Stupas architecture abhishek abhinav sagar

1. BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
(STUPAS)

2. Introduction To Buddhism
• Buddhism(Pali/Sanskrit:
Bauddha Dharma) —
religion and philosophy
encompassing a variety
of traditions, beliefs and
practices, largely based
on teachings attributed
to Siddhartha Gautama,
commonly known as
the Buddha “the
awakened one”.
• Buddhism began as an
offspring of Hinduism in
the country of India.
The founder was
Siddhartha Gautama.
• Siddhartha Gautama
was born in
approximately 560 B.C.
in northern India

3. Introduction To Buddhism
• The Buddha's threefold
training is similar to the
threefold grouping of
the Noble Eightfold
Path.
• VIRTUE – Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
MIND - Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
WISDOM - Right View
Right Intention

4. Buddhist Architecture
• Principal place of early Buddhist worship is the stupa.
Mound shaped shrine with no interior.
• A stupa is a reliquary and worshipers gain spiritual
merit through being in close proximity to its contents.
• Buddhists pray while walking around stupa in an
easterly direction (direction of sun’s course).
• Central mast at top of stupa with 3 umbrella shapes
(Chatras). Symbolizes three jewels of Buddhism
(Buddha, Law, and the community of monks).

5. • The Buddhist architecture has its root deeply
implanted in the Indian soil- the birthplace of
the Buddha's teachings.
• The Buddhist architecture began with the
development of various symbols, representing
aspects of the Buddha's life (563 BCE - 483 BCE).
• Indian emperor Ashoka, not only established
Buddhism as the state religion of his large
Magadh empire, but also opted for the
architectural monuments to spread Buddhism in
different places.

6. • The major features of
this style are
Stupas
stambhas
chaitayas
viharas
• these have been mere
spectators of different
eras quietly speaks
about the phases of
the Buddhist stages.

8. Sanchi Stupa

9. Sanchi Stupa

10. Chaitya Hall

11. Bamayan Buddhas

13. STUPA
• A stupa is a mound-like
structure containing
buddhist relics, typically
the remains of Buddha,
used by Buddhists as a
place of worship.
• These stupas are the
circular tumuli built of
earth, covered with stone
or brick, the plan,
elevation, section and the
total form of which were
all derived from circle.
Stupa become a cosmic symbol in response
to a major human condition: death. With
the enlightenment of the Buddha, stupa
became a particularly buddhist symbol.

14. SANCHI STUPA
• there are mainly
three main stupas
on the top of the
sanchi hill which
rise about 100m
above the plain.
• Of the three stupa
the biggest one is
known as the great
stupa.

15. THE GREAT STUPA, SANCHI
•The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the
oldest stone structure in India and
was originally commissioned by the
emperor Ashoka the Great in the
3rd century BCE.
•Its nucleus was a simple
hemispherical brick structure built
over the relics of the Buddha.
•It was crowned by the chatra, a
parasol-like structure symbolizing
high rank, which was intended to
honour and shelter the relics.
•It has four profusely carved
ornamental gateways and a
balustrade encircling the whole
structure.

16. •DOME- is a solid brick-work
32.32m in diameter and 12.8m
high.
•The dome has a slight ‘crushed’
profile at top and was
surmounted by HARMIKA with a
central triple UMBRELLA.
•The facing of the dome consists
of dry masonry composed of
hammer dressed stones laid in
even courses.
•The terrace 4.87m high from
ground was added thus creating a
separate and upper
AMBULATORY passage 1.8m wide
access to which was provided by
a double staircase with high
BALUSTRADE, on the south side
Plan and elevation

17. •There are four
gateways known as
‘TORANAS’ at the
cardinal points to the
compass and are slightly
staggered from the
railing enclosing stupa.
•The ambulatory or
pradakshina path is
fenced by railing 3.35m
high all around the
stupa.
•Outside the railing
there once stood the
famous ashoka pillar,
the fragments of which
are noticed now to the
right of southern torana

18. Axonometric drawing

19. Diff b/w a temple and stupa

20. TORANA
•Toranas, the entrance to the
ambulatory were accepted as the
traditional type of ceremonial potals
and excel the array of architectural
embellishment.
•Torana consists of two square uprite
columns with capital of lion or elephant
heads denoting strength.
•These columns support three separate
horizontal panels between each of
which is a row of ornamental balusters.
•These panels are supported by
atlantean figures, a group of dwarfs,
lions and elephant.
•The total height of this erection is
somewhat 10.36m with a width of 3m

21. •The authentic examples of these pillars are those which king Ashoka set up to
bear inscriptions conveying to his subjects the leading doctrines of the new faith
he had adopted, Buddhism. These are sturdy, finely proportional and properly
balanced religious sign posts
ASHOKA PILLARS
•The pillar at sarnath more than 15m high has
a group of four addoresed lions with flowing
manes, surmounting the capital.
•These lions originally supported a massive
metal wheel with 24 spokes called ‘wheels of
the law’.
•The capital more than 2m high resembles the
shape of a inverted bell or lotus bub with
series of fluted petals.
•Above the capital is the abacus which is
circular, having broad edge carves with
ornamental borders, containing four figure of
animals alternate with the four small wheels

22. RAILING OR VEDICA
•The vedica or railing consists of
upright octagonal plan 45cm in
diameter spaced at 60 to 90cm
from each other and connected
by three lens shaped
horizontals called ‘suchi’ or
needles 60cm deep being
threaded through the holes of
the upright.
•The top horizontal bar is
provided with coping to drain
out rain water.

23. Dhamek Stupa,Sarnath(500BCE)

24. Tibetan Stupa(Chorten)

26. 8 Types of Tibetan Stupas
STUPA OF HEAPED LOTUSES
Commemorates the Buddha’s birth at Lumbini, where he
took seven steps in each of the four directions, from
which lotuses spang
STUPA OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Commemorates his Enlightenment under the bodhi
tree at Bodhgaya.

27. STUPA OF MANY DOORS OR GATES
Commemorates the Buddha’s first turning of the
Wheel of Dharma in the Deer Park at Sarnath near
Varanasi.
STUPA OF MIRACLES
Commemorates the Buddha’s miraculous defeat of
the non-Buddhists (tirthika)in the Jetvana Grove at
Shravasti.

28. STUPA OF DESCENT FROM THE GOD
REALM
Commemorates the summer retreat that the Buddha
spent teaching the reincarnation of his mother in the
heavenly realm of Tushita, and his descent from
this realm at the city of Sankasya.
STUPA OF RECONCILIATION
Commemorates the Buddha’s reconciliation of
the disputing factions within the Sangha at
Veluvana bamboo grove at Rajagriha.

29. STUPA OF PARINIRVANA
Commemorates the Buddha’s passing away
beyond sorrow between two sal trees at the city
of Kushinigara.
STUPA OF COMPLETE VICTORY
Commemorates the Buddha’s prolonging of his
life by three months at the city of Vaisali, when
he was 80 years of age.

30. THANK YOU
PRESENTED BY
ABHISHEK
ABHINAV
SAGAR