PRESENTED BY-

VIMLENDRA RAJAK
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
 THE GUPTAN DYNASTY WAS FOUNDED BY SRIGUPTA.
 TIMELINE OF GUPTA EMPIRE IS ABOUT (319-550 AD).

 THE MAIN RULERS OF THIS DYNASTY WERE

SAMUDRAGUPTA AND CHANDRAGUPTA
VIKRAMADITYA.
 THE GUPTAN ERA IS ALSO KNOWN AS GOLDEN ERA
IN INDIAN HISTORY.
GUPTA ART
 MONUMENTS

 STUPAS

 CHAITYA VIHARS

 CAVE ART AND ARCHITECTURE

 TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
Gupta architecture
 Gupta architecture was diverse in style, design
and features.

 It can be classified into caves , stupa and

temples.
 A wide variety of towers and elaborate carvings
adorned the temples that were built from stone.
Ajanta caves
 Ajanta caves are located in the Aurangabad district of
Maharashtra.
 Only cave no.16 and 17 belongs to Gupta period.
 These caves are carved on a perpendicular cliff.
 There are 25 Viharas and 4 Chaityas.
 As they are on perpendicular side ,There are no
courtyards.
 All the three forms of art are combined in these caves:
Architecture ,Sculpture ,Paintings.
AJANTA
CAVES
Ajanta cave 16 is a
popular and
renowned for the
work of sculptor
and frescoes.
ELLORA CAVES
 This cave site is located in aurangabad district and
contains buddhist, brahmanical and jain caves.
 Contribution of rashtrakutas is visible on this cave.
 Cave 10 is a chaitya hall for lord buddha , cave 13 & 14
belongs to ravan ki khai, cave 15 to dashavatara temple
and cave 16 belongs to kailash temple.
 Three storey caves are also present in ellora.
 Most of the temples have courtyards.
ELLORA
CAVES
This cave no
10 is a chaitya
hall for lord
buddha.
ELLORA
CAVES
This cave no
14 is related
with ravan ki
khai.
ELLORA
CAVES
This cave no
15 belongs to
dashavatara
temple.
ELLORA
CAVES
This is cave
16 which is
related with
kailash
temple.
JUNAGARH CAVES
 These caves are found in the junagarh district of
gujarat , hence the name.
 It has many intresting buddhist caves and was
evidently the site of buddhist monastry of ancient
times.
 It was an ancient fortress whose entrance in the
form of an archway is a fine specimen of hindu
torana.
JUNAGARH
CAVES
The most
distinguishing
feature of this
cave is uparkots
means, citadel
which is around
30-40 feet high.
BAGH CAVES
 It is located in dhar district of madhya pradesh on the bank
of baghani river.
 Out of initial 9 caves only 5 have been extant.
 It has been carved out in late 4th-6th century AD.
 Bagh caves are known for mural paintings.
 Legend says that these caves were established by buddhist
monk dataka.
 All 5 caves are vihars or resting place for buddhist monks.
 Most significant of these five extant caves is cave4.
 It is commonly known as rang mahal (palace of colors).
BAGH
CAVES
It is the finest
specimens of
buddhist art
and
architecture .
BAGH
CAVES
Rock cut caves.
A copper plate
inscription laid
the date back to
4th-5th century
AD.
BAGH CAVE PAINTINGS
 These paintings are materialistic rather than
naturalistic.
 The ground prepared was reddish-browny gritty
and thick with mud plaster, laid out on the walls
and ceilings.
 Some of the most beautiful paintings lies in cave4.
 Most paintings were carefully removed in 1982 and
can be seen in archaeological museum of gwalior.
BAGH CAVE
PAINTINGS
Mural paintings
which are made
in tempera
technique.
GUPTA PERIOD
DHAMEKH STUPA
 It is a massive stupa located at sarnath, 13 km away
from varanasi in the state of uttar pradesh.
 It is a solid cylinder of bricks and stones reaching a
height of 43.6 metres and having a diameter of about
28 metres.
 The basement dates back to ashoka’s reign.
 Carvings on the walls are brahmi script.
 The stone facing displays delicate floral carvings of
gupta period.
DHAMEKH
STUPA
This is the place
where lord
buddha
preached his
first sermon.
DHAMEKH
STUPA
Carvings in
dhamekh stupa
at sarnath.
These were
originally built in
249 BC. But
contributions
were also made
by gupta dynasty.
GUPTA PERIOD
TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
 Gupta period marks the beginning of indian temple

architecture.

 Manuals were written regarding how to form temples.

 The gupta temples were of five main types.

  Square building with flat roof
TYPE 1 and shallow pillared porch.
 The nucleus of a temple, the
sanctum or cella
(garbhagriha), with a single
entrance and a porch
(mandapa) appears for the
first time here.
 Notable examples are: kankali
devi temple (tigawa) and
vishnu varah temple (eran).
TYPE 2
 An elaboration of type 1 with
the addition of an ambulatory
(pradakshina) around the
sanctum.
 Some temples had a second
storey.
 Notable examples are: shiva
temple at bhumara (M.P.) and
ladkhan temple at aihole.
  Square temple with a pillared
TYPE 3 approach and a high platform
at a base.
 Appearance of curvilinear
tower known as “ shikhara”.
 The panchayatan style was
introduced along with the
concept of subsidiary shrines.
 Notable examples are:
dashavtara temple at deogarh
, jhansi and the brick temple
at bhitargaon , kanpur.
TYPE 4
 This stage introduced
rectangular temples with all
other features continued.
 Notable example:
kapoteshwar temple at
cezarla, guntur district in
andhra pradesh.
TYPE 5
 This stage introduced circular
temples with shallow rectangular
projections at the four cardinal
faces.
 The only monument
exemplifying the style is the
maniyar math shrine at rajgir,
Bihar.
THANK YOU