2011 AR 103

History of

Architecture
CLASS 36

Nipun George
SCMS School of Architecture, Karukutty, Kochi.

MODULE 3

a) 0 400AD
b) 400 800 AD

ASIA

EUROPE

AMERICA

(0 400 AD)

(0 400 AD)

(0 400 AD)

MAURYA EMPIRE
SANCHI COMPLEX

ROMAN EMPIRE

TEUCHITLAN CULTURE

COLOSSEUM

PRE CLASSIC MAYA

KUSHAN EMPIRE
ROMAN URBAN VILLA
CHAITYA HALL

(400800 AD)
FORUM OF AUGUSTUS
TEOTIHUACAN CULTURE

China

ZHOU DYNASTY
(400800 AD)
QIN DYNASTY
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
GREAT WALL OF CHINA

India

ROMAN EMPIRE
(400800 AD)

EMERGENCE OF CHRISTIANITY

SATAVAHANA & IKSHAVAKU

POST CONSTANTANIAN AGE

GUPTA PERIOD &TEMPLES

PANTHEON

HINDU RENAISSANCE

ROMAN BATH

AJANTA CAVES

ST. PETER'S ROME

Japan

China

MAHABODHITEMPLES
HAN DYNASTY
16 KINGDOM PERIOD
KOFUN CULTURE

Mexico

India

0 800 AD

Gupta Empire

 founded by Maharaja Sri Gupta (from 320 to 550

AD)
the Golden Age of India extensive inventions
and discoveries in science, art.
magnificent architecture, sculptures and
paintings.
produced scholars such as Kalidasa (poet),
Aryabhata (Mathematician), Varahamihira
(Astronomer), Vishnu Sharma (Panchathanthra)

 Painting was widespread also spread of

religious sculpture.
saw the emergence of iconic carved stone deity
in Hindu art, as well as the Buddha figure and Jain
tirthankara figures
The two great centres of sculpture were Mathura
and Gandhara.
no depiction of the monarchs in the art works
The most famous in a broadly Guptan style, the
caves at Ajanta, Elephanta, and Ellora
(respectively Buddhist, Hindu, and mixed
including Jain) produced under later dynasties.

 the Udayagiri
Caves record
connections with the
dynasty and its
ministers
the Dashavatara
Temple at Deogarh is
a major temple with
important sculpture
the 1st to have the
shikhara.
ATemple showing shikhara

Temples constructed on
high plinth with steps on 4
sides to reach the level
Early temples had flat
roof, but later ones had
shikhara.
Outer walls were plain &
had no ornamentation
stone masonry finely
dressed.
Garbhagriha housed the
deity entrance was
decorated.
Covered
prathakshinapatha
Circumambulatory around
garbha griha.
Roof supported on 4
ornamented columns. that
had a square base of stone.
2 periods 1) Early Gupta
Period (319550 AD) had
flat roofs Bhoomra's Shiv
temple,Temple 17, Sanchi.
2) Late Gupta period
(551AD 605AD) had
shikhara Dashavtara
Temple.

Gupta Architecture
Hindu Renaissance
Buddhism waned during the Gupta Empire, when
Buddhist rituals fused Vedic practices Hinduism.
Old fire sacrifices transformed to courtly ritual
focus on Gods Shiva and Vishnu.
Buddhist practices assimilated into the Hindu
temple eg. Prathikshina
Chaitya halls later transformed toTemples.
Temple 17 at Sanchi flatroofed garbhagriha and
mandapa, stylobate and architrave garbhagriha
(womb chamber) square & unadorned.
The mandapa is essentially a place for worshipper.

 the antarala (doorway

or threshold) between
the garbhagriha and a
mandapa
whole temple a two
way portal between the
worlds of the worshipper
and the deity.
the garbhagriha is
surmounted by a large
tapering superstructure
shikhara marks the
vertical axis in the form
of the cosmic mountain.
Shikharas are
conceived as solid.

Temple at Sanchi

Ajanta Caves

 the largest assemblage of Buddhist rockcut

caityas (meditation chambers) and viharas
(dormitories) in South Asia.
collectively called caves not caves but rockcut
architecture accommodations for up to several
hundred teachers and pupils.
their paintings are relatively intact.
The Ajanta Caves are located along the rock wall
of a Cshaped opening carved by the Waghora
River about 30 caves vary from 10 to 33 m.
The columns richly sculptured with floral and
figural representations symbolic of the gardens
where the Buddha preached and gained
enlightenment.

cave no. 26, Ajanta Caves

 The earliest group of caves consists of caves 9,

10, (Chaitya halls) 12, 13 and 15A (viharas) (during
Satavahana Period) simple, with an apsidal
colonnade marking the circumambulatory route
around an unadorned stupa at the end this was
the Hinayana period.
However, Cave Nos. 19 & 26 (450 AD ) , take
on Mahayana overtones elaborate forecourt
open to the sky, with side chambers cut directly
out of the rock during Gupta period.
The stupas are richly ornamented, with Buddha
statues attached directly to their surfaces.
Entrance covered by large and small Buddha
figurines and stupas not imitation of wood .

cave no. 19

 the viharas at Ajanta changed from simple

dwellings for the monks to fullfledged ceremonial
spaces the form a rectangular colonnaded hall
preceded by a portico and surrounded by cells
remained.
Viharas have a broad veranda, the roof is
supported by pillars that open into a central
pillared hall averaging about 6 by 10 m.The cells
open to this hall no of cells vary.
some viharas had multiple stories (Cave No. 6)
and circumambulatory routes (usually defined
by a colonnaded passage).
surface of the viharas was painted over.
Art, sculpture, and architecture created a
seamless, sensory experience.

Padmapani in Cave 1

Vajrapani in Cave 1

Mahabodhi Temple

 located at Bodh Gaya, the garden in Gaya near

Patna where the Buddha is said to have attained
enlightenment while sitting under a pipal
tree.
The Mahabodhi (literally Great Buddha)
Temple at this site was begun by Asoka
construction of a simple stone platform, known as
the Vajrasana (DiamondThrone), to mark the
spot where the Buddha supposedly sat.
In accordance with the nonrepresentational
requirements of Hinayana Buddhism, Asoka had
no other representation or temple built at the site.

 In the late Gupta period, the MahabodhiTemple

(late 5th or 6th century) was constructed next to
the tree.
The temple has been renovated repeatedly over
time.
BodhiTree was enclosed by a strong, high brick
wall (originally built by Asoka) 380m in
circumference.
The main gate opened east, while the south gate
connected to a large lotus tank, the sacred tank
where it is believed that the Buddha spent a week.

The north gate opened into the grounds of a

large monastery Inside there were innumerable
stupas and shrines.
In the center of the BodhiTree enclosure
defined by a stone vedika (like the one around the
Sanchi stupa)was the Vajrasana, sandwiched
between the BodhiTree to its west and, to its east,
the MahabodhiTemple( 48 meters high with a
width of 15m.)
Temple made of bricks coated with lime had
tiers of niches with gold images, its four walls
were adorned with exquisite carvings of pearls,
and at its top was a giltcopper stupa.

 South of the BodhiTree was an Asokan pillar

more than 30 meters high.
It is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines at its
corners that were added in the 19th century.
The central chamber houses the image of the
enthroned Buddha of the temple.
The brick shikhara contains another cella at the
upper level with a secondary image of the
Buddha.
It may have inspired the chinese pagodas.