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Indian
Architecture and Sculpture |
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Indian
Architecture is as ancient as the history of civilization. The
remains of the buildings in India belongs to the third millennium in the Indus
Valley cities. These cities are among the man’s earliest attempts to
built the urban environment. "The Great Baths of Mohenjodaro" are
some of the significant examples of architecture. Later, the
Vedic period was marked by the unspecified pastoral settlements
of mud, thatch, bamboo and timber in the valleys of Ganga and Saraswati.
Even though the examples of perishable timber structures
of that period are not available, but the facts are based on evidences left by
successive
Buddhist sculptures of the 2nd and 3rd
century BC. These sculptures depict the episodes from the life of
Buddha, in the architectural setting of the Vedic period.
The story of Indian art begins with Harappan culture. The Harappans were great builders, skilled in town planning. The houses with the various facilities, the
granaries, the Great Bath, show how skilful and efficient the people were in construction. The terracotta and stone images, the bronze figure of the dancing
girl and the artistic seals reveal the exquisite workmanship of the artists. |
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The Hindu
Temples are the most unique temples among the India’s prehistoric monuments.
The Indian temples were built mostly at the
places which could be approached by a large number of
people, like at
centers of pilgrimage, near a
river, lake or a man-made tank as the water was needed by
the worshippers for ablutions. The symbolic meaning can be
viewed in the architecture of the temple with its three
elements, namely, the base, the walls and the spire, which
correspond to Earth, Space and Heaven. In
other words, it represents the Feet, the Body and the Head of the Cosmic
Man. The temple is regarded as the Universe in microcosm where devotees make
offerings to the god enshrined within the temple. These
temples, either large or small, can be easily recognized by
the typical pyramidal spire, which can be easily seen in the
temples of South India. Kanchipuram, Madurai, Srirangam,
Rameshwaram are the famous pilgrimage centres in the South
India. In the North, these temples can be compared only with
the Hindu temples situated in Varanasi, one of the famous
ancient and holiest city of the Hindus. The Hindu temples were destroyed
by the Muslim invaders, and presently Varanasi has hardly any
monuments left that were built in the ancient past.
The occurrence of floods also added to the devastation. Some
of the famous temples which have survived in North India are
located in isolated places like the Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh,
and Bhubhaneshwar and Konark in Orissa.
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The religion Buddhism
became the principal religion of India
around the 2nd to 3rd century BC.
In this era, stone was also introduced for the first time in Indian
art and architecture. The Buddhist Stupas are supposed
to be much older than the Hindu temples. The Stupas are mound-shaped and preserve the relics either of the
Buddha or of a great figure of the Buddhist church.
Since the Stupas are identified with
the subtle body of the Buddha, so they are comparable to
a
temple. In the initial stage, the stupa evolved into an
elaborate structure with beautiful sculpture enhancing
the encircling balustrades and the gateways. The Stupa
at Sanchi is one of the finest and impressive example
of the sculptures, that belongs to the 3rd century BC.
Incidents from the life of Buddha are illustrated together with the various deities of the
folk religion.
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Another artistic achievement of this period is the famous stupa at Sanchi. In every stupa there was a small camber in which a casket with relics of
the Buddha or the Buddhist monks were placed. The surface of the stupa was generally built of bricks with a thick layer of plaster. The stupa was crowned
by an umbrella of stone. The monument was surrounded by a fence with a path provided for Pradakshina (circumambulation). The original stupas were
enlarged and beautified from time to time. The Sanchi stupa which still stands intact is a well-preserved and splendid monument. A number of lesser stupas
and other buildings such as monasteries and rest-houses are found in and around the main stupa.
The stupa at Sanchi as it stands today has stone railings and gateways around it. These were added later after the Mauryas. The gateways are a
very striking feature. There are four gateways at the four cardinal points and they contain very lively and beautifully carved panels. In these panels are
depicted events from the life of the Buddha and details from the Jataka stories. They also depict a landscape of trees and floral designs, groups of animals
and birds, beautiful figures of yakshas and yakshinis, and men and women. Thus the Sanchi reliefs present the story of the Buddha and provide glimpses
into Indian life through clear, simple and dramatic scenes.
The Buddha is depicted in these panels not through his image but through the use of various symbols; for example, the horse represents his
‘renunciation’, the ‘boddhi’ tree his enlightenment. |
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In the field of rock-cut architecture,
the remarkable Buddhist monuments were built in the Indian
States of Bihar and Maharashtra.
The Buddhist monks enlarged and altered the caves in the hillside, and also
excavated the great and extraordinary prayer halls and monasteries out of huge cliffs.
Despite the use of the rock-cut mode, the plan and elevation of these caves
closely resemble the earlier brick and wood buildings. The monk architects
who
carved the caves introduced windows, balconies and huge arch-shaped
openings. They also added a unique distinction to the Indian traditional architecture.
The Rock - Cut Architecture is a unique addition to the
Indian art.
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The ancient remains
of the Indus valley culture discovered
in India, are those of the Mauryan period
which existed between 322-185 BC. The best specimen of the Mauryan
stone sculpture, which can be seen in many museums of
India, had a rare feeling for monumental form and royal power.
The sculpture has an exquisite finish and a brilliant
polish that has not lost its shine even after many years of
existence. Among Mauryan sculptures is the Lion Capital in the
Sarnath Museum
which has been adopted as the State seal of India. Numerous Several
Buddhist as well as Jain stupas were also built at Mathura during the rule of the
KUSHAN from 1st-2nd century. Buddhism's deep impact in the
south is evident from the remains of the
great stupas of AMRAVATI and NAGARJUNAKONDA. The
sculptor’s art is accomplished on marble in bas-relief and
holds great animation and nervous energy. The crowded scenes
depict the social life of earlier times and often relate
the inspirational tales of life of the Buddha.
The Mauryan period was a period of economic prosperity, important development in religious thinking and
practice and also one of remarkable artistic achievements. Megasthenes, who came to India as the ambassador of the Greek ruler Seleucus, described the palace of Chandragupta Maurya in glowing terms. It was large and luxurious and built of carver wood. The earliest stone buildings were based on wooden
models.
The monolithic pillars of Ashoka on which are inscribed his famous edicts are the great monuments of the Mauryan age. Some scholars trace
these pillars to the influence of Persia. The most striking feature of these pillars is the finely carved capital with magnificent animal figures. We are all
familiar with Sarnath lion capital which forms part of India’s National Emblem. The Rampurva Bull capital is one of the best specimens of animal sculpture.
The polish and smoothness of these pillars are amazing.
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The Cave architecture expanded a lot during the Buddhist period (3rd century BC). Its finest specimens can be found in the hills of the western coast where
the quality of the rock made them suitable for excavation. The caves, mostly in groups, were independent
monastic establishment with rooms for monks to live ,and temples where the Buddha was worshipped The great cave at Karla is
probably the finest of the cave temples. Massive in size, its interior
illuminated by soft light from a large window brings in the feeling of
generosity and peace in the mind of the visitor. The sculpture, comprising human
couples, is characterized by free rhythm, grace and elegance. The Hindus developed Cave architecture in a later
period and the great cave temples at BADAMI, ELEPHANTA and ELLORA are outstanding monuments. The MAHESMURTI of ELEPHANTA near Mumbai, representing Shiva in his three aspects of
Creator, Preserver and Destroyer, has been declared by many people as the finest and extravagant single piece of Indian sculpture. The great Buddhist,
Hindu and Jain rock temples of ELLORA strive with one another in brilliance and size, and the most incredible being the KAILASH TEMPLE belonging to the
8th century. Entirely made out of a rock, it has the appearance of a small man-made mountain. |
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The Golden Age of
Indian art -The Gupta Period |
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The Temple
sculptures
reached near perfection in the Gupta period (AD 320-495) and
this era was known as "The
Golden Age of Indian Art". But, the temple architecture was
yet to be developed. The figures of Gods and Goddesses carved
during this period have liveliness and grace and are immersed in
spiritual feeling. In the DASAVATRA TEMPLE at Deogarh, Hindu
iconography was given a form which it possesses even to this
day. Fine images of Hindu deities | | | | |
