BUDDHIST

ARCHITECTURE

Ar. S.ANU M.Arch (HD).,

Asst . Professor
Thaigarajar school of architecture

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BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE
BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
THEPRINCIPAL
THE PRINCIPALARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

1.INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION 2.VEDIC CULTURE -

–3000–1200 B.C 1500-800B.C

3.MAURYAN DYNASTY 4.BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE

- 322–185 B.C 250B.C –200 A.D
BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
THE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
TIME SPAN
• Indus valley civilization –3000 –1200 B.C
• Vedic culture - 1500 - 800 B.C
• Mauryan dynasty - 322– 185 B.C
• Buddhist architecture - 250 B.C –200 A.D

INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHIST ART

• a graphic creed
• accompanied by forms and symbols expressive of its
teaching.
• referred to -Asokan school -its elements resultant of ruler’s
initiative.
PRINCIPLE CONTRIBUTIONS

• A series of edicts described on the rocks

• Stupas or tumuli
• Monolithic pillars
• Several monolithic accessories to shrines
• Palace
• Rock-cut chambers
CONTRIBUTIONS THAT AFFECTED THE ART OF BUILDING
• Stupas –on account of their structuralsignificance
• The monolithic pillars –in view of their artistic qualities
• The rock cut chambers –because of theirtechnique

• The palace –for its architectural associations 3

 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
BUDDHIST ROCK-ARCHITECTURE HAS TWO
PHASES
HINAYANA
• Earliest
• No figures of Buddha inworks
• introduction of iconography
of personal attributes such as
empty throne, cushions, foot •
impressions
• hewn out of living rock
• large halls and chambers
• Pick and chisel - tools
• Stability
CHAITYAS (HINAYANA)
• Temples
• circular in plan - domicalroof
• inner cells - ante chamber
was attached – with door way
• row of pillars aligned down
the centre of the nave
NAVE
MAHAYANA
• Later stage
• image worship
• structure of more height – (by
elevating stupa on tall platform
& elongating the body of
stupa upwards.)
upper surface of platform -
approached by flight of steps -
the processional path
• stupa -composed of series of
diminishing drums and a
slender many tiered umbrella-
Pagoda appearance
• Brilliantly colored,cornices,
moldings, niches, arcades
VIAHARAS (MAHAYANA):-
• Accommodation of monks
• rooms opening to an interior
quadrangle, designed to secure
privacy &protection
• inside verandah –Communication
purpose-Sometimes Cells (rooms)
with niches (locker )
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 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
ROCK CUT SANCTUARIES:-

• Earliest
examples in
India of the
roc k cut
method.

• Some of
them are
exact copies
in the rock of
existing 4
structures in
wood and 3
thatch.

• The
doorways
were notable
for sloping
jambs(3).

• At the end of the barrel vaulted hall, there is a separate

circular cell (4). Exteriorly this cell has an overhang like a
thatch. Its walls have irregular perpendicular groves in
imitation of upright battens of wood or bamboo.

• It is an exact copy of a beehive hut and almost every part

of the surface has been highly polished until it resembles
glass.
 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE ROCK CUT
SANCTUARIES:-
BARHUT

1. 68’ dia- reconstructed railing

2. Half in size –sanchi stupa
3. Railing-7’-rich carvings- jataka
tales& social life
4. Torana - oldest surviving
5. Hellenistic influence- fluted
columns and bell shaped
capital

ROCK CUT CAVES

1. Under Asoka- caves for Jain

monks
2. Caves at Barabar , Bihar, N of
Gaya
3. Total –7 chamber
4. Earliest egs.in India
5.Copies of wood n thatch
6. Quarried out – masses of
Quartzose Gneiss

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 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE

BUDDHIST ART UNDER SUNGAS AND ANDHARAS

resolved into 4phases:-
• Stone carving
• Symbolism
• Stone construction
• The beginning of the temple or chaitya hall, and the
monastery or vihara
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES
• Brick and wooden structures replaced bystones
• Railings and Toranas
• Carvings on rock –imitation of timber carving
• Introduction of temple -performance of ritual(Chaitya)
• Monasteries for priests called Viharas
• Introduction of Stupas
PLAN OF SANCHI STUPA COMPLEX

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BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA
 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA

• STUPA:-

• Considered as
the symbol of
Buddha
• Consisted of a
masonry
hemisphere
(about 70ft in
diameter and 35
ft height), built of
large unburnt
bricks.
• In the centre of
this domical
mound or ‘anda’,
a small space
was left for a
receptacle
containing a relic
of Buddha

Stupa,
Sanchi
 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA

• On the summit as the mark

of dignity was raised a
wooden umbrella
‘chhattrayashti’. On a later
stage, a square railing
(Harmika) was added
enclosing the triple
umbrella.

• The brickwork surface of

the dome was finished off
with a thick layer of plaster,
with recesses provided at
intervals for the reception
of small lamps.

• Certain amount of colour

and gilding wasapplied

• For the Buddhist ritual of

circumambulating the
stupa, a processional
passage (pradakshina
patha) was provided by
means of a wooden railing
(Vedica), with an entrance
(Torana) at each of the
cardinal points
 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA

• Sometimes
around the
base of the
dome, a
terrace
(medhi) was
added abt
16ft from the
ground, thus
providing a
separate
ambulatory
passage ,
access to
which was
obtained by a
double
stairway
(Sopana).

Stupas and monasteries,

Sanchi
• The upper pradakshina patha was for monks and the lower
one for common people
• In the later enlargement of Stupa, stone masonry was
used.
• Eg:- Stupas at Sarnath and Sanchi
BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA
BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA
Railing (Vedika):-

• The most important feature

of Buddhist Architecture is
the plain stone Railing
•
• It was the emblem of
protection from the Vedic
times.
•
• Eg:- Railing at Sanchi

• Its uprights consisted of

octagonal posts 9ft high
from GL and placed at
intervals of 2ft

• Three horizontal rails or bars, each

2ft wide and with a gap of 3 ¼
inches connect these uprights

• Above all was placed an immense

beam, its upper side rounded,
forming a coping stone

TORANAS:-
• Torana is an opening in the Stupa
Railing for entering the ambulatory
• Designed on the basis of the wooden
and bamboo portcullis to the Vedic
village
BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA

TORANA:
• The entrances to religious buildings were always imposing
structures with ornamental treatment.
• The Torana ( tor in sanskrit is pass) was designed on the
same principle as the bamboo and wood portcullis. It was
an archway accepted as a ceremonial portal
• There are 5 gateways in the complex- 4 for the main
Stupa.
• Square vertical posts totaling 34' high 2’ thk.
• Ornamental balusters in-between the horizontal members
• The four gateways took 50years
• Style remained constant
• 1st gate was built by Andhras in 75BC in the south
• 10 years gap for the N, E and W gateways
• Best carved gateway on the south
• Less detailed gateway onthe north
• South gateway bears inscriptions made by ivory carvers of
mortise holes to hang chains and bells
• Decoration overtook construction techniques
• It is compared to the Stonehenge(proportions)
BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
SANCHI STUPA
ORNAMENTATION:

• Highly carved.

• It was a copy of the wooden railing

• A bit out of proportion

• Inspiration from the megalithic stoneage

• Joints used are appropriate for wooden

than for stone

• Shows primitive craftsmanship

BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE SANCHI
STUPA
 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
HINAYANA ROCK CUT CAVES

• Hinayana Rock cut

monasteries c onsisted of a
prayer hall or Buddhist temple
called Chaitya hall, as it
accommodates a chaitya or
Stupa.

• It took the form of a large

vaulted hall having an apsidal
end and divided longitudinally
by two colonnades into a
broad nave and two aisles.

• In the apse stood the stupa,

also carved out of the natural
rock

• The side aisles and apsidal end

were of the purpose of
processions and
circumambulation of the Stupa
and the nave was provided for
the congregational service.

• The pillars had inward

inclination derived from the
wooden posts, so slanted in
order to counteract the
outward thrust of a heavy
timber roof.

• Eg:- Chaitya Hall at Karli

 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
VIHARAS
VIHARA
• The rock cut
Viharas or
monastic
houses of
Hinayana
Buddhist order
• These rock-cut
viharas were
not alike in their
designs, they
took a variety
of forms
• But the earlier
or Hinayana
type may be
distinguished
from the later or
Mahayana

• Viharas by several well defined typical features

• One among their typical features is their open simplicity of
the central hall.
• This assembly room was a large square compartment, its
space uninterrupted by any pillars or colonnade (except in
few cases)
• The cells opens out from the central hall always contain
couches or beds formed in the rock
 BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
VIHARAS

• There were small recesses for

use as locker, cut in some
convenient position.
• With respect to the couch in
the small cells (abt 9sft) the
doorway is not in the centre
but to on side of the outer
wall
• Eg:- Viharas at Ajanta & Ellora,
Rani Gumpha at Udaigiri

Viharas, Ajanta
BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
AJANTA AND ELLORA

TYPICAL VIHARA PLAN

BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
VIHARAS, ELLORA