The Vedic Age

B.C. 1500 800

Class II B.Arch III sem History of Architecture - I

The Vedic culture E d of II mille

The

ium

Arya s did

ot settle i to the !ell-"la

ed cities of the

Hara""a
#referred

culture. to clear forests arou d the ri$er%a &s of the a d settle i small $illa(es.

'a (etic "lai

)ue

to the i here t disli&e of a "astoral "eo"le to settle i ate sus"icio of a y

o e "lace for $ery lo (* a d thus their i hi t of "erma e ce.

They

"referred to stic& !ith the tried a d tested.

!hat is the im"orta ce of this "eriod+

,o architectural e-am"les of this "eriod are sur$i$i (.

Early Arya

architectural forms !ere

tra slated i to the architecture of I dia for thousa ds of years.

The ca$es of A.a ta a d Ellora* much of Buddhist architecture* !ere directly i flue ced %y the sim"le $illa(e structures of the Arya $illa(es./

!hat are the sources0.+

These

a cie t te-ts 1Vedas2 !ere com"osed %y the Arya seers a d ha ded do! throu(h (e eratio s orally. (reat e"ics - the 3aha%harata a d the 4amaya a -"icture $illa(e a d to! life duri ( Arya$rata* or the Arya a(e. (s o the 5tu"as at Barhut a d 5a chi - de"ict Arya $illa(e life $i$idly./

The

Car$i

The Arya
Arya

Villa(e

i $aders familiar !ith the use of tim%er a d a%le to ada"t their car"e try s&ills easily to !oode structures. a d easier to mai tai case of floods a d rai s. * or to re%uild i

5im"ler

Bric&

structures sym%olic to the "eo"le !hom they ha$e co 6uered. early Arya $illa(e co (lomerate of tim%er a d thatch huts of differe t ty"es.

The

comi ( to I dia
The

settlers (a$e u" their totally omadic e-iste ce a d %ecame "art-a(riculturalists "ro$ided the im"etus to %uild $illa(es* the %asic u it of !hich !as the hut %uildi ( material* the a%u da t forest "ro$ided am"le ra! stoc&.

This

7or

Arya s 4eside tial u it

The

Arya

hut - %asic sha"e "la - !ith a

circular i

thatched roof o$er a %am%oo et!or& of ri%s.

8ater

elo (ated to %ecome "la * !ith

recta (ular i

roofi ( of %am%oo - cur$ed i the sha"e of a %arrel.

 The

roof made i %e t %am%oos co ical or domical sha"e* made !ater ti(ht !ith o$erla""i ( thatch or (rass. or three (rou"s of huts !ere arra (ed arou d o"e courtyard. co (lomerate of such u its ty"ical Arya $illa(e

T!o

The three sta(es of Vedic house

Clusters of these huts1(rama2 formed a courtyard resem%les huts i I dia $illa(es e$e today. The %etter-off citi9e s roofed them !ith "la &s of !ood or tiles* a d used u %a&ed %ric&s for the !alls To mai tai the %arrel sha"e of the roof* a tho ( or stri (* "erha"s of a imal hide* !as stretched across the e d of the %am%oo./

 7or

"rotectio a(ai st !ild a imals - a "alisade fe ce of !ood a d %am%oo surrou ded the !hole settleme t. fe ce !as made of u"ri(ht "osts1tha%ha2 of %am%oo !ith hori9o tal mem%ers1suchi2 threaded i to holes i "osts.

This

Co

trolled e try cattle to "ass to a d fro of "astura(e.

 At

o e "oi t* the fe ce !as e-te ded for!ard to form a sort of (ate 'ramad!ara forms - the %arrel $aulted roof* the tie-cord* a d the "alisade fe ce a d raili (* formed im"orta t motifs for future I dia Architecture. E(;Tora a arch!ay.

City of :asi (ara ear 3a(adha * i Bihar

These

 Huts

moder

<rissa

-o e of the "oorest I dia states - carryi ( traces of this i flue ce* !ith sym%olism dati ( %ac& to Vedic times.

 =ith

the co $ersio

of the early Vedic "eo"le

i to a(riculturalists* a (ro!i ( ri$alry for "recious fertile la d !as i e$ita%le.

'rou"s

of small $illa(es %a ded to(ether* to ta&e sha"e

a d small >cities> %e(a

3aterial a d Co structio
A

0..

"alisade !all i e$ita%ly "rotected the cities a d the %uildi (s !ithi made e tirely of !ood. Vedic car"e ters de$elo"ed s&ill i of a $ery hi(h sta dard. tim%er co structio

The

later a(es tim%er co structio tech i6ues !ere em"loyed e$e thou(h the material of co structio radically differe t - i.e. sto e./

!as

ayout of ideal Vedic Village - Arthashastra

The cities of the Vedic "eriod - recta (ular i "la . )i$ided i to four 6uarters %y t!o mai thorou(hfares i tersecti ( at ri(ht a (les* each leadi ( to a city (ate. < e of these 6uarters co tai ed the citadel a d a other housed the reside tial area. A third 6uarter !as reser$ed for the mercha ts* a d the last for tradesme !ho could dis"lay their !ares./

citadel

residential

merchants

tradesmen

E d of Vedic A(e0.
A

ideal to! !as laid out as s6uare !ith (rid iro "atter . mai streets orth south directio s*remai i ( three east !est directio s. um%er of the li$i ( cities of today are %uilt o$er a cie t sites. these modest %e(i i (s* early Hi du architecture (radually metamor"hosed i to the ma( ifice t Buddhist stu"as a d the roc&-cut ca$es at A.a ta.

The

7rom