BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE

History of Architecture and CultureII

PRESENTATIONSTRUCTURE
▪ Evolution of Buddhism,
• Buddhism thought, art and culture,
• Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism,
• Interaction of Hellenic & Indian Ideas in northern India
▪ Evolution of building typologies
• Stupa, Vihara and Chaitya hall,
• Symbolism of stupa
▪ Architectural production during Ashoka’s rule
• Ashokan Pillar,Sarnath,
• Rock cut caves at Barabar,
• Sanchi Stupa
▪ Rock cut architecture in Ajanta, Ellora , Karli
• Viharas at Nasik, Rani Gumpha, Udaigiri
• Takti Bahai, Gandhara
BUDDHISM
▪ The Arians unified the people of the
Indus valley under this system which
later became known asHinduism.
▪ They also created a caste system to keep
different segments of society separate and
to prevent the mingling of people, and
maintaining the priestly and warrior class.
• brahmins (Aryan priests);
• kshatriyas (warrior-nobility);
• vaishyas (the bourgeois, or middle class
[businessmen/farmers], viewed as low class
by those above them);
• sudras (servants, not allowed to recite or
listen to the Vedas [Hindu scriptures] and the
illegitimate, criminals, and those in unclean
jobs [e.g., leather workers, barbers, etc.)
▪ Over time this caste system became
burdensome to the people of India. Its
during this time Siddhartha wasborn.
BUDDHA TIMELINE After 4 years,
Homeless,penniless his father dies,
Asprince, learnsskills wanderer, becamedisciple Mahaprajapati, DEATH& PARI–
of warrior, technical& to many Brahmanteachers his aunt NIRVANA: Dies atage
athletic skills of man- 13 years of in search of truth. Finally Establishes becomes the of 80years as a result
man fight, trained in marriage life witha disillusioned with Hindu great first woman to of food poisoning.His
spiritual disciplines & son. Spends life in asceticism, caste system reputation, ordain last words being “ All
proficient in artof 3 palaces for 3 and religious doctrines of converting ‘dharma’. After compounded things
archery. First‘Jhana’ – seasons & well his time. He continued to thousands this womenwere are ephemeral; work
medidative absorption screened from search truth through of peopleto admitted in diligently onyour
through concentration troubles &worries practice ofmeditation. ‘dharma’. sangha salvation”

563-547BC 547-533BC 533 –528BC 528-527BC 523 BC 483BC

563BC 547BC 533BC 528BC 527BC 523-483BC

Birth of Marries THEFOUR ENLIGHTMENT: While meditating under He 45 years –Buddha preached his
Sidhartha Yasodhara SIGHTSOld Bodhi tree in Bodh-gaya,, he returns to ‘dharma’ and hundreds &
Gautama, man, experiences the great enlightment. 7 palace& thousands of people become his
Lumbini diseased weeks of meditation and attains the converts followers. He also provoked envy&
man, acorpse
Parents : status of BUDDHA at the age of 35 many of ill will and several attempts were
& a holyman
King the Sakya made to kill him
Suddhodana, THERENUNCIATION Finds former 5 disciples ofBuddhism tribe
ruler ofSakya Leaves palace, Lifes’s at Benares,also the 5 members of the
tribe &
pleasures Sangha (Buddhist order). Onedisciple
Mayadevi
becomes ‘arhat’ (one with enlightened
wisdom) BUDDHISM
BUDDHISM
FOURNOBLETRUTH
▪ Life means suffering.
▪ The origin of
suffering is
attachment.
▪ The cessation of
suffering is attainable.
▪ The path to the
cessation of suffering.
 BUDDHISM
EIGHT FOLD PATH
BUDDHISM
BUDDHISMSYMBOLS
 BUDDHISM
HINAYANA / THERAVADA MAHAYANA
TheTheravada form of Buddhism is Mahayana Buddhism is the
dominant in southern Asia, especially in primary form of Buddhism in
Sri Lanka,Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, North Asia and the Far East,
Cambodia and Laos. For this reason it is including China, Japan, Korea,
sometimes known as "Southern Tibet and Mongolia, and is thus
Buddhism.” sometimes known as Northern
Buddhism.
Theravada means "The Wayof the Mahayana is a path available to
Elders" in Pali, reflecting the people from all walks of life -
Theravadins' belief that they most closely not just monks and ascetics.
follow the original beliefs and
practices of the Buddha and the early Mahayana Buddhists accept
monasticElders. the Pali Canon as sacred
Theauthoritative text for Theravadas is the scripture with the Theravadans,
Pali Canon, an early Indian collection of but also many other works, the
theBuddha's teachings. The later Sutras, which werewritten later
Mahayana sutras are not recognized. and in Sanskrit.
BUDDH ISM
HINAYANA / THERAVADA MAHAYANA
Thepurpose of life for Mahayana Buddhists, on the other hand,
Theravadins is to become an hope to become not arhats but
arhat, a perfected saint whohas boddhisattvas, saints who have
acheived nirvana and will not be become enlightened but who
reborn again. unselfishly delay nirvana to help others
Theravada Buddhists strive to attainit as well, as the Buddha did.
become arhats, or perfected
saints who have attained Mahayana Buddhists teach that
enlightenment and nirvana. enlightenment can be attained in a
This is considered to only be single lifetime, and this can be
possible for monks and nuns, accomplished even by a layperson. The
who devote their entire lives to various subdivisions within the Mahayana
the task. The best outcome the tradition, such as Zen, Nichiren, and Pure
laity can hope for is to be Land, promote different ways of attaining
reborn in the monastic life. this goal, but all are agreed that it can
In Theravada, it is thought to be be attained in a single lifetime by
highly unlikely, even anyone who puts his or her mind
impossible, that a layperson (and sometimes body) to it
can achieve liberation
BUDDHISM
HINAYANA / THERAVADA MAHAYANA
Its approach is more TheMahayana form of Buddhism
philosophicalthan religious. tends to be more religious in
Because of this focus on personal nature.
attainment and itsrequirement Mahayana Buddhism emerged in
that one must renounce the world the first century CEas a more
to achieve salvation, Mahayana liberal, accessible interpretation
Buddhists refer to Theravada of Buddhism. As the "Greater
Buddhism as the "Lesser Vehicle" (literally, the "Greater
Vehicle" (Hinayana). Ox-Cart"),.
Theschools within the
Mahayana tradition: Tendai,
Nichiren andZen.
INTERACTIONOFHELENISTIC
IDEASWITHINDIANIDEAS

SPREADof BUDDHISMalong the SILKROUTE

INTERACTIONOFHELENISTIC
IDEASWITHINDIANIDEAS
▪ The interaction between Hellenistic Greece and
Buddhism started when Alexander the Great
conqueredAsia Minor and Central Asia in 334 BCE,
going as far as the Indus, thus establishing direct
contact with India, the birthplace of Buddhism
▪ Alexander founded several cities in his new territories in
the areas of the Oxus and Bactria, and Greek
settlements further extended to the Khyber Pass,
Gandharaand the Punjab.
▪ These regions correspond to a unique geographical
passageway between the Himalayas and the Hindu
Kush mountains, through which most of the interaction
between India and Central Asia took place, generating
intense cultural exchange and trade.
MAURYANEMPIRE(322 –183BC)
▪ Chandra Gupta Maurya, conquered
territories lost to Alexander and established
his empire in North
▪ Established marital agreement with
Seleucid kingdom
▪ Megasthenes & other Greek scholars
adorned Mauryan Court
▪ Influenced by greek architecture & culture,
built palaces modelled on Persipolis
INTERACTIONOFHELENISTIC
IDEASWITHINDIANIDEAS
IMPACT OF HELLENISTIC in BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE
▪ The statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas were made in
the likeness ofthe Greek Gods.

▪ Greater attention was paid to the representation of

realistic images with accuracy of anatomical features.

▪ Great attention was paid to refinement and polishing.

▪ In this art artists use grey stone and slate.

▪ Attention is also paid on ornaments depicting Greek style.

▪ Gandhara images seem to resemble Apollo.

Sometimes this resemble Graeco- Roman in drapery.
But most of the images are represented as seated in
the typical Indian Yogic posture.
MONUMENTALFEATURESOF
BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE
▪ The building typologies that developed out
of the Ashokan empire are
• Buddhist Stupas
• Stambhas
• Rock cut cavetemples
• Chaitya halls
• Viharas
MONUMENTALFEATURESOF
BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE
▪ Stupas: Irregular humble mound of rubbles that were piled over on the
sides of the roads to mark the sacred sites was transformed by the
Royal Builder Ashoka, into a hemispherical brick paved
tumulus(ancient burial mound).
▪ These tumulus were circular in plan elevation &section
▪ He decorated these stupas with ornamentation of Pali language
inscribing his righteous messages
▪ Stambhas: Inspired from the wooden totem poles of the primitive tribes,
Ashoka ordered the inscriptions to be carved on stone columns & were
set up at regular intervals on the pathways leading to the places of
Buddhist pilgrimage
▪ Columns of maximum 40’ length & weighing 50 tonnes were carved
out of single block ofsandstone at Chunnar, Bihar & transported to far
off places
▪ Once the column reaches the destination, the tapering top portion of the
shaft was varnished & polished to give mirror like lusture.
▪ At the top was mounted a large sculptured figure of an animal usually
lion proclaiming the dharma to the world
▪ Columns arise directly from earth or sometime from a circularbase
 BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE-STUPAS
▪ Stupas were built of
stones or bricks to
commemorate important
events or mark important
places associated with
Buddhism or to house
important relics of
Buddha.
▪ Ashok Maurya who laid
the foundation of this
group of monuments is
said to have built 84,000
stupas, most of which ▪ "One of the most striking architectural remains
have perished. of ancient India" and the earliest and largest of
▪ The best examples of the three stupas found in Sanchi was built by
stupas are those Ashoka (273-236 B.C.)
constructed at
Amaravati, Sanchi,
Barhut and Gaya.
 BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE-STHAMBAS
▪ Sthambas or Pillars with religious emblems were put up by pious
Buddhists in honour of Buddha or other great Buddhists.
▪ Fragments of sthambas belonging to Mauryan times and later
were found at Sanchi, Sarnath, Amaravati and Nagarjunkonda.
▪ These pillars were carved in two types of stone. Some were of the
spotted red and white sandstone from the region of Mathura, the
others of pale yellow - colored fine grained hard sandstone usually
with small black spots quarried in the Chunar near Varanasi.
▪ The uniformity of style in the pillar capitals suggests that they were
all sculpted by craftsmen from the same region.
▪ The pillars have four component parts. The shafts are always
plain and smooth, circular in cross-section, slightly tapering
upwards and always chiselled out of asingle piece of stone.
▪ The capitals have the shape and appearance of a gently arched
bell formed of lotus petals.
▪ The abacus is of two types: square and plain and circular and
decorated and these are of different proportions.
▪ The crowning animals are either seated or standing, always
chiseled as a single piece with the abacus
BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE-CHAITYAS
▪ Chaitya grihas or halls of worship were built all over
the country either of brick or excavated from rocks.
▪ Some of the most beautiful rock-cut caves are those at
Ajanta, ElIora, Bhaja, Karle, Bagh, Nasik and Kanheri.
▪ All in Maharashtra state are earlier excavations and
belong to the first phase or Hinayana creed of Buddhism
and are similar to the brick and wooden structures of
Ashokan times.
▪ Some of the chaityas show that wood had been used in
the roofing and entrance arches.
▪ The chaitya at Bhaja is a long hall 16.75 metres long and 8
metres broad with an apse at the end. The hall is divided
into a central nave and an aisle on either side flanked by
two rows of pillars. The roof is vaulted. The rock-cut stupa
in the apse is crowned by a wooden harmika. The chaitya
has a large arched torana or entrance with an arched
portico.
 BUDDHISTARCHITECTURE-VIHARAS
▪ Viharas or monasteries constructed with brick
or excavated from rocks are found in different
parts of India.
▪ Usually built to a set plan, they have a hall
meant for congregational prayer with a
running verandah on three sides of an open
courtyard surrounded by a row of cells and a
pillared verandah infront.
▪ These cells served as dwelling places for the
monks.
▪ These monastic buildings built of bricks were
self-contained units and had a Chaitya hall or
Chaitya mandir attached to a stupa - the chief
object of worship.
EXPANSIONOFMAURYANEMPIRE

MAGADHAEMPIRE500 BC NANDHAEMPIRE323 BC MAURYANEMPIRE320BC

MAURYANEMPIRE305BC MAURYANEMPIRE300 BC MAURYAN(ASHOKA)

EMPIRE265BC
ARCHITECTURALPRODUCTIONDURINGASHOKA’SPERIOD
▪ Chandragupta's grandson i.e.,
Bindusara's son wasAshokavardhan
Maurya, also known as Ashoka or
Ashoka The Great (ruled 273-232
BCE)
▪ 3rd century –when building art was
indistinctly visible.
▪ Ashoka ,the Mauryan emperor
ascended the throne & spread the
teachings of Buddha, he started to
develop the art and architecture of
the country.
▪ Principal contributions
▪ series of edicts inscribed on the
rocks, a number of tumuli or
stupas,
▪ certain monolithic
accessories to shirnes,
▪ the remains of a vast palace,
▪ a group of rock cut chambers.
ARCHITECTURALPRODUCTIONDURINGASHOKA’SPERIOD
❑ SIGINIFICANTELEMENTS
❑ Stupas –evidence of structural
significance.
❑ Monolithic pillars –evidence for
artistic qualities.
❑ Rock cut chambers –became
proof for the construction
technique.
❑ Palace - as a source of
architectural association.
❑ Pharaohs inscription –source of
inspiration for KingAshoka.
❑ In many parts of his empire, he
raised circular tumuli of brick –
Stupas
❑ Tohave ever lasting character ,
erected a free standing monolithic
columns, in the form of pillars, over
a wide area.
ARCHITECTURALPRODUCTIONDURINGASHOKA’SPERIOD
❑ 50’ high columns carries the Buddhist
emblem in itscapital.
❑ In 30 monolith two of them were with lion
capital in Bihar district .Other columns
were erected to mark the way to the holy
places
❑ Rock cut chambers were treated with high
lustrous polish resembling a fine enamel.
❑ The development of the art of working in
stone was introduced byAshoka which
was inspired from Greco –Persian
culture.
❑ He achieved the composite school of
architecture with Egyptian artists, Nile
craftsman, Greek masons.
ARCHITECTURAL PRODUCTION DURING ASHOKA’S PERIOD
❑ Each pillar consists of a plain
unornamented shaft ,circular in
section, from 30’ to 40’ height,
arising straight out of the ground
without any suggestion of a base,
tapering like the trunk of a tall palm
tree.
❑ At the top of the shaft which is 2’
feet in diameter is a campaniform
capital.
❑ Capitals and shaft of the column
are joined by a copper bolt
accurately fitted into the tenons
made for it without the use of
cement.
❑ Most of the structures consists of
figures of animals each of which
has a mythological meaning.
ARCHITECTURALPRODUCTIONDURINGASHOKA’SPERIOD
❑ All 4 animals are carved in relief on the
abacus. Elephant for east, horse of the south,
the bull for west ,the lion for the north.
❑ The wheel of order which the rig veda tells us
‘rolls around the heaven’.
❑ As works of art, ashokan pillars hold a high
place. they are boldly designed, finely
proportioned, well balanced , conceptions,
fulfilling the purpose for which they intended.
 ASHOKANPILLARS
▪ The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns
dispersed throughout the northern Indian
subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed with
edicts by the Mauryan kingAshoka
▪ Originally, there must have been many pillars but
only
nineteen survive with inscriptions.
▪ Averaging between 40’-50’in height, and weighing Pillar at VAISHALI
up to 50 tons each, all the pillars were quarried at
Chunar, just south of Varanasi and dragged,
sometimes hundreds of miles, to where they were
erected.
▪ Examples can be seen in
• Pillar at Sarnath
• Pillar at Vaishali
• Pillar at Allahabad Pillar at lumbini
• Pillar at Lumbini
• Pillar at Firoz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
(transported from Ambala, haryana by
Feroz Shah Tuqlaq)
ASHOKANPILLARATSARNATH
❑ The pillar at Sarnath is believed
to mark the site where Lord
Buddha preached his first
sermon.
❑ It is said to be place where
Buddha taught Dharma to five
monks.
❑ The pillar at Sarnath is made of
sandstone and is maintained in
proper shapeeven today.
❑ The appearance of the pillar is
quite imposing. At the base of
the pillar is an inverted lotus
flower which forms a platform
for the pillar.
 ASHOKANPILLARATSARNATH
❑ At the top of the pillar are four lions sitting
back
to back facing the four prime directions.
❑ Other illustrations on the pillar include the
DharmaChakra (Wheel) with 24 spokes which
can be seen on the Indian national flag as
well.
❑ All illustrations have their own meaning and
significance. There are four animals illustrated
onthe pillar. Theystand for the following:
❑ Elephant signifies Lord Buddha's
conception.
❑ Bull signifies the zodiac sign of Taurus
❑ The Horse stands for Kanthaka that originally erected Ashokan Pillar
(around 250 BCE) atop an Ashoka
Buddha rode when he departed from his Pillar at Sarnath.
palace to practice asceticism and attain
enlightenment.
❑ The Lion that is illustrated signifies the
attainment of enlightenment
ROCKCUTARCHITECTURE
▪ Also referred as Cave Architecture:
▪ Ashoka also patronised Ajivikas ascetics
apart from Buddhism.
▪ Ajivikas discarded the conventional timber
& brick structures (which symbolises
material value) and chose instead
habitable caves from mountainous sites
▪ With Chisels and hammers, structures in
wood & thatch were copied to stone.
▪ Circular cells resulted in hemispherical
domed roofs and rectangular cells resulted
barrel vaulted roof similar to that of Vedic
village
ROCKCUTARCHITECTURE
▪ Eg : 7 barabar caves, Orissa, Lomas
rishi cave 19’ diameter circular cell,
accessed by 33’ rectangular tunnel like
hall.
▪ The shape of the entrance arch
resembled the gable end of rural
dwelling
▪ The semicircular arch of the entrance
was crowned by ornamented vault
projections. The ornamentation was
usually a row of two elephants
approaching a stupa from each
direction.
SYMBOLISMOFSTUPA
▪ SYMBOLISM&STRUCTURALFUNCTION
▪ The overall built form of the Stupa has been bathed with
various elaborate geomatic, theological & philosophical
meanings
▪ Hemispherical anda –“ dome of heaven” / “ fixed
cosmic structure”
▪ Harmika –“ heaven of 33gods”
▪ The chatravasthi –the umbrella –“the world axis”
▪ Also harmika & chhatra are stylized visual descriptions
of famous bodhi tree surrounded by vedika
▪ Torana with a staggered opening ensuring a free &
private prathikshna path
 SANCHISTUPA

TAMILEZHILG ARCHITECTPLANNER HISTORYOFARCHITECTUREANDCULTUREII

LECTURESERIES,MIDAS2012
EVOLUTIONOF
SANCHISTUPA
SHUNGASDYNASTY
▪ After death of Ashoka, the inhibited Brahmins slowly started to become strong &
threw the last Mauryan king from throne & established the Shunga dynasty 185 BC
▪ The Buddhist monks who were in important positions during Mauryan period
began to retire from Urban power & started to settle down near sacredsites
▪ However the patronisation of Buddhism continued with the support of the
mercantile community
▪ Under this patronage, Sanchi began to expand and flourish both releigiously and
architecturally. Sanchi is 68kms north of Bhopal inMP
EVOLUTIONOF
SANCHISTUPA
▪ The initial stupa built by Ashoka. 70’ in diameter was enlarged to 120’ diameter for a
total height of 54’
▪ 16’ above the ground level, a prathikshna patha was introduced to be exclusively
used by Buddhist priests separating themselves from the common crowd.
▪ The crown of the hemispherical platform was flattened to a circular platform
comprising a three tired stone umbrella, placed inside a square enclosure –a low
stone fence
 EVOLUTIONOFSANCHISTUPA
▪ The timber fence was transferred to an elaborate stone fencing by merely
transferring all the timber features of vedic village into massive stone
sculptures
▪ Octagonal stone pillars of 18” in diameter & 9’ height were erected along
the circumbulatory path at 2’ distance between each other
▪ Spaces between these pillars were spanned by three, 2’ deep lense
shaped horizontals joined with the mortice &tenon jonts with the vertical
posts.
▪ These type of structures existed for the next 100 years
EVOLUTIONOF
SANCHISTUPA
▪ 34’ high toranas or the entry gates
were erected at the four cardinal
points marking the gateway to
stupas
▪ The difficulty on erecting a mortice
and tenon joint at that height made
them to introduce horizontal beams
resting on these vertical pillars.
▪ Three horizontal overhanging
beams with rich sculptural
ornamentation spanned the 20’
verticals
▪ These horizontal spaces between
the beams were filled with vertical
uprights of stone trellies –
jharokas.
CHAITYAHALLS
▪ Chaityas : In the process of maturing into a religion, Buddhism
borrowed certain sacrificial rites of Brahmins. Chaityas were referred
to small tumulis (built on the ashes of tribal chief) built in the middle of
grove of trees on both sides.
▪ This was adopted by Buddhists and tumulis were transferred as the
sacred spot of having Buddha’sashes.
▪ Buddhist monks retired from their wandering nature and began to
settle down around these Chaitya’s in temporary huts.
▪ Gradually Chaityas grew into Buddhist monasteries by the end of
Ashoka’s period.
▪ These Stupas & chaityas were so simple, very similar to the wayside
village shrines of today.
▪ By the end of Mauryan Dynasty, the built form of Buddhist religion was
related to white washed Stupas, decorated with prayer flags, protected
by wooden fence, allowing a circumbalotory path in between for the
monks to chant Buddhist philosophies.
CHAITYAHALLS
▪ Limitations in Great Stupas: open structure & need
for a prayer space for adverse weather conditions
▪ Ajvikas rock cut caves inspired them to chose the
hilly sites.
▪ A miniature stupa in enclosed long rectangular hall
▪ Circular stupa defined the apsidal end with a
circumbulatory path around it
▪ Roof –similar to barrel vaulted roof in timber
▪ Entire structure built in a raised plinth
DEVELOPMENTOFCHAITYAHALLS
▪ Twoparallel tunnels were carved till required depth.
▪ Timber wedges inserted into this & expansion of timber &
dislodged large chunks of stones which were removed
later.
▪ Hammers & ¼” chisels were the construction tools used.

▪ Horseshoeopeningwasornamentedwith timber trellis work

▪ Manyof the halls weredevelopednearAjanta caveswhich
increased gradually in volume & filled with rich
ornamentation & paintings.
▪ Thus the term ROCKCUTARCHITECTUREevolved & formed
the important charecteristic feature of buddhist
architecture.
CHAITYAHALL,KARLI
❑ Hinayana rock architecture reaches the
peak of excellence in the splendid
chaitya at Karli.
❑ The caves were first discovered in the
beginning of the 19th century.
❑ They are large halls divided into three, parts
- the central nave, apse and aisles on either
side separated by a row of columns.
❑ Aremarkable feature of these Chaityas
is the imitation of woodwork on rock.
❑ Beams and rafters were carved in the rock
though they serve no purpose.
❑ The central stupa has the harmika with
inverted stepped pyramid and an umbrella.
 CHAITYAHALL,KARLI

45
50
’

150’
▪ Access by stones carved out of the cave.
▪ Twomassive columns crowned with lion sculptures. Thefaçade
behind is rock cut, two storeyed screen of stately columns
▪ There are two solid octagonal columns and two pillars at the sides
which forms the vestibule. In front of these standing columns
stood a pair of simha stambhas ( lion pillar).
▪ Thecolumn with the bell shaped column surmounted by 4 lions
back to back resembles the lion pillar at saranath.
CHAITYAHALL,KARLI

▪ Rose window over a horse shoe archway

▪ Walls richly sculptured & flat surfaces
painted with Buddha’s legendry life
▪ At the end of the aisle, a sculpture of
Buddha is moulded into the hemispherical
profile of stupa
CHAITYAHALL,KARLI
❑ Above the screen rises a plain wall which
has now disappeared .
❑ On top of the plain wall stand dwarf
pillars,between which light penetrates
not only to the vestibule but through the
great Chaitya window of the façade to the
interior of the magnificent hall.
❑ The real façade of the Chaitya is
crowned by the great window in the
form of a horse shoe.
❑ Rest of the rock surface has the
sculptured figures with small replica of
Chaitya windows and railings above
them.
PERSPETIVE VIEW SHOWING THE INTERIOR & EXTERIOR OF CHAITYA HALL
CHAITYAHALL,KARLI
❑ Three entrances lead into the hall .
❑ The central one meant for the members of thesangha
had a raised pathway into thenave.
❑ 37 pillars adorn the interior of the hall. 30 of them richly
carved. each stands on a diminishing squares. on this
rest the pot like base which appears to hold the bottom
of the pillar.
❑ An inverted lotus capital with the ribbed element placed
inside the box above it crowns the octagonal columns.
❑ The abacus which repeats the form of the stepped base
but in reverse order, supports finely sculptured groups of
figures mounted on elephants and horses.
❑ The seven remaining pillars without base and capital
stands in the apse at the far end around the back of the
stupa.
VIHARAS
❑ Viharas or monasteries constructed
with brick or excavated from rocks are
found in different parts of India.
❑ Usually built to a set plan, they have a
hall meant for congregational prayer
with a running verandah on three sides
or an open courtyard surrounded by a
row of cells and a pillared verandah in
front.
❑ These cells served as dwelling places
for the monks.
❑ These monastic buildings built of bricks
were self-contained units and had a
Chaitya hall or Chaitya mandir attached
to a stupa - the chief object of worship.
 VIHARAS
❑ Some of the important Buddhist
viharas are those at Ajanta, Ellora.
Nasik, Karle, Kanheri, Bagh and
Badami.
❑ The Hinayana viharas found in these
places have many interesting features
which differentiate them from the
Mahayana type in the sameregions.
❑ Though plain from the point of view of
architecture, they are large halls with
cells excavated in the walls on three
sides.
❑ The hall has one or more entrances.
The small cells, each with a door have
one or two stone platforms to serve as
beds.
 VIHARAS
❑ The excavations of viharas at Nagarjunakonda
show large rectangular courtyards with stone-
paved central halls. Around the courtyard, the
row of •cells, small and big, suggest residences
and dining halls for monks.
❑ Twenty-five of the rock-cut caves of Ajanta are
viharas and are the finest of monasteries. The
finest of them. Cave 1, of the Mahayana type
consists of a verandah, a hall, groups of cells
and a sanctuary.
❑ It has a decorated facade. The portico is
supported by exquisitely carved pillars.
❑ The columns have a square base with figures of
dwarfs and elaborately carved brackets and
capitals.
❑ Below the capital is a square abacus with finely
carved makara motifs. The walls and the ceilings
of the cave contain the most exquisite paintings.
VIHARAS–Takht–I-bahai,Pakistan
 VIHARAS–Takht–I-bahai,Pakistan
❑ Takht means “throne” and
bhai means “water”.The Takht
Bhai was a Buddhist place in
ancient time.

❑ It was called Takht Bhai

because the Buddhist
monastery was on the top of
a mountain, and on the
mountain there was a stream.

❑ Now there is a small spring at

the place of the stream which
can be found at the bottom of
the mountain.
 VIHARAS–Takht–I-bahai,Pakistan
❑ The principal buildings are contained within a rectangle of approximately 200’ in
length,consists of votive stupas, small chapels and structural contributions.
❑ It comprises of
❑ A stupa court on the south
❑ The monastery on the north
❑ An intervening terrace for the reception
❑ To the west of the monastery is a conference or assembly hall.
VIHARAS–Takht–I-bahai,Pakistan

❑ The courtyard was an open quadrangle measuring 45’ by 55’

❑ In the center ,on a platform of 20’ side and 8’ high , rose the tall
tapering stupa, which with its six tiered umbrella, reached a total height
of 50’.
❑ an elegant stairway on the north side gave access to the platform for
circumbulation , but the ordinary processional path was around the
quadrangle at the base.
❑ Enclosing the court on three sides was a range of small chapels , each
containing a cell or niche.
❑ The cells or the monastery had unadorned walls protected by a
verandah .it had the stone bed for relaxing and a small niche to act as
shelf.