands a globular stupa. This cave has only one entrance door. A sculptural form of Buddha offering begging bowl to his son Rahula and sculpture representing a Nagaraja and his wife, and the opposite site of this image, a porch which probably was place of rest for pilgrims.

Cave 16 Vihara

Largest and certainly the finest and most interesting monastery (Vihara) of Ajanta from the perspective of art and architecture. Its colossal hall, ornate doors and windows, beautifully painted galleries, sculptures, ornamented pillars, cistern was the gift of Varahadeva a minister of Vakataka King Harisena (475-500 A.D.) Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings

Cave 26

Mahaparinirvana of Buddha on the right aisle wall and the assault of Mara during Buddha's penance adorns the same wall. One of the most prominent and outstanding figures are of humanized serpents, a Nagaraja and Nagini with an attendant figure as finest sculptures in human forms.

The Pallavas bridged the transition from rock-cut architecture to structural stone temples

Mahendra Varman I gloried in the construction of temple without the use of bricks, timber, metal or mortar. He built a number of rock-cut mandapas. They were simple pillared halls. The main feature of the front facade is a row of pillars each 7 feet high, the shaft being square in section with a 2 foot side above and below and the corners chamfered in the middle third to give an octagonal section. A heavy bracket provides the capital. In the earliest examples at Mandagappatu and Trichinopoly, there is no cornice above the pillars , but later roll moulding was added as at Pallavaram

Indus Valley cities traded extensively with other civilisations of that period.

Mesopotamian records mention trade with cities here, and objects from the Indus region have been found in West Asian cities.

Mahabalipuram is known for its world heritage site complex of Group of monuments of the Pallava Period

Most of the monuments at Mahabalipuram are rock cut and monolithic. They denote the early Dravidian architecture and have inculcated in themselves the Buddhist elements of architecture.

Importance of Barabar Caves

No other rock-cut caves in any part of India can claim equal antiquity, and those of the succeeding centuries witness to the steady growth of technical skill and design on the part of their craftsmen

displayed remarkable planning in its urban towns

One of the major challenges of urban planning, in India, has been dealing with the haphazard construction of buildings. In the IVC, the streets were built on grid-like patterns In the IVC, the town was also demarcated clearly between residential areas and common/public areas The granaries of IVC are also an example of intelligent design The houses in the IVC were constructed in such a manner that it didn't disturb the layout of the roads in any way The drains in the IVC connected each and every house, and enabled them to dump their waste directly. These drains were covered There were inspection holes on the drains for maintenance purposes

A typical city would be divided into two sections, each fortified separately

One section was located on an artificially raised mound (sometimes called acropolis) while the other level was on level ground.

There are 34 caves carved out of the Charanandri hills.

Out of them, 12 are Buddhist Caves, 17 Hindu Caves and 5 Jaina Caves. Oldest caves are Hindu Caves. The caves of the three faiths were made in overlapping periods, and as everywhere in ancient India, this demonstrates the generous attitude of rulers towards the worship of all divinities.

Cave 2

Sculpture of Yaksha figures (Sankhanidhi and Padmanidhi) to the left and Hariti and her consort Pancika to the right

Cave 1

Seated Buddha in Dharmachakrapravartana mudra is notable sculpture while the notable paintings include Padmapani and Vajrapani

The caves at Kanheri present the last expressions of the early rock-cut tradition of western India.

Simultaneously, this site heralds developments in iconography of the Buddhist art of the later period The Kanheri Caves are home to a colossal Buddha statue (22 ft in height) which was created in 5th or 6th century. This image marks the beginning of a long tradition of colossal Buddhas, which became a popular representation across the Tibetan plateau and Central Asia, in later times.

Lomas Rishi cave

The decorative arch above the entrance (facade) was made in imitation of the wooden architecture of the time. This became a constant feature in the later Chaityas and is known as the Chaitya Arch. It also continued as a decorative motif in later temples.

Saatavahana Phase

The first group of caves which were great shrines and monasteries was carved out in the second century BC, under the patronage of Saatavahana Kings. This phase is often called the Hinayāna phase, as Buddha was revered symbolically. Thus, the first Satavahana period caves lacked figurative sculpture, emphasizing the stupa instead.

Almost every house had its own wells, drains and bathrooms.

The in-house well is a common and recognizable feature of the Indus Valley Civilization. Each house was connected directly to an excellent drainage system, which indicates a highly developed municipal life

Between second century BC and first millennium AD, Rock-cut architecture had become the key feature of Indian architecture

The roots of this architecture are found in Maurya era. The Mauryan caves were made for Ajivika, Buddhists, Jains as well as the Hindu religions

Vakataka Phase

The second group of caves was created in 5th and 6th century AD during Gupta and Post Gupta periods under the rule of the Vaktaka Kings, with a renewed activity that was richer and more ample. It is called Mahayana Phase because Buddha has been depicted as a human. The caves of the second period the overwhelming majority of images represent the Buddha alone, or narrative scenes of his lives.

The earliest example of excellent rock cut architecture in Western Ghats are Kanheri Caves

The topography of the Western Ghats along with the political patronage suited to the development of Buddhist Caves in many of the hills, ravines and cliffs of the Sahayadris. (Krishnagiri Caves originally) (109 in number) which are located north of Borivali in Mumbai within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park The earliest caves were excavated in the 1st and 2nd century BC.

Each city in the Indus Valley was surrounded by massive walls and gateways

The walls were built to control trade and also to stop the city from being flooded. Each part of the city was made up of walled sections. Each section included different buildings such as: Public buildings, houses, markets, craft workshops, etc.

The oldest examples of Mauryan rock-cut architecture are the Barabar caves, Bihar

There are four caves in Barabar dating back to reign of Asoka (273-232 BC) and his grandson Dasaratha, initially for the Ajeevika sect Four Caves at Barabar are Lomas Rishi cave Sudama cave Karan Chaupar Visva Zopri

Visva Zopri

There are two rectangular caves over there

The five Jain caves at Ellora belong to the Digambara sect.

These caves show dimensions of Jain philosophy and tradition and reflect a strict sense of asceticism. They are known for detailed work in sculpture. The notable Jaina caves are Chhota Kailash, Indra Sabha and Jagannath Sabha.

Sudama cave

This cave known for the bow shaped arches and has Asokan inscriptions.

A different kind of town planning we found at Lothal, in present-day Gujarat

This city was divided into six sections and each section had a wide platform of earthen bricks. Lothal is different from other sites of Indus Valley Civilization in terms of town planning that it has entry to the houses on the main street while in other sites have shown lateral entry.

Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) - five monolithic pyramidal structures

This is a giant open-air bas relief. It depicts Bhagiratha bringing down the Ganges to earth. It is world's largest open air bass relief Bas-relief is a type of sculpture that has less depth to the faces and figures than they actually have, when measured proportionately (to scale). This technique retains the natural contours of the figures, and allows the work to be viewed from many angles without distortion of the figures themselves.

The first example of rock-cut architecture is cave called Son Bhandar at Rajgir.

This is considered to be the site of first Buddhist council and therefore may be from Pre-Mauryan times. This cave has an oblong chamber with a crudely vaulted roof and square undecorated doorway.

Thirukadalmallai

This is first and foremost of Mahabalipuram sculptures. It is one of the 108 Divya desam. This temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, was built by Pallavas to safeguard the sculptures from the ocean. It is told that after building this temple, the remaining architecture was preserved and was not corroded by sea. It's not a rock cut temple but was built as free standing temple.

Varaha / Adivaraha Cave Temple is a rock-cut cave temple

This rock cut temple dates back to 7th century and is considrered to be one of the finest testimonial to the ancient Vishwakarma Sthapathis. The most prominent sculpture in the cave is that of Lord Vishnu in the incarnated form of a Varaha or boar lifting Bhudevi, the mother earth goddess from the sea.

The Barabar caves have several forms

While the Lomas Rishi Cave has an oblong vaulted room, others contain circular domed shrines, with elements of timber structure represented in stone. The interiors of several of the caves bear the high polish generally called the 'Mauryan polish'

Excavations have not revealed evidence of military forces or weaponry for warfare

While the art of other civilisations has many images of prisoners, monuments to war victories and of other activities related to warfare, the art of the Indus Valley has not a single such depiction. The archaeological evidence points to the fact that the early river valley civilisation in India was remarkable in being a cooperative culture without the rule of kings. The emphasis appears to have been on peaceful trade and not on the development of military might.

These caves were continuously occupied by the Buddhist monks as well as inland traders as stopovers till 7th century AD

With the increase in the royal patronage and mercantile sponsorships, the interiors of these caves were made more and more decorated. At Kanheri, we find both the Chaityas and Viharas. While creating them, the elements of wooden construction have been retained.

Vishvakarma cave or Carpenter's Cave is the most famous Buddhist Cave

a pillared verandah whose columns have massive squarish shafts and ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals. The main hall is apsidal on plan and is divided into a central nave and side aisles by 28 octagonal columns with plain bracket capitals. In the apsidal end of the chaitya hall is a stupa on the face of which a colossal 3.30 m high seated Buddha in vyakhyana mudra (teaching posture) is carved. The ceilings of this Chaitya hall has been sculpted in such a way that it appears having wooden ribs

A central hall is surrounded by 14 cells on three sides

and sanctum housing Buddha image is shown seated in pralambapadasana. The sanctum of this cave is devoid of doorway and antarala. Originally the entire cave was beautifully painted but now very little of the painting now remain. Several interesting scenes from the life of Buddha are depicted.

Another group of caves is in the nearby Nagarjuni hills

bear inscriptions of king Dasaratha, the grandson of Asoka. Like the Barabar caves these appear to have been dedicated to the Ajivika sect

The Kailashnath Temple has been carved via the vertical excavation

carvers started at the top of the original rock, and excavated downward. The temple has been adorned with pillars, windows, inner and outer rooms, gathering halls, and an enormous stone lingam at its heart. The sculptures include the niches, plasters, windows as well as images of deities, mithunas and other figures. The deities belong to both the Shaivite as well as Vaishanv faith. The grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, with his full might is a landmark in Indian art

Ellora caves located near Aurangabad in Maharashtra were initially built by the Rashtrkutas.

caves belonging to the 6th to 10th century AD epitome of the Indian Rock Cut architecture The Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jaina caves of Ellora were made on the trade route from nearby Paithan to Ujjain in central India.

The lower section of the city

housing for the inhabitants was located. It was here where some truly amazing features have been discovered. The city was well connected with broad roads about 30 meters long which met at right angles. The houses were located in the rectangular squares thus formed.

Shore Temple is granite made temple at Mahabalipuram built during the reign of Narsimhavarman

is oldest strucutral temple Its a beautiful 5 storyed temple, which is a combined complex of 3 shrines; 2 dedicated to Shiva and one to Vishnu.

The acropolis contained the important buildings of the city

like the assembly halls, religious structures, granaries and in the great bath in case of Mohenjo-Daro.

Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) - five monolithic pyramidal structures

named after the Pandavas and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they are not assembled - each of these is carved from one single large piece of stone. The close examination of the rathas at Mahabalipuram reveals that there used to be a school for young sculptors. For example, each of the different Rathas has been carved in a different style.

The paintings of Ajanta are known to be the fountainhead of all the classic paintings of Asia

occupy the pre-eminent position in the mural traditions of Asia

The Carpenter's Cave / Vishvakarma Cave

only chaitya all other Buddhist Caves are Viharas. The sculptures include those of the Gautama Buddha, bodhisattvas and saints. In many of these caves, sculptors have endeavoured to give the stone the look of wood

The Shore Temple marks the culmination of the architectural efforts

that began with the cave temples and monolithic rathas.

nave

the central part of a building, intended to accommodate most of the congregation

Mahendra I also built a rock-cut temple of Anantasayana at Undavalli (Guntur distrit)

the series at Bhairavakonda (North Arcot District) towards the end of his reign. In these temples at Undavalli, Mahendra attempted to copy a Buddhist vihara. It consists of four storeys of pillared mandapas set one above the other and rising to a height of 50 feet. His successor Narsimha Varman I (Mahamalla) built the rock-cut mandapas at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram). Narsimha Varman also built monolithic rathas popularly called the seven pagodas.

Lothal has a tidal dock for sea-faring ships

the world's earliest known, connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra when the surrounding Kutch desert of today was a part of the Arabian Sea. It was a vital and thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa

Significances of Kanheri Caves in Indian Architecture

this site provides a view of developments in Buddhist art for a thousand years, from the 1st century A.D. onwards. Its proximity to the sea and thriving ports would have ensured its continual patronage by the mercantile class.

Indra Sabha

two storeyed cave with one more monolithic shrine in its court. It has a very fine carving of the lotus flower on the ceiling. Its name is a misnomer and derives from the sculpture of a Yaksha Matanga on the elephant, which was mistaken for Indra It possesses an imposing image of Ambika, the yakshini of Neminath, seated on her lion under a mango tree, laden with fruits.

There was a sophisticated concept of town planning in the Indus Valley Civilization

urban architecture. well-planned grids with broad main roads and smaller lanes intersecting at right angles. large networks of hundreds of wells, which supplied water to the residents. sophisticated drainage system was in existence and even the smallest houses were connected to it. Houses were made of bricks. The standardised dimensions of these bricks, found in the many cities across this civilization, are remarkable. The houses had several storeys

The residential buildings, which were serviceable enough

were mainly made up of brick and consisted of on open terrace flanked by rooms. These houses were made of standardized baked bricks (which had a ratio of length to width to thickness at 4:2:1) as well as sun dried bricks. Some houses even had multiple stories and paved floors

There are no traces of temple architecture or other religious place

yet the people practiced religion. The great bath has been linked to some religious practice