3. Architecture
Of the visual arts of ancient and medieval
India much architecture and sculpture have
survived.
The bricks building of the Harappan culture
were utilitarian , strong and competent
though they had little aesthetic merit.
4. Megasthenes mentions that the palace of
Chandragupta Maurya which was large and
luxurious was built of carved and gilded wood.
Indian building in the mauryan period were not
mean or primitive though they lacked a variety
material . In the medieval period , the adoption
of stones as a building medium was due to
foreign contacts.
5. The craftsmen learnt their work from Persia
and Greece.
In this presentation we will study about the
various styles adopted in making temples,
the differences in the architectural styles of
north and south , the Mughal school of
architecture and regional influences.
6. There is an architectural difference
between the temples of the north
and those of the south
The 2 different styles are:
NAGARA DRAVIDA
7. Nagara
in the nagara style temples the tower
(shikhara) of the temple is an inverted
beehive shaped in structure with a bulge in
the middle.
the temples are usually surrounded by
enclosures or boundary walls.
the plan is based on a square but the walls
are sometimes broken up to give a circular
impression
8. the exterior of the nagara type of temples is
characterized by horizontal tiers of layers
eg Khajuraho temples
The khajuraho temple have an entrace hall
or mandapa and a holy place or garbha griha.
The porch and hall have pyramidal roof made
of several horizontal layers
10. Dravida
in the dravida type temples the tower of the
temple is pyramidal in shape and is
composed of a series of tiers or layers that
diminish in size as they ascend.
the temple has many storeys each of which
is smaller than the one below.
it has an enclosure and a gateway called
gopuram.
eg Kailashnath Temple
11. The world famous kailashnath temple is a
marvelous specimen of Rashtrakutas
architecture. It is a rock cut temple and has
four parts
the body of the temple
the entrance gate
the main Nandi shrine
a group of five shrine surrounding the
courtyard
13. The Central
Indian or
Vessara style of
Architecture
14. Vessara is also a style of Indian architecture
primarily used in temples this style contains
elements of both Dravida and Nagara style.
The trend was started by Chalkyas of
Badami who built temples in a style that was
essentially a mixture of the Nagara and
Dravida styles further refined by the
Rashtrakutas and Chalukya of Kalyani.
16. Alu-ud-din khilji , a great builder enlarged
the quwat-ul-islam mosque in Delhi and
added a gateway called Alai Darwaza. It has
decorative windows and arched recesses. The
gateway is a square structure and has a low
dome over it.
He built a new city of Siri (in Delhi) and
embellished it with attractive buildings. He
also constructed a new tank here. It was
called hauz khas. Ferozshah tughlaq built
many cities eg Firozabad , etc
18. The Mughal age is famous for its cultural
developments and has been called the
‘Second Classical Age’ the first being Gupta
age in northern India. The Mughals brought
with them the Turko-Iranian cultural
traditions which gave rise to the composite
Mughal culture.
19. Three most important aspects are
Mughal Culture was largely secular in nature.
In this growth and enrichment of this culture
, people from different parts of India and
outside contributed equally.
the cultural norms which the Mughals
introduced in India in the field of architecture
, painting , music , etc deeply influenced the
future course of India culture.
20. Mughal Architecture
Mughal architecture blended the Persian
and Indian styles. Graceful domes, small
domes at the corners standing on pillars, a
huge palace hall and vaulted gateway are
some of the salient features of Mughals
architecture. The new style of building
mausoleums in the middle of park like
enclosures and double domes was
introduced by the Mughals.
22. Shah Jahan was popularly called the
engineer king and the prince of builders.
Moti Masjid and the Taj Mahal and the Red
Fort and Jama Masjid are some of his famous
buildings.
27. the provincial governors and independent
rulers, besides the Delhi sultans, were also great
builders of their capitals and forts. Ahmad Shah
of Gujarat founded the Tin Darwaza and the
Jama Masjid. The Tin Darwaza is a Triumphal
gateway.
the Bahmani rulers erected many buildings
which are founded at Gulbarga, Bidar and
Bijapur. These buildings have a distinct persian
styles.
28. Ancient Period
in the ancient period Buddhism, Jainism,
Saivism and vaishnavism strove to grow
independently with distinct entities in term
of architectural design and the execution of
structure.
Each dynasty brought with itself different
styles and techniques that enriched Indian
architecture further and helped it reach its
zenith.
