BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE(STUPAS)
Introduction To Buddhism
• Buddhism(Pali/Sanskrit:Bauddha Dharma) —
religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha “the awakened one”.
• Buddhism began as an offspring of Hinduism in the country of India. The founder was Siddhartha Gautama.
• Siddhartha Gautama was born in approximately 560 B.C. in northern India
Introduction To Buddhism
• The Buddha's threefold training is similar to the threefold grouping of the Noble Eightfold Path.
• VIRTUE – Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood MIND - Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
WISDOM - Right View
Right Intention
Buddhist Architecture
• Principal place of early Buddhist worship is the stupa.
Mound shaped shrine with no interior.
• A stupa is a reliquary and worshipers gain spiritual
merit through being in close proximity to its contents.
• Buddhists pray while walking around stupa in an
easterly direction (direction of sun’s course).
• Central mast at top of stupa with 3 umbrella shapes
(Chatras). Symbolizes three jewels of Buddhism
(Buddha, Law, and the community of monks).
• The Buddhist architecture has its root deeply implanted in the Indian soil- the birthplace of the Buddha's teachings.
• The Buddhist architecture began with the development of various symbols, representing aspects of the Buddha's life (563 BCE - 483 BCE).
• Indian emperor Ashoka, not only established Buddhism as the state religion of his large Magadh empire, but also opted for the architectural monuments to spread Buddhism in different places.
• The major features of this style are
Stupas
stambhas
chaitayas
viharas
• these have been mere spectators of different eras quietly speaks about the phases of the Buddhist stages.
Sanchi Stupa
Sanchi Stupa
Chaitya Hall
Bamayan Buddhas
STUPA
• A stupa is a mound-like structure containing buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship.
• These stupas are the circular tumuli built of earth, covered with stone or brick, the plan, elevation, section and the total form of which were all derived from circle.
Stupa become a cosmic symbol in response to a major human condition: death. With the enlightenment of the Buddha, stupa became a particularly buddhist symbol.
SANCHI STUPA
• there are mainly three main stupas on the top of the sanchi hill which rise about 100m above the plain.
• Of the three stupa the biggest one is known as the great stupa.
THE GREAT STUPA, SANCHI
•The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. •Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. •It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolizing high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics. •It has four profusely carved ornamental gateways and a balustrade encircling the whole structure.
•DOME- is a solid brick-work 32.32m in diameter and 12.8m high.•The dome has a slight ‘crushed’ profile at top and was surmounted by HARMIKA with a central triple UMBRELLA.•The facing of the dome consists of dry masonry composed of hammer dressed stones laid in even courses.•The terrace 4.87m high from ground was added thus creating a separate and upper AMBULATORY passage 1.8m wide access to which was provided by a double staircase with high BALUSTRADE, on the south side
Plan and elevation
•There are four gateways known as ‘TORANAS’ at the cardinal points to the compass and are slightly staggered from the railing enclosing stupa.•The ambulatory or pradakshina path is fenced by railing 3.35m high all around the stupa.•Outside the railing there once stood the famous ashoka pillar, the fragments of which are noticed now to the right of southern torana
Axonometric drawing
Diff b/w a temple and stupa
TORANA
•Toranas, the entrance to the ambulatory were accepted as the traditional type of ceremonial potals and excel the array of architectural embellishment.•Torana consists of two square uprite columns with capital of lion or elephant heads denoting strength.•These columns support three separate horizontal panels between each of which is a row of ornamental balusters.•These panels are supported by atlantean figures, a group of dwarfs, lions and elephant.•The total height of this erection is somewhat 10.36m with a width of 3m
•The authentic examples of these pillars are those which king Ashoka set up to bear inscriptions conveying to his subjects the leading doctrines of the new faith he had adopted, Buddhism. These are sturdy, finely proportional and properly balanced religious sign posts
ASHOKA PILLARS
•The pillar at sarnath more than 15m high has a group of four addoresed lions with flowing manes, surmounting the capital.•These lions originally supported a massive metal wheel with 24 spokes called ‘wheels of the law’.•The capital more than 2m high resembles the shape of a inverted bell or lotus bub with series of fluted petals.•Above the capital is the abacus which is circular, having broad edge carves with ornamental borders, containing four figure of animals alternate with the four small wheels
RAILING OR VEDICA
•The vedica or railing consists of upright octagonal plan 45cm in diameter spaced at 60 to 90cm from each other and connected by three lens shaped horizontals called ‘suchi’ or needles 60cm deep being threaded through the holes of the upright.•The top horizontal bar is provided with coping to drain out rain water.
Dhamek Stupa,Sarnath(500BCE)
Tibetan Stupa(Chorten)
8 Types of Tibetan Stupas
STUPA OF HEAPED LOTUSES
Commemorates the Buddha’s birth at Lumbini, where he
took seven steps in each of the four directions, from
which lotuses spang
STUPA OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Commemorates his Enlightenment under the bodhi
tree at Bodhgaya.
STUPA OF MANY DOORS OR GATES
Commemorates the Buddha’s first turning of the
Wheel of Dharma in the Deer Park at Sarnath near
Varanasi.
STUPA OF MIRACLES
Commemorates the Buddha’s miraculous defeat of
the non-Buddhists (tirthika)in the Jetvana Grove at
Shravasti.
STUPA OF DESCENT FROM THE GOD
REALM
Commemorates the summer retreat that the Buddha
spent teaching the reincarnation of his mother in the
heavenly realm of Tushita, and his descent from
this realm at the city of Sankasya.
STUPA OF RECONCILIATION
Commemorates the Buddha’s reconciliation of
the disputing factions within the Sangha at
Veluvana bamboo grove at Rajagriha.
STUPA OF PARINIRVANA
Commemorates the Buddha’s passing away
beyond sorrow between two sal trees at the city
of Kushinigara.
STUPA OF COMPLETE VICTORY
Commemorates the Buddha’s prolonging of his
life by three months at the city of Vaisali, when
he was 80 years of age.
THANK YOU
PRESENTED BY
ABHISHEK
ABHINAV
SAGAR