hindu arch
DESCRIPTION
hindu architectureTRANSCRIPT
HINDU ARCHITECTURE
HINDU ARCHITECTURE
•After Asoka, collapse of Buddhism and then Maurya Empire ledto 500 years of conflict.
•Magadha's Gupta family took over—Chandra Gupta I began ruleA.D. 320.
•Gupta I gained lands throughmarriage; son conquered lands forempire.
•The Gupta period marks animportant phase in the history ofancient India.
Gupta kingdom 320 A.D. –650 A.D.
GUPTA PERIOD
•This was under the region of Chandra Gupta I followed bySamudra Gupta ;his son. Their successor Chandra Gupta IIcalled as Vikramaditya played an important role in developingthe art and architecture of Gupta Kingdom.
•The Gupta Period was usually described as the "golden age ofIndia" as it was a period of great military power and wealth andthere was also great development in the arts and sciences.
•Consequently, this era wasalso marked by the emergenceof innumerable images ofpopular Hindu Gods andGoddesses. Images of LordVishnu, Lord Shiva, LordKrishna, Surya and Durgaevolved in this period. The paintings and sculptures considered
masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, havehad a considerable artistic influence.
During the Gupta period a firm foundation of templearchitecture was laid when the basic elements of the Indiantemple consisting of a square sanctum and pillared porchemerged.
Squaresanctum
pillared porch
Deity
•The evolved Gupta temple also had a covered processional pathfor circumambulation that formed a part of the worship-ritual.•Earlier temples of the period had a flat slab-roof, oftenmonolithic.
Earlier temples of the period had a flat slab-roof, oftenmonolithic, but the later temples in brick and stone developed ashikhara. The gradual evolution of the Gupta style is
traceable through development of the plan and the ornamentation on the pillars and door
SHIKHRA- Four sided pyramidwith Receding tiers. mountedover the Inner sanctuarywhere the deity is placed.
EVOLUTION OF SHIKHARA
•Literally means peak-Shikhar•It is the spire or tower over theTemples.•Shikharas –inspired from snowclad peaks of Himalayas orprimitive megaliths or ratha ofIndian tradition –bamboo roof.
Entrance porch-MANDAPA
The place wheredeity is placed-
GARBHA GRIHA
Ambulatorypassage-PRADAKSHNAPATH
TEMPLE TERMINOLOGY
Mandapa
GarbhaGriha
MAJOR TEMPLES DURING GUPTA PERIOD
Gupta-era temples near VaranasiThe Gupta Temple at Behti
Temples at Tigwa
Inscriptions inside the temple
Pillar design
OTHER STRUCTURES : UNIVERSITY OF NALANDA
Place of learning near Patna.•Central monumental axis of the complex was formed •Rows of magnificent stupas.•Site was 487m x 244m•Stupas , temples and hostels for monks.•Libraries –9 storied high.•Incorporated a massive stupa –extinct only ruins remain.•Said to be 101’ high resting on 30’ high and 100’ square platform.•Approached by broad flight of steps.
•Planning:-Rows of such stupas placed side by side formed the central axis of the complex.
Monasteries were planned in usual manner ground a central opencourtyard.•Units of residence and learning.•Lower Storey's –areas of learning/ instructions and communalworship.•Upper storey's –cells for resident students.•Subsequent storey's stepped back to create terraces for cells.•Also higher storey's with lesser number of cells housed studentsof advanced stage.
CITY PLANNING
Towns and cities developed rapidly.•Horizontal classification by economic status or occupation hadtaken a step acc. to status class of a house.•City planned as a series of square/ rectangular blocks allocatedto different classes depending on class size and shape of blockwere given.•Houses were of varying heights with balconies and were placedaround open courtyards.•The shopping streets had houses for the owners and upperfloors.•Butchers, scavengers etc (lower class) had their adobe onoutskirts of the city –made of bamboo.•City’s were planned and built in timber (forests) and Brick (plainsoil for clay and were baked)
DECLINE OF THE GUPTA EMPIRE
The last great king of the Gupta was Skandar Gupta was ascended the throne about 455 A.D. Since the latter Guptas were busy in civil war over the accession to the throne, they could not pay attention towards the administrative maintenance of the vast Empire.Thus the struggle for throne inside the family substantially weakened the central authority in the provinces and feudatories. Thus family grudges continued to be the primary reason for the downfall of the Guptas.
CHALUKYAN ARCHITECTURE
In the 6th century, the Gupta dynasty declined.They were having immediate descendants in northern India.Many changes were undertaken in the southern area also.The age of small kingdoms had given way to large empires in thisregion.
The rule of the Chalukyas marksan important milestone in thehistory of South India and agolden age in the history ofKarnataka
In 550 Pulakesi I established theChalukya dynasty. He tookBadami ,Karnataka under hiscontrol and made it his capital.
This architecture had itsbeginning at AI-Hole , Badami,and Bijapur.Most of the temples werededicated to the Hindu ,whilesome catered to the Jainreligion.
Chalukyan temples can beclassified into:rock-cut halls and structuraltemples.
rock-cut halls structural temples.
Chalukyan architecture at Ai-hole
Aihole is a townabout 46 Kmnortheast ofBadami. It was thecapitol of theChalukyas for 200years. There areactually 125temples in thearea.
The Ladh Khan and Durga temples at Aihole are the best specimens of the Chalukyan architecture.
The Ladh Khan temple
"Lad Khan temple" in Aihole is considered to be one of the earliesttemples in India. It was built around 450 AD.
• It has a primitive air about it with a cave like appearancenoticeable especially in the massive pillars with bracket capitalsand the flat roofs.
•It has no sign of a shikhara.
Based on a wooden construction design , the square andrectangular plan has a steep roof, which is an adaptation ofwooden styles in stone. The temple is approached by a porch withsquare pillars.
Entrance to the Temple
The Ladh Khan temple
1. Entrance porch
2. Nandi shrine
3. Shiva Linga
2
3
PLAN
1
It consists of a shrine withMandapa in front of it.The God worshipped here is LordShiva.The temple was built in aPanchayat style, indicating a veryearly experiment in templeconstruction.The windows were filled up withlattice work in the northern style .
On the outer walls of the temple tothe north, south and east arepierced windows to receive lightfrom outside.
Originally, this temple was intended to be dedicated to LordVishnu, but now it houses a Shiva Linga. There is a shrine on theroof and three sides have idols of Vishnu, Surya and Devi .
Carvings on the Ceiling The Nandi
Shiva Linga
Shrine at the top
The Durga temple
'Durga temple' is one among the most prominent temple at Ai-hole. This temple has a straight front and a rounded apse,resembling the Buddhist temples.
A unique element of this temple is the circumambulatory provisioninside the temple (corridor around the shrine that continues to theMandapa).
The outer walls of the temple have intricately carved figures ofNarasimha, Mahishasuramardini, Varaha, Vishnu, etc . Piercedwindows are provided with pleasing patterns to allow light intothe hall. The shikhara seems to be influenced from the NorthIndian style of architecture.
The Entrance Ceiling Carvings
Majestic Door Frame Window Pattern
The Corridor Narasimha Surya Deva with His ConsortsVaraha
Chalukyan architecture at Pattadakal
Almost all the temples are carved with dramatic themes fromthe Hindu mythology.
Pattadakal is a village in Karnataka.It is 22 km from Badami and about10 km from Aihole. This place wasconsidered to be very auspiciousand holy. The Chalukya kings werecrowned here.
There are in all 10 major templeshere, nine Shiva and one Jaina,situated along the northern courseof the River, which is considered asvery auspicious according to HolyScriptures.
There are 10 temples here, four in the northern or Indo-AryanNagara style and six in the Chalukyan style.Styles here are not only attempted, they have set an example offull balance within.
Major temples:
VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE
•The entrance to the temple is by the river, in which the pilgrims usually take bath before entering the temple to worship. •The temple has a large pillared hall approached through porches, in the front and either side with a Nandi Mandapa on its axial plan.•It has a covered ambulatory passage on which rises the shikhara.
VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE
PAPANATHA TEMPLE
•The temple is provided
With a covered
ambulatory passage, a
vestibule or an open
portico in front.
•The pillars and beams
are exquisitely carved
and decorated with
incidents of Ramayana
and Mahabharata.
PAPANATHA TEMPLE
TEMPLES AT TIGWA