INDIA IS AMONG ONE OF THE RARE AND UNIQUE COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WHICH

STANDS FOR ITS ANCIENT CULTURES AND TRADITIONS, WHICH RANGE THROUGH A
SPAN OF CENTURIES. IT IS CLEARLY EVIDENT FROM THE REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT
MONUMENTS AND TRACES IN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF INDIA. THE INDIAN
MONUMENTS ARE THE LIVING EXAMPLES WHICH TAKES US BACK TO THOUSANDS OF
YEARS AND HELPS IN EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF INDIA.

ARCHITECTURAL INFLUENCES
GEOGRAPHICAL
SEVENTH LARGEST COUNTRY (3 287 240 KM2) IN THE WORLD AND SECOND MOST
POPULOUS IN DATA AFTER CHINA.
CONSISTS OF THE ENTIRE INDIAN PENINSULA AND PORTIONS OF THE ASIAN
MAINLAND, ONCE INCLUDED PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH
THE GREAT RIVER GANGES, NERBUDDA, INDUS, KRISHNA, AND JUMNA, WERE
IMPORTANT AS AFFORDING EMPLOYMENT TO THOUSANDS OF BOATMEN
GANGES- JUMMA VALLEY CONTAINS SOME PRINCIPAL CITIES OF ARCHITECTURAL
IMPORTANCE THAT SPRING UP ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVERS THAT WERE TRADE
ROUTES AND HIGHWAYS

GEOLOGICAL
IN THE LOW-LYING PLAINS OF BENGAL, THE ALLUVIAL SOIL WAS THE ONLY MATERIAL
AVAILABLE FOR BUILDING WHICH WERE MADE INTO BRICKS
BRICKS AND TERRACOTTA: MAY HAVE INFLUENCED LATER WORK IN PRODUCING THE
EXUBERANCE OF ORNAMENT, RENDERED EASY BY THE PRESSING OF PLASTIC CLAY
INTO MOULDS
LIME FOR BUILDING WAS OBTAINED BY BURNING LIMESTONE, SHELLS, AND KANKAR,
A MODULAR FORM OF IMPURE LIME FOUND IN RIVER VALLEYS

CLIMATIC
INDIA LIES MOSTLY WITHIN THE TROPICS. TWO PRINCIPAL SEASONS, WET AND DRY,
DIVIDE THE YEAR
THE GENERAL USE OF THE GREAT FAN OR PUNKAH IN THE HOT SEASON
THE PIERCED SCREEN OR LATTICE WINDOW IN INDIA AS A DECORATIVE FEATURE AS
TO PERSIST SUNSHINE
WATER STORAGE FOR IRRIGATION

RELIGION
VERY BASIS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE; BOUND UP WITH HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND
CONDUCT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

1. BUDDHIST
a. FOUNDED IN NE INDIA (5TH CENTURY BCE) AND BASED ON THE TEACHING OF
SIDDHARTA GAUTAMA, A SAKYA PRINCE KNOWN AS BUDDHA, THE ENLIGHTENED ONE
b. ADOPTED IDEAS FROM HINDUISM, DOCTRINE OF KARMA BUT REJECTED CASTE
SYSTEM AND ALL OF ITS GODS
2. JAINA
a. ESTABLISHED IN THE 6TH CENTURY BCE BY VARDHAMANA, CALLED MAHAVIRA
“THE GREAT HERO” OR JINA, THE “VICTORIOUS ONE”
b. BASED ON ASCETICISM AND AHIMSA, THEORY AND PRACTICE OF NON-VIOLENCE
3. HINDU
a. DERIVED FROM THE RIVER SINDHU OR IDUS, SANATANA DHARMA (IMMEMORIAL
TRADITION)
b. A JOINT PRODUCT OF VEDIC, BRAHMANISM AND BUDDHISM
c. CASTE SYSTEM CLASSES;
i. BRAHMANS – PRIESTS, LAW GIVERS, POETS, AND
SCIENTISTS
ii. RAJPUTS
iii. VAISYS – AGRICULTURAL SETTLERS AND
CRAFTSMEN; (D) SUDRAS OR SERES

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL

THE USE OF LAND BY FEUDAL SYSTEM PRODUCED LARGE REVENUES WHICH WERE
SPENT TO BUILD RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS FOR SELF-SATISFACTION
IMPERIAL ARCHITECTURE IMPOSED BY THE REIGN OF DYNASTIES; INVASION OF
DYNASTY OVER OTHER
- DYNASTIC SUCCESSION AND INVASION
- CULTURAL EXCHANGE

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
SIKHARAS
THESE ARE THE PEAKS OF THE TOWERS RISING FROM THE CORE OF HINDU
TEMPLES
THESE TOWERS ARE ALWAYS EXTRAVAGANTLY DECORATED
THEY VARY IN SHAPE THROUGHOUT THE CENTURY
STUPAS
THE STUPA IS A SHRINE THAT REPRESENTS THE SACRED MOUNT MERU, AS WELL AS
PROVIDING A SANCTUARY FOR RELICS OF THE BUDDHA
THEY HAVE FOUR CEREMONIAL GATES TO TH SHRINE
IT WAS MOSTLY A BUDDHIST ART, THROUGH JAINS ALSO SEEMED TO HAVE BUILT
STUPAS

SYMBOLIC LAYERS
THE TOWERS OF HINDU TEMPLES TELL STORIES AS THEY RISE SKYWARDS
EACH HAS ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE “HANDWRITING” AND DEPICTS THE CONCERNS OF
LOCAL CULTS AS WELL AS UNIVERSAL THEMES

ANIMAL STATUARY
TO HINDUS ALL LIFE IS SACRED AND DESERVING OF REPRESENTATION
MOST OF THE TEMPLE SHOW FINE SCULPTURES AND CARVINGS OF ANIMALS

FIGURATIVE DECORATIONS
FOR HINDUS, THE CARVING OF SACRED IMAGES AND FIGURINES WAS ART FORM IN
ITSELF, REQUIRING YEARS OF DISCIPLINED TRAINING\

CAVE TEMPLES

INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

THE EARLIEST KNOWN CIVILIZATION IN THE INDO-PAK REGION OF SOUTH ASIA
THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION IS DATED AROUND 3000 BC
COMPRISES MANY URBAN SETTLEMENTS INCLUDING THE LARGE CITIES OF HARAPPA
AND MOHENJO DARO
CHARACTERIZED BY A VARIETY OF HOUSE TYPES, MANY OF WHICH HAD PRIVATE
BATHS CONNECTED TO THE PUBLIC DRAINAGE SYSTEMS.
THE ARCH, A CORNERSTONE OF WORLD ARCHITECTURE, WAS FIRST DEVELOPED BY
THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION, AND WOULD LATER BE A STAPLE OF INDIAN
ARCHITECTURE
THE EARLIEST PRODUCTION IN THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION WAS
CHARACTERIZED BY WELL PLANNED CITIES AND HOUSES WHERE RELIGION DID NOT
SEEM TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE
THE PRESENCE OF DRAINAGE SYSTEMS AND PUBLIC BATHS SHOWED ADVANCED
STANDARDS OF HYGIENE AND SANITATION AND INGENIOUS PLANNING.
THE SPHERICAL DOME SYMBOLIZED THE INFINITE SPACE OF THE SKY. THE DOME IS
CALLED ANDA OR EGG.
THE DOME IS AS SOLID BRICK WORK IS 36.60M IN DIAMETER AND 16.64M HIGH
A LARGE HEMISPHERICAL DOME WHICH FLAT AT THE TOP, AND CROWNED BY A
TRIPLE UMBRELLA OR CHATTRA ON A PEDESTAL SURROUNDED BY A SQUARE
RAILING OR HARMIKA
A RAILING ENCLOSED CALLED VEDICA WHICH IS ABOUT 3.35M HIGH LEAVING AN
AMBULATORY PASSAGE OR PRADAKSHINA PATH WITH THE GATEWAYS
THE UPPER AMBULATORY PASSAGE (MIDHI) 4.87M HGH FROM THE GROUND AND 1.8M
WIDE
THERE ARE FOUR GATEWAYS KNOWN AS TORONAS AT THE CARDINAL POINT OF THE
CAMPUS. TORONAS BUILT BY IVORY OR METAL WORKER

TORONAS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH BUDDHIST STUPAS LIKE THE GREAT STUPA IN
SANCHI, AS WELL AS WITH JAIN AND HINDU STRUCTURES, AND ALSO WITH SEVERAL
SECULAR STRUCTURES
IN THE 1ST CENTURY BCE, FOUR ELABORATELY CARVED TORANAS (ORNAMENTAL
GATEWAYS) AND A BALUSTRADE ENCIRCLING THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE WERE ADDED
AROUND THE SANCHI STUPA BUILT DURING MAURYAN PERIOD