GENEBLAZO, DIANNE G.

HINDU
AND
INDIAN
ARCHITECTURE
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE- 3
 Table of Contents
HINDU AND INDIAN ARCHITECTURE

BACKGROUND
INFLUENCES/ DRIVERS
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
PROMINENT EXAMPLES
BACKGROUND
The dramatic discovery of a great urban civilization that existed
contemporaneously with the ancient culture of Mesopotamia during the third
millennium B.B had changed the entire concept of the early cultures of India. India
is one of the unique countries in the world which stands for its ancient cultures and
traditions which range through a span of centuries. The Indian monuments are the
living examples which takes us back to thousands of years and helps in exploring
the history of India. Indian architecture includes present day India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka and later on got separated by political boundaries and
cultural heritage. Ancient native traditions, together with building types, shapes
and technologies from Western, Central Asian and European countries sum up
Indian architecture.
The outstanding quality of this architecture was
its spiritual content to represent in concrete
form the prevailing religious consciousness of
people and with mind materialized in terms of
rock, brick or stone. It is distinguished by
different religions, cultures, beliefs, and ideas
based on different religions to produce
enormous wealth of buildings. The story of how
powerful and popular religions
celebrated their beliefs through monumental
design describes the beginning of
Indian architecture. The Indian heritage
includes both human settlements and
built environment involving.
INFLUENCES/
DRIVERS
GEOGRAPHICAL
India occupies an area that is greater the
Great Britain fifteen times. The coasts,
became beneficial for the people
because it keeps them distant from
extraneous influences because it is
deficient in good harbors. The rivers,
became beneficial as it hires thousands
of boatmen and was used for the
collection of timber that is need for the
creation of vast forests.
The center of India is Delhi and became a
junction of four ancient roads. In the
north-west, the Greek Bactrian Kingdom had
significant role on architecture,
especially Gandhara district, and over
Northern India. The country became open
to the spread of civilization while on the east
coast, and there the Southern
Indians set their capitals. While the
inhabitants stay detached on the west
coast from civilizing movements owing to a
narrow lowland slip interfering only
between the Ghats and the seaboard.
GEOLOGICAL
The center of the Peninsula had influenced
Indian architecture from the earliest times,
and the hill country generally abounds in
excellent building stone. Almost all
of Buddhist architectural styles can be
traced to a wooden origin. Teak is the
country 's principal wood found in large
forests of India. Brick was found in Lower
Bengal plains. Building limes were
obtained by burning calcareous and kankar,
and from the shells.
CLIMATE
Wet and dry seasons are the climate of India.
Since of the tropical climate, flat
terraced roofing is used for coolness,
exercise or sleep. During the hot
season, the use of punkah is important due
to the heat and affected the scale
and types of architectural openings. Due to
constant sunlight and serving as a
fine shield against excessive heat and light,
the lattice window became a decorative
feature.
 Relic worship became an essential feature of the Buddhist religion, necessitated the
RELIGION erection of the many important topes such as a tooth, bone, toenail, or even
hair. Jaina religion was the religion which rose to importance about 1000 A. D.
that was founded in Buddhism. The modern Hindu was the combination of Vedic,
Brahmanism and Buddhism, was a complicated system of division of the people in
accordance to their race, occupation and geographical position.

The Greek, Assyrian and Persian influences from the invasion of Alexander in North-
West Asia. Seleukos Nikator, one of the Syrian monarchy's general
HISTORICAL founders of Alexander, exerted a control over Northern India. The foundation of
British rule in India advanced during 1746-1858 A.D., and since later years,
the annexation to the British Crown became a product for the cause of mixture
of European and native art.
 SOCIAL AND POLITICAL

Land ownership by feudal owners, or lords became a major aspect by this time. By
avoiding some issues, the metaphysical and contemplative elements of life
overshadowed the functional and political system and influenced it among the most
educated class. The Jains based the building of temples as a social duty that affected to
a prosperous future society. While the absorption of human personality was not
beneficial to domestic architecture under the caste system, which has remained
in a rudimentary state.
ARCHITECTURAL
CHARACTERS
The Buddhist The Buddhist style (250- 750 AD) started with the
Achitecture development of different symbols, representing
Style aspects of the life of the Buddha. It is defined mainly
by three important types of buildings-the Chaitya
Hall or place of worship, the Vihara or monastery
and the Stupa or the hemispheric mound for
worship or memory. Viharas initially were only
temporary shelters used by wandering monks
during the rainy season but later were developed to
accommodate the growing and increasingly
formalized Buddhist monasticism or monkhood.
The stupa has been the veneration and protected
protection of Buddha's relics. Stupas were slowly
transformed into chaitya grihas or prayer halls, in
accordance with improvements in religious
practice. During the last two centuries BCE the
decoration of Buddhist sites became increasingly
more elaborate with the introduction of
human figures, particularly on stupas.
 The Jaina
Architecture
Style

The Jaina architecture style started on 1000- 1300 A.D. All Jaina temples are
dedicated to one of the 24 Tirthankaras. Bricks were rarely used in this type
of architecture, and the method was adopted for carving temples from rock
faces.The normal type of temple is a square “vimana” or idol cell, lit from the
door only, roofed with a Sikra or Pyramidal storied tower in receding stages,
recalling the Chaldean TemplesThe cell holds the saint's cross-beined
seated figure. A columned hall or portico of varying size is in front of the
vimana, usually cruciform on plane.The hall is a pointed dome supported on
eight columns with bracket capitals and ranking struts the octagon
thus formed being brought to a square by the four angle columns which
complete the characteristic Jaina plan. The temple is set in an enclosure in
larger temples, against the wall of which the cells of images open into the
inner courtyard. Modern Jaina temples are commonly based on Mahometan
influence, with bulbous domes and pointed arched foliates.
Perhaps the sikra isn't seen in those.
Hindu or
Brahmanical Over the years, Hindu or Brahmanic Architecture developed from
Architecture simple to large temples that spread across the Indian
subcontinent and beyond. Essential elements of this style are
accurate and harmonious geometry when viewed from all four
sides, the square form and grid floor plans, steep towers and
intricate decorative sculpture with different patterns.Three special
styles define Hindu architecture. All three have the tiny shine cell
and accompanying porches, the same unnecessary carving and
sculpture that is remarkable to the gods by this apparent homage
to labor. The Hindu temples creates an illusion of majestic beauty,
the effect is based more on the richness of the surface. The Hindu
Temples can be compared to the plan of Jaina temples with slight
variation — for example, the Dravidian temples have 1,000-
column halls and are usually surrounded by a wall which includes
water tanks for priestly purposes, while the Chalukyan Temples
can be recognized by a plan that is star-shaped.
The Northern Hindu or Braham style started on 600 A.D. up to the present time.
This style plan is based on a square but the walls are sometimes so broken up that
the tower often gives the impression of being circular. By contrast, the Dravidian
form has to the vimana a curved
pyramidal rood. It is consisting of vimana cell with a pyramidal roof and a crowned
porch without columns and with no stepped roof. Rectangular projections in the
center can be seen in each façade. The Chalukyan or Central Indian style began
in 1000 to1300 A.D. It is different from the Dravidian style having two towers
as it has a plan that is star- shapes and curved pyramidal tower. One of its unique
features are the location of
the temple on a terrace that is mostly 3 or 4 feet high, the idol cell’s star
shaped plan and the structure of its roof decorated steps with crowning vase
ornament. The Dravidian style or South Indian started on 1350 to 1750 A.D. The
gateways to the enclosures are reminiscent of the pylons of Egyptian façades,
and the halls with a thousand columns are same as the hypostyle halls.
 PROMINENT
EXAMPLE OF THE
NORTHERN
HINDU
Konark Sun Temple or The Black Pagoda: Believed
to have been built in the 13th century CE the temple
was built by the King Narasimhadeva I hailing from
the Eastern Ganga dynasty between 1238-1250 CE.
It is located in the village of Konark, which is 35
kilometers north of Puri on the coast of the Bay of
Bengal. It is said that the temple could draw ships to
the shore due to its magnetic powers. It is built to be
dedicated to the Hindu sun God, Surya. It
symbolizes as a monumental representation of the
sun God Surya's chariot.

Konark
Sun
Temple
 PROMINENT
EXAMPLE OF THE
CHALUKYAN
STYLE
Mallikarjuna
Temple
The Mallikarjuna Temple was built by King
Vikramaditya’s second queen Rani
Trilokyamahadevi to celebrate the Chalukyan
victory over the Pallavas at around 740 A.D. It is
located at Srisailam, India. It is used to worship Sri
Swamy and Ammavaru.
 PROMINENT
EXAMPLE OF THE
DRAVIDIAN
STYLE
Gangaikonda
Cholapuram Temple

Gangaikondacholapuram Temple is built by Rejandra Chola on

the 11th century. It is located at the Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu,
India. The temple was made to be dedicated Lord Shiva and is
one of the biggest Shivalingan in South India. The temple
stands next to the famous Brihadsivara temple that was built by
Rajaraja Chola, father of Rajendra Chola. It was built to outshine
the temple made by the father.
 OTHER PROMINENT
EXAMPLES OF INDIAN
ARCHITECTURE
Vimala Vasahi Temple
Vimal Vasahi Temple was built in 1031-1032 A.D. by Vimal
Shah. It is situated in town Mount Abu of sirohi district,
Rajasthan. This temple was dedicated to lord
Adinath, who was the 1st Jain Tirthankar. The temple 's main
ceiling is decorated with exquisite carving, which culminates in
a main ornamented pendant. The pendant of the dome tapers
down forming a drop or point, like a lotus flower.
The Borobudur Temple
The Borobudur Temple is located on the island of Java, and is the largest Buddhist
temple in the world, an ancient site commonly recognized as one of the seven
world wonders. It is built in the 9th century during the reign of the
Syailendra dynasty by Gunadharma. The temple was used as a Buddhist temple from
its construction until sometime
between the 10th and 15th centuries when it was abandoned.
REFERENCES:

Fletcher,Banister, Dan Cruickshank, Andrew Saint, Peter Blundell Jones, KennethFrampton, and Fleur Richards.
Sir Banister Fletchers a History of Architecture. Amsterdam: Architectural Press/Elsevier, 2011.

Fergusson, James and Spiers Phene. History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Volume 1.
London: John Murray, Albemarle Street W. 1910.

Fergusson, James and Spiers Phene. History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Volume 2.
London: John Murray, Albemarle Street W. 1910.
Rowland, Benjamin. The Art and Architecture of India. England: Penguin Books. 1953.

Acharya, Prasanna. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture. Delhi: Low Price Publications. 1934.

Acharya, Prasanna. An Encyclopedia of Hindu Architecture. Delhi: Low Price Publications. 1946.