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Asoka Rule 2

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BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE

Architectural production under Asoka’s rule


Rock cut Caves at Barabar
Rock cut architecture in the Western and the Eastern Ghats
Egs. At Karle, Viharas at Nasik, Udaigiri, Gandhara
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
Sudama

Features of the Rock cut Caves: Lomas Rishi

The earliest egs. of rock cut method Viswajhopri


in India •3 on the Nagarjuni hill ½ mile NE
Exact copies of identical structures •Gopi or the Milkmaids cave is the largest of the
Gopika(Milkmaid)
group
in wood and thatch from the earlier
period •Tunnel like excavation rounded in the plan at Vahijaka
both ends
Quarried out of large boulder like •44’ x 19’ x 10’ at the apex with a vaulted roof
Vadalhika
masses of Quartzose Gneiss •Sitamarhi is another eg. 23 miles E of Gaya
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
PALACES – KUMRAHAR PATNA - 3rd c. BC

•Excavation at Kumrahar-South of patna reveal the existence of palaces


•From these excavations it was found that
•the palace was an aggregation of structures enclosed by a high brick wall
•Most important was the immense pillared hall 3 storied high with 250'
square
•15 pillars in 15 rows at 15' spacing
•Ceiling of one floor supported by colossal caryatid figures
•Each pillar 20" dia at base and tapering to 20' high.
•No base/capital
•Masons work inscribed similar to the ones in Persia
•Wooden beams- destroyed by fire
•Ashoka's palace inspired by
•Achaemenid's Palace of Persepolis
•Similar to the pillared hall-100 columns by Xerxes
•Bas relief’s representing figures supporting upper storey on their
raised
•doorway- apart of a large portico
•Figures as pillars used at Sanchi and Bodh gaya too
•Façade of Ashoks palace made of carved stone-now preserved at
the mathura museum
•was built during 1st century AD
•Contained two or more storey, each storey had an arcade of horse
shoe arches
•With bays in-between.
•Each bay has a hanging balcony supported on a pillar
•Central
HINAYANA / EARLY PHASE -2nd c BC – 2nd c. AD
Evolution of the Chaityas and the Viharas Two types of structures started making their
appearance by 2nd c. BC
These were the Chaitys – temple for rituals
Vihara – monastery for the priests
Salient features of the Chaitya:
•It is a Vaulted hall
•Consisting of a Colonnade
•An Aisle
•Central nave
•Stupa in the apsidal end
•Resembling Basilica of the Roman Empire
Evolution of the Chaitya: Chaitya grihas or halls of worship were built all over the
country either of brick or excavated from rocks.
•the appearance of the stupa as a symbolic object led to
Ruins are located in the districts of Srikakulam at
a kind of a building or a structure to house it
Salihundam, of Visahkapatnam at Kotturu, of West
•The ritual of circumambulation led to a portion of the Godavari at Guntapalli, of Krishna at Vijayawada, of
structure being circular in plan with a domical roof Guntur at Nagajunakonda and Amaravati belong to the
3rd century BC and later. The largest brick chaitya hall
•As the huts had originally been for the monks and the
was excavated at Guntapalli.
hermits the beehive huts with the conical roofs and thatch
Some of the most beautiful rock-cut caves are those at
were readily adapted
Ajanta, ElIora, Bhaja, Karle, Bagh, Nasik and Kanheri.
•Thus the rudimentary beginning of the chaitya hall is Some of the chunar sand-stone rock-cut chaityas of
evident in the caves at barabar in the Asokan period Bhaja. Kondane. Karle and Ajanta, all in Maharashtra
state are earlier excavations and belong to the first phase
•The inner cells of the Lomas rishi and Sudama were
or Hinayana creed of Buddhism and are similar to the brick
adapted to place the Stupa
and wooden structures of Ashokan times
HINAYANA / EARLY PHASE -2nd c BC – 2nd c. AD
Evolution of the Chaityas and the Viharas

Salient features of the Chaitya:


•Square central hall
•Vestibule in front of the door
•From the central hall to the cells
•High level priest called the Bodhisatvas- had separate cells as in Karli
•Style of architecture - wooden replications
•Lot of wood was attached to the surfaces
•Quarry man was the chisel man
•Quarried from top to bottom to avoid scaffolding

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 :
•hall meant for congregational prayer
•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.

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 same regions. 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.
HINAYANA / EARLY PHASE -2nd c BC – 2nd c. AD
Evolution of the Chaityas and the Viharas
Earlier the huts of the monks were grouped around an open
space to form the first monasteries
Evolution of the Vihara:
•An arrangement of a series of cells enclosing the 3 sides of
an open courtyard
•The other side is left open for the entrance
•Spatial planning:
• rooms normally opened onto an interior quadrangle
with the backs forming an outside wall
•This maintained the privacy and security
•An inside verandah was added along the perimeter of
the square for the monks
•A number of viharas are attached to a chaitya
hallresembling cloisters in the abbey church of the west
•Built mainly of wood and other perishable materials
•Evidence from bas reliefs
•Frequently a 2 storeyed structure, barrel vault, horse
shoe gable ends, light admitted through dormer windows
•Outer façade containing an entrance with woodwork,
including a pillared portico supporting a balcony- view
processions and ceremonie
•Modest structures of utilitarian character changing
character in the Mahayana Phase

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