•INFLUENCES

I.Geographical

~ N-barriers of high mountain ranges

~ E-bay of Bengal
~ passes in the NW and NE : influenced from Persia and
Western Asia
~ few good harbors
~ Indus and Ganges (great rivers of the north) and their
tributaries provided
tradeways
~ Delhi – capital for over a thousand years
~ Karachi, Pakistan – gateway to the Indus Valley
~ Islamabad – capital of Pakistan
 I.Geological
~ Indus and Ganges : lack of building
stone
~ Northern mountain ranges
~ white marble, red and cream
~ sandstone used as facing material
~ horizontal rock strata : rock cut
sanctuaries
~ Riverine planes
~ lime
 I.Climatic
~ heavy rainfall (May- August monsoon season)
~ warm and humid hot summers and cold winters

Historical and Social

~ successive military and economic inclusions from

2000 B.C.- 19TH century
~ contact with Persian, Graeco-Roman Moslem,
Portugese, French English
 I.Religious
~ religion impinged more strongly and continually on everyday life
thn was
normal in the west

RELIGIONS IN INDIA

HINDUISM

Hinduism- chief religion of India

oldest living religion in the world
worship of many gods that represent powers in nature, such as rain, sun, etc.
belief in divinities that appear in separate forms
worship of animals (cows, monkeys, snakes) and various local and regional
saints
individual worship
temples have many shrines each for a particular divinity
temples have shrines devoted to the chosen family divinity

Brahman – universal spirit that made up of three divinities

Brahma (creator of universe)

Vishnu ( preserver )
Shiva ( destroyer )
JAINISM
Jainism - 6th century B.C.
•Indian Swastika symbol
•Nataputta Vhardmana ( Indian prince ) a.k.a. Vardmana
Mahariva/great hero turned his life to self-denial and
ascetism; contemporary of Gautama Buddha
Ascetism- cycle of birth, death, rebirth
•Salvation of the soul could be achieved by extreme self
denial
•Self denial- being non-materialistic; simple life; poverty
•Ahimsa- non violence to living things
BUDDHISM
Buddhism - ca. 500 B.C.
•Siddarta Gautama a.k.a. Buddha (enlightened one) ;
contemporary of Mahariva; prince; born in May 623
•Dharma/ teachings e.g. existence is a continuing cycle of
life and rebirth: each person’s position and well-being in life
is determined by his/her behavior in previous lives, as long
as people remain within the cycle of life and death, they can
never be completely free from pain and suffering; breakout
of the cycle can be achieved by eliminating attachment to
worldly things, thereby gaining perfect peace and happiness
(nirvana).
Four schools of Buddhism
•Mahayana (greater vehicle) - emphasizes in Buddha teaching that truth
and salvation is for everyone whereverin
•Hinayana (lesser vehicle) - Theravada
- way of the elders
- practice in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand,
Cambodia, Laos
- emphasis – gaining wisdom by removing
things/materials
- monk - devotes self to meditation and study in
Monastery
•Mantrayana; Tibetan; Lamaism - comes from mantra- series of syllables
without meaning that is suppose to recite
over and over
- dalai lama - spiritual leader of Tibetan
Buddhist
- prominent use of mantra
•Zen / Cha’n - derived from Sanskrit word “dhyana” which means
meditation
- popular in Japan and China
- One can attain enlightenment in meditation
- effect of meditation is achieved in many ways
•ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

• Jain Architecture
- rock-cut architecture
- plan: central shrine covered by a dome
or spire and introduced by a
pillared portico
- particular attention was paid to the
siting and environment of their
monuments, creating temple cities on
sacred mountains
- elaborate carved stonework
 • Buddhist Architecture
- stupas (sacred mounds), monasteries and chaityas
(meeting halls)
designed for congregational use
- What makes the stupa sacred?
Chamber - relics of person who achieved nirvana
- at the center/small box
- relics/ remains/ bones/ teeth/ hair
- rock-cut chaityas had wooden roofs covered with thatch
- decorative detail emphasizes structure
- restrained ornamentation in terms of character and extent
- painted wall decoration widely used
- Buddhist sativa
- vihara – Hindu and Jain monasteries
- stambaths
• Hindu Architecture
• - fundamental plan: consists of ka small
unit shrine (garba-griba) crowned
• with a spire-shaped (sikhara), roof formed
of horizontal courses of stone
• and introduced by one or more porch-like
halls (mandap) used for
• religious dancing and music
• - sanctuary (vimana) as a whole is the
object/worship
Pancha Bhoota or Pancha Maha-Bhoota
(Sanskrit: पञ्चभूत, पञ्चमहाभूत ) , five great
elements, also five physical elements, is a
group of five basic elements, which,
according to Hinduism, is the basis of all
cosmic creation.These elements are: Prithvi
(Hindi: पृथ्वी, Earth), Apas/Jal (Hindi: जल,
Water), Agni(Hindi:अग्नि, Fire), Vayu (Hindi:
वायु, Air), Aakash(Hindi: आकाश, Aether).
These elements have different
characteristics and these also account for
different faculties of human experience. In
ayurveda and Indian philosophy, the human
body is considered to be made of these five
elements.However, Cārvāka did not accept
Akash as basic element as it is not tangible
and according to him, there are only four
basic elements.[3] Buddhism also accepts
four basic elements and Akash is left out.
These five elements of Indian cosmological
system are similar but not identical to five
element theory used in East Asia.
Five important elements of Vastu Vastu Shastra

EARTH (Bhumi) - Earth, the third planet in order from the sun, is a big magnet
with North and South poles as centers of attractions. Its magnetic field and
gravitational force has considerable effects on everything on the Earth, living and
non-living.
WATER (Jal) - This is represented by rain, river, sea and is in the form of liquid,
solid (ice) and gas (steam, cloud). It forms part of every plant and animal. Our
body is mostly water.
AIR (Vayu) - As a life supporting element, air is a very powerful life source.
Human physical comfort values are directly and sensitively dependent on correct
humidity, air flow, temperature of air, air pressure, air composition and its content.
FIRE (Agni) - Represents light and heat which account for day, night, the
seasons, energy, enthusiasm, passion and vigour.
SPACE (Akasha) - The Akasha provides shelter to all the above elements. It is
also considered the primary conductor of all energy sources within the universal
context – physical energies such as sound and light, social energies such as
psychological and emotional, and cognitive energies such as intellect and
intuition.
Stambha-In Indian architecture, a Shikhara-It is the tower of a Hindu temple,
freestanding memorial pillar bearing usually tapered convexly and capped by an
the carved inscriptions, religious amalaka
emblems, or a statue.
 Vihara -A Buddhist monastery in Indian
Torana-An elaborately carved, ceremonial architecture, often excavated from solid
gateway in Indian Buddhist and Hindu rock, consisting of a central pillared
architecture, having two or three lintels chamber surrounded by a veranda onto
between two posts which open small sleeping cells.
Ashram-It is a house for resting in Indian Manasthamba-t is a pillar that is often
architecture. constructed in front of Jain temples
Gambhara- is the main part of a Jain Pradakshina-What is the
temple called in which there is the stone circumambulatory pathway made of
carved God idol stone around the shrine
CHAITYA is a Buddhist shrine or prayer Commemorative Stupa-It is a stupa built
hall with a stupa at one end to commemorate events in the lives of
Buddha or his disciples.
Mahastupa -It is called The Great Stupa Durga-is the Indian term for Fort
made of masonry and located in
.SANCHI,INDIA completed in 250 BC
EVOLUTION OF PAGODA
Derasar is a word used for a Jain temple Ratha -A Hindu temple cut out of solid
across India rock to resemble a chariot.
Murti is a representation of a divinity, made Diwan-i am -In architecture of the
usually of stone, wood, or metal, which Indian sub-continent, it is a hall for
serves as a means through which a divinity public meetings
may be worshipped
STUPA-is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (śarīra
- typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place
of meditation

Relic stupa, in which the relics or remains of the Buddha, his disciples, and
lay saints are interred.
Object stupa, in which the items interred are objects belonged to the
Buddha or his disciples, such as a begging bowl or robe, or important
Buddhist scriptures.
Commemorative stupa, built to commemorate events in the lives of
Buddha or his disciples.
Symbolic stupa, to symbolise aspects of Buddhist theology; for example,
Borobudur is considered to be the symbol of "the Three Worlds (dhatu) and
the spiritual stages (bhumi) in a Mahayana bodhisattva's character."[11]
Votive stupa, constructed to commemorate visits or to gain spiritual
benefits, usually at the site of prominent stupas which are regularly visited.
Bhumi -It is the horizontal relief of a shikhara or temple tower.

Amalaka-The bulbous, ribbed stone finialof a shikhara in Indian architecture.

Mulanayak The main deity of a Jain temple

Tirtha (IAST: Tīrtha) is a Sanskrit word that means "crossing place, ford", and
refers to any place, text or person that is holy.[It particularly refers to pilgrimage
sites and holy places in Hinduism as well as Jainism.

In Jainism, a tīrtha (Sanskrit: तीर्थ "ford, a shallow part of a body of water that
may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the
four sections of the sangha. A tirtha provides the inspiration to enable one to
cross over from worldly engagement to the side of moksha.

Vedika -It is a hall for reading the Vedas

 stupa - Buddhist memorial mound erected to enshrine a relic of Buddha
and to
commemorate some event or mark a sacred spot. Modeled on a
funerary
tumulus, it consists of an artificial dome-shaped mound raised on a
platform,
surrounded by an outer ambulatory with a stone vedika and four
toranas, and crowned by a chattri.
- The name for the stupa in Ceylon is dagoba and in
Tibet and Nepal, chorten.
- also called tope.
chattri - an umbrella-shaped finial symbolizing dignity, composed of a stone
disk on a vertical pole.

torana – an elaborately carved ceremonial gateway in Indian Buddhist and

Hindu architecture, having two or three lintels between two posts.

vedika – a railing enclosing a sacred area, as a stupa.

anda – hemispherical dome raised on a medhi (circular platform)

medhi – circular platform

sopanas – two stairways

pradakshina – upper and lower passageways for the rite of circumbulation

Tirtha (Hinduism) Tirtha (Jainism)
 Islamic Influences
in Indian Art & Architecture

95
Outside of Rumi’s Shrine

96
Rumi’s tomb & decorative surroudings

97
domed ceiling
over the tomb

98
Akbar’s audience hall at Fatehpur (late 16th CE)

99
Akbar’s tomb (finished 1613)

100