ANCIENT - ART AND CULTURE

CAVE ARCHITECTURE:

 First known example - mauryan age  Ashoka - stupas and chaitya halls lost their original form  Prominent - chaitya halls with inscriptions of Asoka and Dasaratha

CAVES:

SUDAMA / NYAGODH CAVE:  Barabar hills  Ashoka to Ajivikas  Rectangular chamber connected to circular chamber  Earliest example of rock cut method - exact translation of Wood carving on stone

LOMASA RISHI CAVE:  Nagarjuni hills  Mauryan period  Frieze of elephants

BHAJA CAVE:  Oldest deccan cave  Deep upsidal wall  Octagonal pillars  Curved ribs- barrel vaulting of wooden buildings  Gate- façade like a gable  End - small stupa

KARLE CAVE:  Great chaitya hall  Pillars - square stepped plinth  Capitals of horses/elephants to support roof which has ribs to Represent barrel vaulting  Gate - carvings and large window  Sangharama - monastery

ELLORA CAVE:  Cut by the buddhists

ELEPHANTA CAVE:  Trimurthi of shiva

Culture-Architecture Page 1 ELEPHANTA CAVE:  Trimurthi of shiva

CAVE TEMPLE OF MANDAGAPATTU:  Built by Mahendravarman I

PANCHA PANDAVA CAVE:  Mamallapuram  Bas relief

ARJUNA PENACE:  Also known as descent of ganga  Built by pallavas

UDAYAGIRI AND KANDHAGIRI CAVES OF ORISSA  Built by jains  Hathi gumpha, rani gumpha and ganesha gumpha caves

• Rock cut caves - barabar and nagarjuni hills - earlest example is sudama cave • Nagarjuni hills - 3 caves discovered - dedicated to monks of ajivika sect by dasaratha(grandson of Asoka) - largest cave is Gopi cave or milkmaid's cave - reactangular hall with barrel vaulted roof and with circular ends

CAVE ARCHITECTURE DURING THE GUPTA PERIOD:

Culture-Architecture Page 2 1) CHAITYA CAVE NUMBER 19 OF AJANTA GROUP  Gupta age  Entrance- flat roof - 4 pillars - huge chaitya window- separated by cornice  Wood - discarded  Aisle pillar pin side - beautiful motifs  Buddha figure inside - mahayana school to chaitya architecture

2) VIHARA CAVE NUMBER 16 & 17  Harisena - vakatak king  65 ft square - 20 pillars - 6 residential cells for monks  2 - end of verandah and 2-back  Between cells - rectangular sanctuary with buddha sitting in Pralambapada posture:feel hanging down  Pillars - not alike  Inscription - chiatya mandira  Cave 17 similar to 16 except wheel of life "bhava chakra"

3) CAVE TEMPLE AT UDAIGIRI  Near sanchi- gupta period  Front - Rock cut shrine chamber and pillared portico  Façade - 4 pillars with greater inter-columniation between inner 2 - characteristic gupta feature

CAVES IN THE POST MAURYAN ART:  Chaitya and vihar  Chaitya - prayer hall by monks (karle chaitya in Maharashtra)  Vihar - residence/rest places of monks (nashik vihar in ajantha caves)

CAVES IN THE GUPTA AGE:

Development in the form of paintings:

Ajanta caves:

 Aurangabad in maharashtra  29 caves - buddhist in theme  Discovered in 1829  Period of development - 200 BC to 650AD  29 - 4 chaitya + 25 viharas  Carved on a perpendicular cliff - no courtyards  All 3 forms of art combined - architecture, sculpture and paintings(mural paintings)

Technique involved: FIRST STEP: clay + cow dung + rice husk spread on rough surface of rock SECOND STEP: lime plaster THIRD STEP: surface was kept moist until colour was applied (FRESCO PAINTINGS) Outlines are drawn in red colour and then all colours are used except blue as it cannot be obtained from hills

Theme:  Inspired by jataka stories

Culture-Architecture Page 3  Inspired by jataka stories  Fahien and hiuen tsang refer to ajantha  29 caves - 5 hinayana + 24 mahayana period  Cave no.16 - most elegant architecturally

Famous fresco paintings of ajantha:  Dying princess  Flying apsara  Preaching buddha

ELLORA CAVES:

 34 caves  3 religions - hinduism(17) + buddhism(12) + jainism(5)  Carved on sloping side of hill- have courtyards  Cave 10(chaitya) - vishvakarma - dedication to patron saint of craftsmen  Cave 14 - ravana ki khai  Cave 15 - dashavathar cave  Cave 16 - kailash temple - carved out of monolith (kailash leni)  Ellora - triple storeyed caves , Ajanta - double storeyed caves

Jaina caves: indra sabha and jagannath sabha

INDRA SABHA > JAGANNATH SABHA  Same techniques used in mural and fresco paintings

BAGH CAVES:

 Near bagh river in M.P  9 buddhist caves  Similar to ajanta caves

JUNAGADH CAVES:

 Gujarat  Uparkot meaning citadel - main feature  Uparkots - 30 to 50 ft high artificial platform connected by staircase to the hall

NASHIK CAVES:

Culture-Architecture Page 4  25 buddhist caves - hinayana period  1st century AD  Called as pandav leni  Spiritual presence of buddha denoted by throne and footprints

MONTPERIR/MANDAPESHWAR CAVES:

 Located in mandapeshwar  8th century AD  Only brahmanical cave to be converted into christian cave

• Beginning of rock cut architecture by mauryans

•

two features are added 1) Polishing inside the cave 2) Development of artistic gateways Examples: barabar & nagarjuni caves in bihar • Uses of caves  Viharas in mauryan age  Viharas are given to jain monks - ajivikas

STUPA:

Culture-Architecture Page 5  Earthened burial mound  Anda -large hemispherical dome where a casket containing buddha relics(dhatu) was placed in small central chamber  Inner wall - unburnt brick, outer wall - burnt brick  Harmika - square pavilion on the flattened summit of the dome  Chatra - umbrella built on the top of the dome  Pradakshinapatha - path for clockwise circumambulation surrounded by a fence built encircling the stupa  Stone balustrade(wooden fence) consisted of thabas(octagonal upright posts) capped by uhnisa(continuous caping stone)  These posts connected by 3 horizontal rails called suchis  3 main stupas on this design - sanchi, bharhut and amaravathi  Sanchi stupa - enlarged by sungas  Torana - gateways having sculptures depicting jataka tales  Sarnath stupa - made of brick  Nalanda stupa - enlarged 7 times  kanishka - massive stupa seen by fahien and hieun tsang at peshawar(shahji-ki-dheri)  Concept of stupa - vedic period  After death of buddha - 9 stupas  8 stupas - buddha's relics and ashes  9th over vessels - relics originally deposited  Max no. of stupas - Ashoka - 84000 - reached climax

EVOLUTION OF STUPAS:

 Mauryan - ashoka - sanchi stupa  Post mauryan - more enlarged stupas, toranas- beautifully carved

Culture-Architecture Page 6  Post mauryan - more enlarged stupas, toranas- beautifully carved  Gupta - less no. of stupas - dhamekh stupa near sarnath

3 MAIN STUPAS IN MAURYAN ART:

SANCHI STUPA:  Shape - hemisphere - 120 ft in diameter - pradakshana path  Cosmic mountain - symbol  Ivory carvers of vidisha - inscription(wood & ivory to stone) on southern gateway  Wooden railings replaced by stone ones(9ft high)- excellent masonry work  Most imp addition-end of 1st century BC- 4 marvelous toranas at 4 cardinal points  Sculptures(episodes of life of buddha and jataka stories)- finest ancient indian art

 2nd or 1st century BC  Later - transformed from hinayana to mahayana shrine AMARAVATHI STUPA:  South india - no survival of stupas  Final shape in 2nd century AD-larger than sanchi stupa  Sculpture - extension of amaravathi school of art  Fig of stupa-slightly rounder,taller,slimmer - delicate modeling  Ceylon- "ABHAYAGIRI DAGAHABA"- anuradhapura reached tremendous proportions-327ft-bigger than pyramids of egypt

GANDHARA STUPA:  Sculpted base, dome and hemisphere  Further development - sanchi and bharhut  Very large stupas- nagarjunakonda in krishna valley  Nagarjunakonda - mahachaitya- base in the form of swastika (sun symbol)

BHARHUT STUPA:  2nd century BC  Imp for its sculpture as its dome is vanished  Railings - red stone  Gateways,pillars,uprights and crossbars-full of sculptures-depict pictorial represenations of nature  Sculptures-portray realistic scenes of daily life

OTHER STUPAS:  Imp-bodhgaya,nagarjunakonda and taxila  Bodhgaya-no existence just few pillars of sunga period-depict jatakas  Nagarjunakonda- diff from n.india stupas 1) highlight - excerpts from buddha's life sculptured beautifully on panels 2) gods praying to bodhisatvas to take birth on earth 3) buddha's entry into womb in the form of white elephant and birth of buddha under a flowering teak tree  Stupa of taxila - "CHIRA TOPE STUPA" - sir john marshall  Stupa of jhandial - found a silver casket enclosing one of gold - scytho pathian style

SCULPTURE:

Mauryan :

Yaksh and yakshini:

Culture-Architecture Page 7 Yaksh and yakshini:  Work-realistic-transfer of style developed on wood  Objects of worship in folk region  Yaksh - parkham,UP and pawaya,Gwalior  Yakshini - didarganj, bihar  3 religions - jainism,buddhism and hinduism  Buddhism - fig found on stupas  Jainism - 24 trithankaras associated with yakshini  Hinduism - shilappadikaram mentions about yakshini

Post Mauryan:

BASIS GANDHARA MATHURA AMARAVATHI Outside influence Greek or hellenistic-indo greek art No outside influence/indigeneous indigeneous Type of sandstone Grey or bluish grey spotted red sandstone white marbles Religious Mainly buddhism All 3 religions - jainism,buddhism,hinduism mainly buddhism influence Promoted by kushans kushans satavahanas Areas NW frontier Mathura, kankalitila krishna godavari lower valley Features  Spiritual buddha-calmness  Delighted buddha - not spiritual  Reflects narrative  Bearded budhha-moustache  Head and face shaven  Theme based on life of buddha on jataka  Wearing less ornaments  Muscularity stories  GREEK-having wavy hair, large  Dress in tight, energitic body  Stories of previous births of buddha - forehead,position of  Buddhas face reflects grace human and animal form yogi,having large ears,eyes half  Seated in padmasan right hand in closed , protruberence on his abhaymudra raised above shoulder head Left hand on left thigh which reflects muscularity, protruberance on head

RVD KANE

Gupta:  New school added - sarnath school of sculpture  Developed at sarnath  Cream colour sandstone  Lack of nakedness - properly dressed and covered  Decorative  Metal sculpture developed ex: sultanganj buddha

Pala:  Every god - special attributes and symbols  Black basalt, fine polish  Mamallapuram - relief of pallava king MAHENDRAVIKRAMAVARMAN and his queens  Pala style - descent of ganga or arjuna's penance and varaha  Gomateswara at sravanabelagola - chamundaraya-minister of ganga king RACAMALLA IV-depicts gomata the son of 1st tiayhankara in the rayotsarga posture(meditation while standing)

METAL SCULUPTURE:

Culture-Architecture Page 8  Buddhist jewel casket - bimaran(Afghanistan)  Hellenistic- imported  Ex: kulu copper vase - pre gupta

Gupta period:

 Pure copper  7 1/2 ft tall  Wearing diaphanous cloak  Some scholars - pala bronze

Pala period:

 Pala + cholas = 2 great medieval schools of metal sculpture  Pala bronzes - mass produced  Export - S.E.Asia, Nepal and Tibet  Bronzes - delicate in design with ornamental detail - lack deep religiosity

Cholas:

 Tamils preferred images of metal  Physical features, contours - textbooks  Ex: bronze nataraja  Indian bronzes- cire perdue(MADHUCCHISTA VIDHANA) method

Vijayanagar:

 Traced in tirumalai temple  Statue of krishnadevaraya and his two chief queens in anjali mudra  Marked their homage to the gods with half closed eyes

Ceylon:

 Large bronzes of goddeses  Buddhist tara, parvati and pattini  Pattini - divine form of kannagi - female character of silappadigarama-ideal of wifely devotion

TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH INDIA:

4 styles developed 1) Dravidian 2) Vesara 3) Nayaka 4) Vijayanagara  In pallava school, temple architecture developed

PALLAVAS:  Mamallapuram cave temples - panchapandava, varaha  Descent of ganga and arjuna's penance  Pancha pandava raths and 2 pidari raths - Narasimhavarman II

 Shore temple at mamallapuram and kailasanath temple at kanchi - structural temples

 Kailasanth temple - barrel vaulted pyramidal tower

Culture-Architecture Page 9  Shore temple at mamallapuram and kailasanath temple at kanchi - structural temples

 Kailasanth temple - barrel vaulted pyramidal tower

• Pallava school of temple architecture emerged in 4 stages

STAGE I - MAHENDRA GROUP  Rock cut architecture  Word mandapa is used instead of temple

STAGE II - NARASIMHA GROUP  Decoration in rock cut caves  Mandapa became rathas  Biggest rath - Dharmaraja rath  Smallest - draupadi rath  Dravidian style - dharmaraj rath was a precursor

STAGE III - RAJASIMHA GROUP  Development of real structural temples  Shore temple and kailasanath temple

STAGE IV - NANDIVARMAN GROUP  Development of small temples  Dravidian style continued

DRAVIDIAN STYLE:  Oldest style of architecture

 4 parts - differ according to ages in which they are executed 1) Principal part - temple > vimana - square in plan & pyramidal proof - image of god is placed 2) Mandapas - covers and precede the door leading to the cell 3) Gate - pyramids, gopurams > principal features in quadrangular enclosures 4) Pillared halls or chaultris - various purposes • Dravida style of temples are founded more in southern India. Here the shikara reduces in size along certain steps and not in a curve • Ex: Brihadeswara temple at tanjore - RAJARAJA I, Gangaikonda cholapuram - RAJENDRA, SON OF RAJARAJA I • Shikara is a crowning element at the top of the temple - octagonal cupola - equal to "AMALAK" & "KALASH" of nagara style • Dravidian - only one vimana, crucified ground plan, uprised platform • Dravidian style started during pallavas but flourished during the rule of cholas

Culture-Architecture Page 10 FUNCTIONS OF TEMPLES:  Religious  Administrative centre  Controlling vast areas of land in terms of revenue collection  Centre of education • Various sources of revenues of temples - donation and revenue collection

CHOLAS:  Vijayalaya - choleswara temple at Narttamalai > earliest chola temple  Brihadeswara temple - great pyramidal tower (vimana) crowned by dome (kalasa) set the style for dravidian shikhara  Rajendra I introduced the mahamandapa before the ardhamandapa in the Brihadeswara temple at Gangaikondacholapuram

VESARA STYLE/ CHALUKYA STYLE/ KARNATAKA STYLE  Features of both Nagara and Dravidian style  2 principal components - vimana and mandapa > joined by Antarala  Don’t have covered ambulatory around sanctum  Pillars, door frames and ceilings are carved  Ex: dodda basappa temple at dambal Lad khan temple at aihole and temples at badami  Developed in mid 17th century

NAYAKA STYLE  Best ex - meenakshi temple at madurai  Meenaksi was the daughter of a pandyan king who married Sundereswara (Siva)  All the features of dravidian style are present  Additional feature - prakarns  Prakarn - huge corridors along with roofed ambulatory passage ways  Interior carvings are seen - temple walls  Tank was added  Constructed with initiative of Tirumalai  Mid 17th century

VIJAYANAGARA STYLE:  Some variations from Dravidian style in temple architecture 1) Gopuram now enlarged 2) High enclosure walls 3) More decoration 4) Sculpture of motif of supernatural horse  God's chief wife AMMAN was provided with a separate shrine  Kalyana mandapam - god and goddesses married  Mandapa - 1000 pillared hall  Decorative motifs like prancing horses, leoglyphs and monsteres were added.  These additions can be seen at vittalswami temple at hampi  Secular structures - vijayanagar throne room gateways in rajasthan and entrances to wells in gujarat  Concept of secular buildings was introduced by vijayanagar empire. Ex: lotus mahal

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