Hindu Architecture

History of Hindu.

• Hindu are religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent.

• The word "Hindu" is attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion (i.e. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism or Sikhism)

• The word Hindu is derived (through Persian) from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, the historic local name for the Indus River in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.

• Hinduism is the world's third largest religion. The vast majority of Hindus, approximately 940 million, live in India. Other countries with large Hindu populations include Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Fiji, United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada and the island of Bali in Indonesia.

Flag of India

Map of India

Religious

• Hindu religion envolved from a combination of the faiths of the indigenous Dravidians and the Aryan invaders; Hindu worship is essentially an individual act.

A young Nepali Hindu devotee during a traditional prayer ceremony at Kathmandu's Durbar Square.

The name of the idol of Kali worshiped in the temple is Bhavatarini. Shown here, is a picture of the deity adorned with priceless jewelleries and other accessories in the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, Kolkata.

Goddess Adi Shakthi at Parashakthi Temple in North America is a Tirtha Peetam.

Ganesha — has become one of the commonest mnemonics for anything associated with Hinduism. This not only suggests the importance of Ganesha, but also shows how popular and pervasive this deity is in the minds of the masses.

BUDDHIST AND HINDU ARCHITECTURE

Stupas and temples from the 1st century BC.

Buddhist stupa,is known in India from the 1st century BC.• Stupa is a brick and plaster hemisphere with a pointed

superstructure.• The Great Stupa at Sanchi, from the 1st century BC. Hinduism and

Buddhism are closely interconnected• The stupa provides the architectural model for Hindu temples in

India, for Buddhist temples in southeast Asia and for pagodas in China and Japan.

• Stupa evolves into the complex superstructure of later Hindu temples - rich in architectural ornament and often encrusted with teeming sculptures of deities and devils.

Images of Stupa

Form of Stupa structure came from Buddha.

Evolution of Stupa

Vastu Shastra

What is Vastu Shastra?

• Vastu Shastra is ancient teachings from the Indian civilization. It deals with the science of the architecture and tells how a building should be planned.

History of Vastu.

• The Indian civilization is the oldest in the world and has a rich heritage of developing different branches of science. Vastu Shastra is one such discipline that developed over the years based on the traditional knowledge gained from studying the nature. The age old Indian philosophers knew a lot about the five elements that made the universe.

The five elements of Vastu Shastra-

• Earth• Water• Fire• Air• Space

Directions in Vastu Shastra

• Other than the elements there are eight directions in Vastu Shastra.

Dravidian Style (South)

• Stone used as medium for funerary monuments• Religion developments, particularly bhakti cult, played an important

role• Early phases of architecture consisted of rock-cut monuments• Later phase is dominated by structural buildings; Gopuras became

larger than the main building• The emphasis is on horizontality lines; one or more stories, topped

with stepped-pyramidal shikhara and a mushroom cap

Nagara Style (North)

• Refers to art in the regions of Bengal, Orissa, NE, and NC, Delhi and Gujarat region.

• Used stone such as Chlorite, sandstone and white marble• Temple emphasis is primarily on vertically; horizontality is

suppressed.• High base emphasis the vertically of the whole• The porch and congregational halls are called mandapa, which in the

S style was clearly separated with the tower over the shrine.• Sikhara is the tallest structure, symbolizing the center of the

universe; often rose around 24-30 meters (79-98 ft) some reached over 60 m (196 ft).Amalaka is a capstone.

Hindu Temple Architecture• In all types, the fundamental plan consist of a small unlit shrine

called the ''Garbha-griha'' crowned with spire-shaped ''Sikhara'' roof, formed of horizontal stone, and also introduced by porch-like halls ''Madapas'' for religious dancing and music.

• ''Garbha-griha'' shrine • ''Sikhara'' roof

Layout of 'Garbha-griha''

• ''Madapas'' used for ritual dance and also as a theatre for ritual prayer.

Hindu architecture sub-divided into 2style.

Northern Hindu style. Central Hindu style.

Northern Hindu style

• This style had spread over at least 3 to 4th part of northern India.• The earliest movement started in the state of Orissa, its ancient

name is Kalinga.• It is offered strong resistance to mauryas but finally sudued to

ashoka in 260 B.C• After ashokas death kalinga regained its independence and later

become more powerful under kharavela.• Beginning of this Orissa group is seen at Bhuvaneshwar where

there are thirty temples.• The most important are the temple of jaganath at puri ,

Mahashivagupta Yayati , Sun temple at konark• The other groups are confined to some area such as at khajuraho ,

the largest of entire series is shiva temple of kandariya mahadeva at khajuraho.

Temples of Orissa group (kalinga)

Sun temple of konark The magnificent temple was therefore built to glorify ‘surya’ the sun god at konark

The plan of this temple was that of genious and its scale was too great for its execution.

The temple of sun god , surya, the source of life, origin of light, the dispeller of darkness, and sin, the source and instrument of purity and health is unique in its construction.

•The temple is formed like a ‘ratha’ or wheeled chariot being carried by seven.

•Horses symbolizing the seven rays of the sun who blazes his way through the heaven and proceded by the charioteer arun.

•The width of the cubical portion or ''Bada'' of jaga mohan is twice its own height •Upper tapering part ''pida'' and which is crowned with a melon shaped ''kalasha'' or ''amlaka'' is fluted

Central Hindu style

The architecture falls into two distinct typesi. rock-cut ii. structural

Rock –cut cave temples at Badami

• The chalukyan capital city badami was protected by a fort wall surrounded by a moat.

• Badami was also a religious centre.• These are brahminical in nature , one shaivite, two vishnavites, and

the fourth belongs to jaina.

shaiva cave

vaishnava cave

Structural Temples

• In addition to the rock cut cave temples at badami chalukyans also built several structural temples along the edge of the lake and hill tops.

• The early chalukyans combined some some features of contemporary north and south indian style of construction

• i.e nagar and dravidian respectively to create their own style of construction

• Which is characterized by high platform , pithas ornate door frames, plinth moulding , vestibule

• The temple stands on square plan of 15 m side with high platform.• It is consist of an open pillared porch leading to a large square

mantapa with 2 square group of pillars• The nanthi fills the central bay• Whose ceiling contains sculpture of naga with its tail twisted around

Lad khan temple at aihole

• The pillars have cushion capitals with floral abacus supporting the ponderous bracket

• There are lattice window on north and south sides and perforated circles ofradiating fish design set in square frame in the eastern and western sides

• The roof is sloping , rising in two tires , with a sma;ll cubical shikara containg images of surya , shiva , and vishnu on its three sides.

• No mortar is used for the construction of this temple.

The End.