HINAYANA BUDDHIST VIHARAS

ROCK CUT – ORISSA

MAHAYANA Monasteries- GANDHARA

Viharas at Ajanta, Ellora, Nasik,Kondane

Rock Cut Architecture of the Eastern Ghats
Rani Gumpha, Udaigiri
Mahayana or theistic Monasteries
Graeco Buddhist
Takht I Bahai
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HINAYANA VIHARAS
The Hinayana Viharas are not of architectural significance as the
Chaityas.
Salient features of the Vihara during the Hinayana Period:
•Open simple central hall
•The assembly room was a large compartment
•The whole space was uninterrupted by columns or
pillars
•The cells opening from the central hall always had rock
cut beds and couches
•A small recess for use as a locker
•Cell was usually 9’0” square
•Due to the presence of the couch in the cell the doorway was normally
to one side
•The central hall normally corresponded to the open courtyard
•The façade, vestibule and cells were translations in rock of the original
wooden viharas
•The surviving egs. are at Ajanta nos. 8,12,13, 11(Mahayana),
Kondane, Nasik
HINAYANA VIHARAS – 200 BC – 200 AD
Ajanta cave nos. 8,12,13, Kondane
The first series at Ajanta consisted of 5 excavations of which
cave 9,10 were Chaityas and the remaining 8,12,13 were
Viharas
•Chaitya 10 with Vihara 12 is the earliest
•Vihara 13 added later
•Chaitya 9 along with Vihara 8 constructed later
•Vihara 12 is typical eg.
•Single storied, façade destroyed CAVE 13

•Around the central square is the carved horse shoe arch resulting in a
pleasant frieze
•Every feature is planned and cut with precision

The vihara at Kondane is an exception

which has a pillared central hall
•Pillared portico
•Massive cornice and detailing of wooden
construction
•Screen wall with 3 square openings
CAVE 12
•Hall 23’0”x29’0” surrounded by
colonnade and cells
HINAYANA VIHARAS – 200 BC – 200 AD
Ellora & Ajanta
HINAYANA VIHARAS – 200 BC – 200 AD
Viharas at Nasik 100 AD
The Vihara at Nasik consists of 3 egs. known for the treatment of the
exterior:
1. Gautamiputra no.3
2. Nahapana no.8
3. Sri Yajna no.15
Typical Features:
• Columned porticos
• Large central halls without pillars
• Cells with stone beds
Gautamiputra –no.3:
•In the façade, the base of the columns are behind a richly
decorated dwarf wall on which are giant figures appearing to
carry the entire structure, by means of projecting beams
•Above the portico is a large architrave supported on the
superstructure of the pillars
•Each pillar has a pair of elephants, bulls, or other beasts,
while there is a border of animals and scroll of foliage
•The entrance doorway in the inner wall has a square headed
opening with ornamentation similar to the stupa toranas
•Has lintels and cross bars with voluted ends
Gautamiputra
cave
HINAYANA VIHARAS – 200 BC – 200 AD
Viharas at Nasik 100 AD
Nahapana cave 8
•The 1st to be executed
•The façade of the cave has a half column at each end which are
exact copies of the Ganesh Lena chaitya at Junnar
•Derived from the portico pillars at Bedsa- lotus base on the
stepped pedestal below
•Animal groups on the abacus above Ajanta
SriYajna no.15
•Last to be executed
•The interiors were modified by the later
•Mahayana priets to make it suitable for rituals
•The floor was sunk to provide a sq. dias at
the end of the pillared hall
•Large image of the buddha in the 7th c.

Ellora Ajanta
ROCK CUT E -GHATS ORISSA – 200 BC – 200 AD
Gumphas at Udaigiri 160 BC
Sandstone hills
Contemporary to the Monasteries in the W ghats, we have 16 in Udaigiri hills
rock cut cells in the E ghats for the Jains & not the Buddhists
35 in total
There is a treatment not conforming to the Buddhist type
Single celled, 3 or 4 celled
•No Chaityas Many chambers-double storeyed
•Formation of cellular retreats similar to the viharas Workmanship is clumsy and crude

•Close grouping of cells indicate the area was of sanctity

The 2 tree clad hills in which the rock cut chambers are
located are :
•Khandragiri
•Udaigiri Hathi Gumpha
•Excavated during the rule of Kharavella of Kalinga dynasty
•Probably for a small group of Ajivika hermits who migrated
to Orissa
ROCK CUT E GHATS ORISSA – 200 BC – 200 AD
Rani Gumpha at Udaigiri 160 BC

The facades are normally pillared verandahs with the cells leading
out of them
Pillars are simple square shafts with bracket capitals
The Rani Gumpha or the queens cave is the most important of the
series the largest constructed in 150 BC
•brackets- Hellenistic influence
•Arches- instead of horse shoe, they were semi circular
•supported on pilasters with capitals ,vase bases
•only in Orissa- A sand-stone ledge or a podium carved like a bench
with back rest in the cells in certain compartments
•The Asana- a stone seat with a sloping back rest
•cells are oblong in plan with 2 or 3 doors
•No stone benches, but the floor was sloped to form a couch
•Roof height was only 4‘ hence only for sleeping
•2 storied
•Cells around 3 sides of a courtyard
•4th side- frontal approach
ROCK CUT E GHATS ORISSA – 200 BC – 200 AD
Rani Gumpha at Udaigiri 160 BC
Broad terrace- supported by columns forming the
verandah below
•Staircase at the side
•One side had a throne
•Other smaller cells for storage existed
•Frieze on the upper storey depicting a story
•Courtyard for special ceremonies
•Pillars- descendants of wood
•Structural elements arch-pilasters, Springer, railings-corbels
•water system from a common cistern
•Sculptures- Assyrian connections
The arrangement of courtyards and terraces forming an open
air theatre in which the scenes depicted in the frieze were
brought to life on festivals
The other egs. are the Bagh Gumpha, Ganesha,
Manchapuri, Anantha Gumpha
ROCK CUT E GHATS ORISSA – 200 BC – 200 AD
Rani Gumpha at Udaigiri 160 BC
MAHAYANA VIHARAS – 250 BC – 450 AD
Gandhara The MAHAYANA- THEISTIC SYSTEM was a
reformation which provided a broader and more
progressive interpretation of the teachings of Buddha
During the birth of Christianity the Buddhist
communities were involved in ·       Image worship
Stupas
·       Production of plastic representation of
Chaitya halls
Monasteries or viharas divine forms on the monuments
In the north western region of the country a ·       Statues of Buddha
movement was rising which in its setting had
offshoots from 4 races ·       Sacred figures
Greeks
Posed, modeled, draped
Parthians
·       Inclusion of well known pagan deitiess such as
Scythians
Hercules, athene, eros, thinly disguised but
Indians identifiable
A distinctively composite style thus evolved which
displayed · Corinthian capital with a small figure of
Fusion of Hellenistic elements the Buddha among the leaves
Buddhist ideal
The monastery is the most typical of the style
Geographically known as the Gandhara
Consists of:
It was in the sculpture that the style is most
distinctive Irregular aggregation of structures, Stupa, Sanghrama-
Fusion of Hellenistic elements with the Buddhist quarters for monks
ideals resulted in the Graeco Bactrian designation
MAHAYANA VIHARAS – 250 BC – 450 AD
Takht I Bahai - Gandhara
Salient Features:
•axial plan
•Rectangle of 200 ' long
•stupa court on the south
•monastery on the north
•all round terrace for votive stupas, small
chapels
•west is a conference/ assemble hall
•Refectory, Vestment chamber,kitchen servant
quarters
•Courtyard-45' x 55'

•platform 20 ' square 8 ' high

•STUPA
•Stupa total height= 50 '
•6 tiered umbrella
•elegant staircase on North
•Circumambulation on top
•processional path below
•Enclosing the stupa on 3 sides small chapels
•not in Hinayana Style but to accommodate the
MAHAYANA VIHARAS –
Takht I Bahai - Gandhara

•Roof-Cupola alternating with trifoil vault

•Cupola beehive hut
•Trifoil -conventional chaitya hall
•No true arches- corbelling was done
•Court of stupa + monastery connected with
•flight of steps passing through an open
space

•Open space contained- stupas and other

elements
•Front of the monastery facing court of stupa
•had a range of cells containing images
•Sangrama- open courtyard with cells all
around,
•rooms simple and unadorned walls in
between were painted.
MAHAYANA VIHARAS –
Takht I Bahai - Gandhara
ROCK CUT CHAITYAS
CHAITYA AT KARLE - 100 BC
The Chaitya at Karle marked the culmination of the Hinayana
type of Chaitya hall
The exterior is now asymmetrical, and the right side of the hall
is totally obscure
It was conceived as a well proportioned and balanced
composition of a similar one as the one at Bedsa
Details:
•Exterior is a massive propylaeum
•Column acts as supports. The 2 large columns in the façade
were detached and free standing in front of the entrance with
lion capital
•Vase shaped base, octagonal shaft
•Group of figures and animals on the capital
•Railing in front, across entire front
•2 large columns-50 ' high in front- free standing lion capital
•lion capital- simhastambhas
•Each pillar stood on a wide cylinder of rock with its capital and
lions supporting the wheel of metal
ROCK CUT CHAITYAS
CHAITYA AT KARLE - 100 BC
Façade details:
•16 sided columns, fluted abacus
•Square base for the animals
•Behind the pillars is the Vestibule to the hall
•Triple entrance below
•Pillared clerestory above
•Minstrels gallery as seen by mortise holes - made of wood right across
the front. The wooden addition has perished
•Access to the gallery by means of a staircase behind lion column on
left.
•Sun window-horse shoe archway.
•Sculptured figure compositions, decorated arcading, Trellis work.
•The spandrils and the narrow ends of the vestibule are carved in the
rock tiers of chaitya arcading seperated by bands of decorative
railings.
•Below some of the panels are figures in relief.
•Several of them are Mahayana additions and do not harmonise.
ROCK CUT CHAITYAS
CHAITYA AT KARLE - 100 BC
Entrance Detail:
• Presence of 3 doorways, central one for priests
• Approached by raised pathway on each side of which
the floor was sunk to form cisterns filled with water
(cleansing feet )
Interiors:
• 124’0”x46.5’x45’
• 3 main elements:
• Colonnade
• Vaulting
• Sun window
Colonnade:
• Closely spaced( width of the column)
• The columns encircling the shaft are octagonal
• The other 15 on either side are highly carved and decorated
with the theme of the exterior
• Each pillar has a vase base on a plinth
• Octagonal shaft
• Campaniform capital with a spreading abacus
• Finished with sculptured statuary- couples atop 2 elephants
• Metal trappings and silver and ivory tusks
• On the reverse side of these groups horses take the place of
elephants
ROCK CUT CHAITYAS
CHAITYA AT KARLE - 100 BC
ROCK CUT CHAITYAS
CHAITYA AT KARLE - 100 BC
Vaulting:
•High arched vault with projecting ribs of wood attached to the
surface by means of plugs or socketed into grooves
•The braces are wide planks with a curved outline
•They converge to the center at the apsidal end
•The wooden accessories seem to have been painted
•Under the domical roof is the Stupa
•Plain cylindrical base with 2 diminishing tiers
•Embellishment in the form of 2 bands of railing (sanchi)
•Massive harmika with rail pattern in low relief
•Wooden umbrella carved in pattern of a lotus
Lighting – Sun Windows:
•The whole system of lighting depends on the sun window in the façade
•Illuminated only from one direction
•Deflection of glaring light into the interiors to create a subdued lighting
to all parts
•Light was filtered between openings at clerestory, broken up by
wooden grille creating a delicate mantle of light
•Half tones among the surrounding pillars – gloom in aisles
Chaitya At Karle
ROCK CUT CAVES AT BARABAR - 3rd c. BC

During the mauryan period in the 1st century AD, under the
patronage of Ashoka, a few caves were carved into live rock
to serve as retreats for the Ajivika monks. (Jains)
•There are Rock cut sanctuaries in the hills about 19 miles N
of Gaya
•There are a total of seven chambers
• 4 of which are at Barabar:
Karna
Kaupar

Features of the Rock cut Caves: Sudama

The earliest egs. of rock cut method in
India Lomas Rishi
Exact copies of identical structures in
wood and thatch from the earlier period Viswajhopri
Quarried out of large boulder like •3 on the Nagarjuni hill ½ mile NE
masses of Quartzose Gneiss
Gopika(Milkmaid)
LOMAS RISHI AT BARABAR - 3rd c. BC
•The Lomas Rishi and the Sudama are cut adjacent to one another on the
hill
•The interiors are very similar except for the façade of Lomas Rishi which
is very ornamental
•The doorways of the caves have a sloping jamb and are on the longer
side of the chamber
•The entrance unlike later caves, is not from the front but from the side,
the cave has a vestibule or a path connecting two rooms.
•The excavation was carried out this way and not axially due to the
configuration of the whale backed hill
•Barrel vaulted hall of 32’9” x 19’6” x 12’3”(ht.)
•At the end of the chamber entered by an interior doorway is a circular
cell 19’0” dia. With a hemispherical domed roof 12’3” high.

Rectangular Hall

Circular room

Barrel vault
Domical roof
LOMAS RISHI AT BARABAR - 3rd c. BC
Exteriors :
•The façade is an accurate reproduction of the gable end of a wooden structure chiselled in
rock
•2 stout uprights inclined slightly inwards, 13’ high forms the main support
•The principal rafters are jointed on the top with the other parallel rafters
•On the rafters are fixed the curved roof of 3 laminated planks, the lower extremities of
which are kept in place by short tie rods, circular in section (lathe)
•The doorway is 7½’ is recessed within a semi circular archway above which are 2 lunettes
forming a fanlight.
•The lower lunette has a procession of elephants.The elephants are exquisitely modeled
performing an obeisance before a stupa.
•The upper lunette has a pattern of lattice work both designed copied from perforated
wood
•Surmounting the gable is a finial which gets its shape from a terracotta original
•Sharply chiselled and a highly polished surface.

The circular cell has an overhanging cave

like a thatch.The walls have irregular
perpendicular grooves in imitation of the
upright battens of wood or bamboo ( beehive
hut)
A highly burnished surface resembling glass