Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-12, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Evolution of Classical Pattern: Buddhist Art and Architecture in India Rajesh Chander Assistant Professor in History, Panjab University Constituent College, Sikhwala, Sri Muktsar Sahib, INDIA Abstract: The rise and development of Buddhism in centuries. The manifestation in the architectural the Indian sub-continent has led to the development evolution can be witnessed from nearly one of a unique art and architecture in India and later thousand monasteries, rock-cut architectures, Stupas abroad in the form of a number of buildings and and Viharas. In addition to these are numerous items monuments of art. The present paper endeavours to of sculpture, icons, emblems and paintings. Hsuan study the various aspects of these art forms from the Tsang has noted the names of a number of monks historical point of view. The themes who established monasteries, built shrines and covered in the article are those from the Indian art erected images. In this connection mention may be broadly diring the 200 BCE to 300 CE. made of Jayasena of Yaṣ tivana-Vihāra, an upāsaka but a great teacher and author of Buddhist ṣ āstras.2 Key Words: Buddhist Art, Architecture, Chaityas, The rise and growth of such pieces of art have been Viharas, Caves, Satupas etc. attributed to various causes such as ‘Almost the entire artistic expression of this age, whether INTRODUCTION architecture or sculpture, centred on Buddhism and The rise and growth of a particular sect in any most of it was made possible through the patronage form has its resultant effects on social cultural and of wealthy merchants, guilds and royal donations.’3 political life but there are certain factors alike in the Therefore most of the Buddhist followers form of art and architecture in that particular age. were the wealthy merchants, traders and royal Similar trends have been seen and explored in the persons who patronised the building of a number of post-Mauryan era when a large number of works of architectures especially in central India where the art and architecture having direct bearing of availability of ‘workable stone’ was there. Buddhism have been developed. Certain special Such was the beginning of the Buddhist art trends followed in the making and development of and architecture in early India. The Buddhist school these architectural styles. It was after the three of sculpture and art has evolved on its own in right centuries later of the start of Christian Era that a since the beginning. It has developed its own unique large number of stupas and chaityas came into being school of art. Which means that the pattern and throughout Indian subcontinent. There are different method rhey evolved in the beginning was a pure in trends and styles which depicted the life and birth- its origin. It did not bring anything special from the stories of Buddha in these works of art. But it should foreign influences. In the art of Satupas of Sanchi also be borne in mind that the Buddhist thought and we can have a clear idea of post-Mauryan era teachings prevailed to a great extent in India before Buddhist art. It is true that the art and architecture of reaching the far corners of the world. The lack of any region is a mature expression of the long past proper interest in the exploration in Buddhist No region or country can come in contact with a architecture has been a major hindrance in its study great and civilized nation without deriving immense as till now. But despite that we come a number of advantages in arts and civilization. The Hindus first good literary and monumental sources while came in contact with a nation as civilized as studying the particular aspects of Buddhist art and themselves in the fourth and third centuries B.C., architecture. A noted historian and archaeologist and a great deal has been written as to the argue that ‘Archaeologically at least we cannot treat indebtedness of the Hindus to the Greeks in the Buddhism merely as a heresy against a prevailing cultivation of their arts and science. In architecture and fundamental Brahmanical orthodoxy.’1 But it the Hindus were not indebted to the Greeks. has also been noted that despite ravages of time and Buddhist Hindus developed their school of destruction sprees by different invaders, the art forms have survived and walked through the 2 Thomas Watters, On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, Vol. II (Delhi, 1961), pp. 146. 1 Wheeler, Mortimer, Antiquity, Vol. XXII, No. 89, 3 Thapar, Romila, A History of India, Penguin March 1949, pp.5. Books, U.K., 1966, pp. 124. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 1449 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-12, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in architecture themselves from the very temples and boulders of Mahabalipuram was also commencement; they created their own style, which carved from rock but although they share the same is purely Indians; they borrowed from no foreign aesthetic, thus can’t be classed as caves. The school of architecture or building. In Gandhara and sanctuaries, cells and assembly halls were cut from in the Punjab columns have been found distinctly nearly perpendicular cliffs to a depth of a hundred belonging to the Ionic order, and the general feet or more in some cases. They were excavated architecture, too, bears a Greek character. But in the with a chisel about ¾” wide and included complete vast continent of India itself, from Bombay to halls, temples with elaborately decorated columns, Cuttack, the architecture immediately before and galleries, shrines. The two largest structures at Karle immediately after the Christian Era is purely Indians and Ellora are staggering in their dimensions. in character. This would not have been the case if An example of Karle cave, an earlier work, the Hindus had learnt their first lesson in is 135 feet long and 50 feet wide. Its location in in a architecture from the Greeks. dense forest been occupied for a century or so. There We can see in the case of the Bharut and Sanchi is a shrine to the mother goddess Ekavira, (also stupas, the Buddhist art of the post-Mauryan period, Yami) built by the Koli fishermen. The caves began like the new Buddhist religion incorporated the ‘old about 150 BC and completed by 150 AD. They are Gods’ within the new system. Art does not so much located near the junctions of trade routes to the coast. create new experience, but deepens and purifies the Ajanta, Bedsa, Kondane, and Bhaja are all located on old. Treasures of knowing and feeling which were the ancient routes. The Nasik caves are close to the no more than potentialities diffused through the old river crossing having ferries. There are many names order, are brought together in new patterns. It’s a of Greek donors donating in the construction and process of reculer pour mieux sauter. The maintenance of Karle caves. There are found the psychological habit of conservation of traditional names of many ports in the Western coast in the forms was used by the Buddhists to develop new Periplus of Erythrean Sea. Moreover there existed forms. The retreat to the primeval dark woods meant many local guilds who donated liberally to such retreat to the hidden depths of the mind as well. erections and carvings of such monuments. In the These inner wanderings are projected by the creative earlier period caves were built on a unified plan. imagination in analogous convulsions of line. The There seems to be a close co-operation intricate plant motifs, both painted and carved but between different sections of a new, flexible and especially the great relief carvings, sweep in lateral developing society that was not yet settled into a rhythms of sinuous undulation across the monastic closed village economy. But on the other hand cave sanctuaries. Such labyrinthine plasticity, which produced a commodity producing economy under the attains an unusual monumentality in the caves, is Satvahanas. It was certainly making ready donations man’s most artistic mode of expressing inner to the artisans for the work done on such long lasting richness and a yearning for self realization in a projects. But the late period of post Satvahana shows severely inhibiting setting. The cave sanctuaries clear signs of disappearing patronage to such projects impose precisely these very restricted limitations. such as Elaphanta and Ellořa. By this time open For a thousand years almost all the most important Satvahana economy was no longer. sculptural monuments were caves. There are many Some Features of Buddhist Art in India examples of cave engravings in other places also i.e. Having thus cleared our ground, we will Abu Simbel, Petra and the cliffs of Shansi. The rock now proceed to give a very brief account of some of hewn chambers tradition originally appeared in the most striking specimens which still exist of the Egypt, spread to Persia and reached India during the architecture and sculpture of the Hindus of the Mauryan period. Chinese art of the Six Dynasties centuries immediately before and after the Christian (AD 220-589) and T’ang dynasty (618-906) was Era, and Dr. Fergusson will be our guide on this derived from Indian models. Cave 19 at Ajanta was subject. Such specimens are nearly all the works of probably one of the actual prototypes. But nothing Buddhists. Architecture in stone, previous t the in the extensive remains of this great Chinese Buddhist movement, was confined mostly to offshoot can be compared with that of India for its engineering works, such as city walls, gates, bridges, profound sense of organic unity.