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