Indian Architecture

Prepared by:
James Michael Jungco
Julie-Ann Bejidor
Geographical Influence

• Influences entered the area mainly from Central Asia.

• The rivers Indus and Ganges
• The Himalayas
• The Everest mountain
• Surrounded by seas and Indian ocean
• The great rivers in the North, the Indus and Ganges and
their Tributaries, provided tradeways and many of the areas
most important cities were founded along them.
Geological Influence
• Excellent building stone in the center of the
peninsula, and in the hill country generally,
influenced by Indian Architecture.

• In Western India the rock-cut " Chaityas " of the

Buddhists were produced in the actual geological
formation and were used for some buildings.
Climatic Condition
• More than half the country lies in Tropics
• Two principal seasons, wet and dry
• Buildings built to adapt the climate
• In north flat roofs were common, but steep pitched roofs
were used in West coast due to heavy rain.
• Flat terraced roofs for coolness, exercise, and sleeping.
• The use of the great fan, or punkah, is an indication of the
intense heat.
• the pierced screen or lattice window was designed to
exclude the light and heat caused by the constant sunshine.
Religious Condition
• Hindu – This religion seems to have evolved from a
combination of the faiths of the indigenous Dradivians and
the Aryan invaders ; Hindu worship is essentially an
individual act ,and except on certain specified occasions
communal worship is foreign to it.
• Buddhism - The Hindu religion, generally known as the
Brahmanical, from the name of the priestly.

• Jainism - This religion, which seems to have been founded

on Buddhism, rose to importance about A.D. 1000, and a
statue of one of the twenty-four Jinas or saints, with its
distinctive sign, such as a bull, elephant, monkey, crocodile,
rhinoceros, or lion, is placed in each temple.
Historical and Social Condition
• The earliest defined
civilization in the sub-
continent is that of the
so called Indus valley-
Harappan culture (2,500-
1,5000 B.C.) which was
related to the Sumerian
culture of Western Asia.
COLONIAL ARCHITECTURE

• Like all other aspects, colonization of Indian also

had an impact on architecture style.

• The Dutch, Portuguese and the French made their

presence felt through their buildings but it was the
English who had a lasting impact on architecture.
INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
• With the coming of Muslims to India, many new
features came to be introduced in buildings.

• Development of Muslim Style of Architecture is

also called the Indo-Islamic Architecture or the
Indian Architecture influenced by Islamic Art.

• The Indo-Islamic style was neither strictly

Islamic nor strictly Hindu.
ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE
• Indian architecture is as old as the history of
the civilization.

• Among India's ancient architectural remains,

the most characteristic are the temples,
Chaityas, Viharas, Stupas and other religious
structures.
CAVE ARCHITECTURE
• The cave architecture in India is believed to
have begun in the third century BC.
• Caves were used by Buddhist and Jain
monks as places of worship and residence.
• Caves were excavated in the western India.
• Examples of this type of cave structure are
Chaityas and Viharas of Buddhists.
ROCK CUT
• The Rock-cut structures present the most
spectacular piece of ancient Indian art
specimen.
• Rock-cut structures were related to various
religious communities.
• Remarkable Buddhist and Jain monuments
were produced in areas such as Bihar in the
east and Maharashtra in the west.
TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
• Temple architecture of high standard
developed in almost all regions.
• The distinct architectural style of temple
construction in different parts was a result
of geographical, climatic, ethnic, racial,
historical and linguistic diversities.
Elements of Indian Architecture
STUPAS
• The stupa is a shrine that
represents the sacred
Mount Meru, as well as
providing a sanctuary for
relics of the Buddha.
• They have four ceremonial
gates to the shrine
• It was mostly a Buddhist
art, though Jains also
seemed to have built
stupas.
Symbolic Layers
• The towers of Hindu
temples tell stories
as they rise skywards
• Each has its own
distinctive
“handwriting” and
depicts the concerns
of local cults as well as
universal themes.
Animal Statuary
• To Hindus, all life is
sacred and deserving of
representation.
• Most of the temples
show fine sculptures
and carvings of animals
Figurative Decorations

• For Hindus, the

carving of sacred
images and figurines
was an art form in
itself, requiring years
of disciplined training
 HINDU ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA
• The reference to temples in literature go back early
to(520 BC - 460 BC)
• Early temples were rock-cut, later structural
temples evolved.
• The temple is a representation of the macrocosm
(the
universe) as well as the microcosm (the inner
space).
HINDU TEMPLES (POETRY IN STONE)
• Indian temple architecture has often been called sculpture on a mass
scale rather than true architecture.
• They are designed as sculpture and are best experienced and
understood from the outside.
• Interiors are very small and dark spaces which are not as impressive as
the exterior
• There were three major styles of temple architecture: the northern or
Nagara style, the southern or Dravida and the Vesara or hybrid style but
the most common are the Nagara and the Dravida.
• They are distinguishable by the shape and decoration of their shikharas
or superstructures.
Brihadeeswarar Temple
is a Hindu temple dedicated to
Shiva. It is one of the largest
temples in India and is an
example of Dravidian
architecture during the Chola
period.

LOCATION: Thanjavur in the

Indian state of India
ALSO KNOWN: RajaRajeswara
Temple Rajarajeswaram and
Peruvudayar Temple
Tamil Nadu.
BUILT BY: Raja Raja Chola I
DATE COMPLETED: 1010 CE, the
temple turned 1000 years old .
Buddhist and Jain Architecture in India
• Buddhism gained prominence during the reign of the emperor
Ashoka around the 3rd c. bc.
• It is primarily represented by three important building types- the
Chaitya Hall (place of worship), the Vihara (monastery) and the
Stupa (hemispherical mound for worship/ memory)
• The Greek influence led the Indian architecture of the time,
especially the rock-cut art, to fall under one of the two
categories: the Mathura school of art and the Gandharva school
of art.
• The division of Buddhism into Hinayana and Mahayana phases
also influenced the nature of rock-cut art, the former being
represented by artifacts used by the Buddha, and the latter by
images of the Buddha.
STUPAS
-Is a mound-like or hemispherical
structure containing relics (śarīra
- typically the remains of
Buddhist monks or nuns) that is
used as a place of meditation.
LOCATION: Sachi on a hilltop at
Sanchi Town in Raisen District of
the state of Madhya Pradesh,
India.
TYPES OF STUPA:
Relic stupa
Object stupa
Commemorative stupa
Symbolic stupa
Votive stupa
 Christian Architecture in India
• After Hindus and Muslims, Christians constitute the third largest
community in India. Since India was under the rule of British for over
200 years, we can easily see the influence of the British in India.

Victoria Memorial (Kolkata)

The Victoria Memorial is a
large marble building
LOCATION: Kolkata (formerly
Calcutta), West Bengal, India,
ARCHITECT: William Emerson
BUILT BETWEEN: 1906 and 1921.
Sikh Architecture in India
• Sikhism is a religion basically followed in the northern Indian state of
Punjab and forms the fourth largest community in India.
• Though there are not many Sikh architectures, still the Sikh boast of the
most prominent temple that describes the Indian architecture-The Golden
Temple, made completely of gold.

SRI HARMANDIR SAHIB

Informally referred to as the Golden
Temple. This was intended to build a
place of worship for men and women
from all walks of life and all religions
to come and worship God equally.
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE:
Sikh Architecture
LOCATION: City of Amritsar,
Punjab, India.
BUILT BETWEEN:
December 1585 - August 1604
Muslim Architecture in India
• Among the most prominent of the Muslim architectures in India
is the Taj Mahal.
• It was built by 22,000 workers during 22 years under the rule of
Shahjahan.

Taj Mahal
Is an ivory-white marble mausoleum
on the south bank of the Yamuna
river in the Indian city of Agra.
LOCATION: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Date build: Year 1632-1653
Architect: Ustad Ahmad Lahauri
Height: 73 meters (240 ft)
• On the end note, The Indian architecture is
influenced by various religions throughout history.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

1.Archiectural Influences that
entered India are mainly from?
A.North Asia
B.East Asia
C.Central Asia
D.West Asia
2.Many of India’s most important
cities were founded along these two
great rivers and also provided
tradeways.
A.Indus and Yang Tze
B.Amazon and Ganges
C.Nile and Ganges
D.Indus ad Ganges
3.India is surrounded by ________
and Indian Ocean.
A.Deserts
B.Seas
C.Lakes
D.Rivers
4.What are the two
principal seasons in India?
A.Winter and Spring
B.Wet and Dry
C.Dry and Winter
D.Wet and Summer
5.These roofs were used in India’s
West Coast due to heavy rain.

A.Steep pitched
B.Flat
C.Gable
D.Hip
6.The Taj Mahal in Agra is the
most prominent example of?

A.Sikh Architecture
B.Muslim Architecture
C.Hindu Architecture
D.Christian Architecture
7.These windows are designed to
exclude the light and heat
caused by the constant sunshine.
A.Jealousy
B.Sliding
C.Awning
D.Pierced Screen or Lattice
8.It is the modern Hindu religion
generally known as the Brahmanical
from the name of the priestly.

A.Jainism
B.Judaism
C.Buddhism
D.Moslem
9.A religion which have been founded
from Buddhism with its distinctive sign
such as a bull, elephant, monkey,
crocodile, rhinoceros, or lion is placed in
each temple.
A.Jainism
B.Hindu
C.Buddhism
D.Judaism
10.A religion that evolved from the
combination of the faith of
indigenous Dravidians and the Aryan
invaders.
A.Hindu
B.Buddhism
C.Jainism
D.Christianism
11.An Indian Architecture influenced
by Islamic Art and is also called the
development of Muslim Style of
Architecture.
A.Indo-Islamic Architecture
B.Hindu Architecture
C.Buddhist Architecture
D.Jain Architecture
12.The earliest defined
civilization in the sub-continent.
A.Ganges Valley
B.Rajasthan
C.Agra
D.Indus Valley
13.Is a religion basically followed in
the northern Indian state of Punjab
and forms the fourth largest
community in India.
A.Jainism
B.Sikhism
C.Hinduism
D.Buddhism
14.Were used by Buddhist and Jain
monks as places of worship and
residence since the third century
B.C.
A.Temples
B.Stupas
C.Mosques
D.Caves
15.Commonly used material in
India’s ancient structures.

A.Brick
B.Bamboo
C.Rock-cut
D.Wood
16.It is a shrine that represents the
sacred Mount Meru as well as
providing a sanctuary for relics of
the Buddha.
A.Stupas
B.Garbha-griha
C.Viharas
D.Chaityas
17.It is a representation of the
macrocosm (the universe) as well as
the microcosm(the inner space) in
India’s Hindu Architecture.
A.Mosque
B.Temple
C.Monastery
D.Church
18.It is a large marble building located in
Kolkata.
A.The Victoria Memorial
B.Taj Mahal
C.Sri Harmandir Sahib
D.Brihadeeswarar Temple
19.It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva
and is located in Thanjavur.
A.The Victoria Memorial
B.Taj Mahal
C.Sri Harmandir Sahib
D.Brihadeeswarar Temple
20.Informally referred to as the Golden Temple and
is located in the City of Amritsar, Punjab, India.

A.The Victoria Memorial

B.Taj Mahal
C.Sri Harmandir Sahib
D.Brihadeeswarar Temple
1.C 11. A
2.D 12. D
3.B 13. B
4.B 14. D
5.A 15. B
6.B 16. A
7.D 17. B
8.C 18. A
9.A 19. D
10.A 20. C