Art and culture Difference between art and culture

Art Culture
 it comprises a wide variety of
 Art is the creative expression of one’s human behaviors
experiences, emotions and other
qualities  The evolved human capacity to act
creatively and imaginatively and
 Art is one aspect of culture. represent and classify experiences
 Art is influenced heavily by culture andwith symbols
is born as a by-product of culture,  Culture is the ensemble of social
reflecting some of its customs, beliefs forms, material traits, customary
and values. beliefs, and other human
phenomena that cannot be directly
attributed to a genetic inheritance
of a religious, racial, or social
-Ishani Pandya group.

Understanding of Indian art Qualities of Indian artists

 If the Greeks excelled in the portrayal of the physical
charm of the human body, the Egyptians in the grandeur
 architecture has been described as an art of of their pyramids and the Chinese in the beauty of their
landscapes, the Indians were unsurpassed in transmitting
organizing space, functionally and beautifully. the spiritual contents into their plastic forms embodying
 The character of Indian art is best described the high ideals and the common beliefs of the people.
 Indian artists visualized the qualities of various gods and
as plastic, organic and sculptural goddesses as mentioned in their scriptures and infused
 Also in ancient India, the arts were not these qualities into their images whose proportions they
based on the idealized figures of man and woman.
separated as they unfortunately are today the
 There were two qualities about which the Indian artists
architect; the sculptor and the painter were cared more than about anything else, namely, a feeling for
often one man. volume and vivid representation, even at the risk of
sacrificing, at times, anatomical truth or perspective.
 Indian art is a treasure house of ancient contemporary
life, its faiths and beliefs, customs and manners.
 Introduction 1.Visual arts

 We can divide the subject in three parts for our

convenience.
architecture
1.Visual arts
sculpture
2.Performing arts
pottery
3.Miscellenous arts
painting

2.Performing Arts 3.Miscelleneous Art forms

Religion Language Literature

Indian Music

Dance forms
cinema calendars philosophy
Indian theatre & drama
Handicrafts
festivals fairs
Indian puppetry coinage

Indian circus maths Medicine,

institutions
&science astronomy
 Visual arts Architecture Sculpture

 1.Indian Architecture
 2.Indian Sculpture

comparison
Combination of architecture and
Architecture sculpture sculpture
 Art of designining and  Art of designing 3D
making buildings figures
 Different types of  Single material is used.
materials are used
 Engineering skill not
 Requires engineering skill necessary.
 architecture involves
 Sculpture involves creative
aesthetic appeal.
appeal.
 ie.Taj mahal,konark temple
 Ie.bronze dancing girl of
mohenjodaro,nataraj idol
 Indian Architecture and sculpture 1.Indus valley civilization
 Architecture
Buddhist 1.Town planning
Indus valley architecture & 2.Public bath
civilization sculpture 3.Granaries
(mauryan 4.dockyard
period)
 Sculpture
Temple 1.Bronze and terracotta sculpture
Indo-Islamic
architecture(G Modern 2.Seals
architecture
upta age architecture 3.Stone sculpture
and
sculpture & and  Miscelleneous
medieval
south Indian sculpture
sculpture 1.Ornaments
art)
2.pottery

Indus valley architecture Town planning

 3rd millennium B.C.
 Indigenous art
 On and around Indus river bank.
 No influence of outside.
 Walled cities for security.
 Different from ancient and medieval architecture.  No evidence of temples or any religious structure.
 No integral use of sculpture.  Burnt brick was widely used
 Concentration on utility factor rather then artistic factor.  roads were wide and at right angles to one another-rectangular grid pattern
of layout
(Decorative embellishment may have been lost over time)
 Existence of assembly halls,workshops,hostels and market place
 Two parts of the town
 Houses
1.citadel-upper part-for elite class
 Built of begged clay
-dominant citadel suggests some kind of political authority.
 Fixed size
2.non-citadel-lower part-for common people
 Use of stone and wood
 Included bath,upper-storeys and wells.
 Evidence of big buildings-public buildings or administrative or
business centre.-pillared halls and courtyard.

Public bath  Granaries

 Tank type,stairs  Found in citadel
 Small rooms along with the bath.  Intelligent construction-strategic air ducts and platform
 Importance of ritual bathing.  Drainage system
 Importance of cleanliness.  Almost like modern system
 Ie.The great bath of mohe-jo-daro.  Temporarily covered drains-cleaning purpose
 Still functional. No leakages or cracks
Dockyard of Lothal Indus valley sculpture
 The dockyard was located away from the main current to
avoid deposition of silt.
 Seals
 It is speculated that Lothal engineers studied tidal
movements, and their effects on brick-built structures,
since the walls are of kiln-burnt bricks.
 The dock, with a canal opening to allow water to flow into
the river, thereby maintaining a stable water level.
 The dock also possessed a lock-gate system—a wooden  square or rectangular,circular and few are cylindrical
door could be lowered at the mouth of the outlet to piece of stone
retain a minimum column of water in the basin so as to  Average size-2*2 inches
ensure floatation at low tides.  Stone-soft riverstone- statite,copper and terracotta
 Decorated with animal motifs-except cow
 Pictographic script on both sides of the seals
 Some gold, silver and ivory seals.

Seal of pashupati
script  This seal shows a seated figure of a Yogi, probably Shiva Pashupati,
surrounded by four animals - a rhino, a buffalo, an elephant and a tiger.
 Script-pictographic There are two deer shown under the throne. Pashupati means the lord
of animals.
 religion of the Harappan age
 Most of these seals have a knob at the back through which runs a hole
and it is believed that they were used by different guilds or merchants
and traders for stamping purposes.

-along with animal impressions which are yet to be deciphered.

-direction of writing-right to left.
 Purpose of the seal Terracotta sculpture
 The sculptor at Mohenjodaro was adept in his art and
 Unit of trade and commerce-found in Mesopotamia
could fashion both realistically as well as stylistically.
 Copper seal-as an immolate -proof-some seals had small hall in  Technique-hand-made
upper side.  Pinching method
 As an education tool-pie is shown in one seal.  Famous figures—
 Examples-pashupati seal-lord shiva type deity -Unicorn seal-bull  Mother Goddess-
 from mohenjo-daro
 Worshipped for fertility and prosperity

Bronze sculpture
 Toy carts-The toy animal, with a moveable head
 Technique-lost wax method (cire perdue)
 Birds and animals  Used for bronze casting
 Terracotta figure of a bull- shows the study of anatomy  At first the wax figures are covered with the
 The pair of squirrels - in a very natural and coating of clay
characteristic fashion seated on their haunches and  Then allowed it to dry.
nibbling at some fruit.
 Then it is heated and the molten wax is allowed
to drain out through a tiny hall at the bottom of
clay curve.
 The hollow mould is then filled with bronze or any
other metal.
 Once the metal is cooled, the clay is removed.
 Major sites-kalibangan,Harappa,Diemabath
 Bronze Dancing girl  Bearded priest
stone Sculpture
 Found at Mohenjo-Daro  from Mohenjodaro

 Naked sculpture-a naked woman only wearing  weaving a shawl with trefoil pattern.
ornaments  It bears a close resemblance to a similar figure discovered in
the Sumerian sites of Ur and Susa.
 Bengles,necklace,emulates and a particular hair-style
 Male torso-made of red limestone.
 figure shows a female dancing figure standing as if relaxing
 From Harappa
after a dance number, with her right hand on her hip and
 remarkable for its naturalistic pose and sophisticated
the left dangling free.
modelling, highlighting its physical beauty.
 The head and arms of this figure were carved separately and
socketed into the drilled holes of the torso.
 The figure of a male dancer belonging to the same period and
discovered at Harappa

Pottery
Ornaments
 Red and black pottery.
 Use of ornaments by both male and female
 Use of 2 colors-red and black
 Large variety of material-bne, precious metal,gem
stone,begged clay background color –red color
 Some unisex ornaments-necklace, armlets etc. To draw some design –black color
 Evidences of dead bodies with ornaments. Hence the name black and red pottery.
 Spinning of cotton and wool.  Not hand made but wheel made ware.
 Consciousness of fashion.  Some plain pottery which was more common.
 Cillabar was used as a cosmetic  Some painted pottery.
 Variety of cosmetics-lipstick ,eye-liner,face paint
 End of Indus valley civilization
Use of pottery
 Household purpose The Indus civilization came to an end in about C.1500 B.C.
probably due to the Aryan invasion of India.
 For decoration purpose-  Except for some antiquities of the copper hoard culture and
 proof-some very small sized pottery. ceramics, no trace of any plastic art is found during the next
1000 years.
 can’t be used for household or storage purpose  This may perhaps be due to perishable materials like wood which
could not withstand the rigors of time.
 Perforated pottery-for straining liqueur.
 The carvings of flat surface, as met with at Bharhut and Sanchi,
are an echo of an earlier tradition in wood or ivory.
 But this intervening period of about 1000 years is important,
because it was during this time that a synthesis took place
between the fertility cults of the Dravidians, who were the
original inhabitants of India, and the Aryan elements of rites and
rituals.

 The remnants are the only sources to study Harappan civilization which
had flourished 3000 BCE and vanishes around 1500 BCE. Recently  The chemical tests will give insight about the diet of Harrapan people and health
during excavation at Rakhigarhiin Haryana 4 skeletons and lot of status. The people were either vegetarian or non-vegetarian. It will also tell about
the cause of death whether they died due to malnutrition.
terracotta’s and potteries were found.
 The finding of a lot of broken pottery and charred animal remains outside the burial
 Reconstruct facial Software and DNA test would reveal the physical pits point to some ritual been done before the body was placed inside the pit at
structure of the harrapan people, their height and skin colours, eye Rakhigarhi.
colours etc.  Hearths, furnaces, broken bangles and burnt bangles, all made of faience, found in
the trenches at RGR-4 indicate the presence of an industrial unit there. Bangles
 Idli shaped terracotta found in Rakhigarhi are in more than in other made of shell point to the Harappans’ trade contacts with the Saurashtra region in
harrapan sites and perhaps which shows the terracotta may be present-day Gujarat.
manufactured in Rakhigarhi.  Figurines of dogs with a belt around the neck show that the Harappans kept dogs. A
 The size of burial pit and the quality & quantity of goods kept with burial seal with the carving of a tiger and the impression of a similar one on a "terracotta
sealing" points that such seals were used for trade.
pit would
 Since no evidence has been found of a Late Harappan phase having existed at
 perhaps reveal the socio economic condition of the harrapan people. Rakhigarhi, it is possible that the rivers Saraswati and Drishadvati were not active
as they were during the Early and Mature Harappan phases. The Saraswati could
 Huge amount of painted potteries were found at the rakhigarhi site so have gone dry around 2000 BCE and so the Late Harappan people moved away from
the site may be the home of rich and dominants people of society. the Saraswati river banks. So the Early and the Mature Harappan sites are mostly on
the banks of the Saraswati and the Drishdavati.
 Excavation near burial pits has revealed about the Burial customs and
rituals, being followed
 Mauryan and post-Mauryan period Mauryan period
(Buddhist Art)  Time period- 4th-3rd centuries B.C.
 Asoka, first mauryan to ‘think in stone’
Pillars
 The great Buddhist Emperor Ashoka caused the
erection of monolithic pillars of sandstone.
 Outside influence is present-Persian and achaemenian  Asokan pillars were lofty free standing monolithic
columns erected on sacred sites.
Court art
Popular art  30 to 40 feet high, crowned by animal figures like
the bull, lion and elephant
• Individual art
• State initiative • Sculpture,pottery,caves  inscribed with the Buddhist concepts of morality,
• Stupa, pillar humanity and piety, which he wished his people to
follow
 Famous Ashokan pillars are from Lauriya
Nandangarh in Bihar, Sanchi and Sarnath.

Design of the pillar

Purpose-
 Symbol of state
 To declare the victory
 To spread the moral ideas.
 Features of Mauryan pillar
Different types of capital  Uniformity in all pillars of Mauryan art
 a - Lotus Column (Bell) b - Lotus Column (Bud) c -  Chunar sandstone was used.
Papyrus Column (Bud) d - Papyrus Column (Bell)  Monolith shaft
 Use of animal
 Different types of abacus-round, rectangular,square etc.
 Edicts were inscribed-generally on abacus, sometimes on the shaft, too.
 Achaemanian influence-Bell shaped capital
 Iranian/Persian influence-clusterous/Highly polished pillars

bell-shaped base consisting of a lotus

Sarnath Pillar
 Most remarkable
 highly polished monolithic lion-capital , which is now the Emblem
 Difference between Mauryan and achamanian pillars of the Government of India
 Mauryan pillars are monolith  represents four roaring lions back to back facing the four cardinal
directions.
 Achamanian pillars are made from different stones
 The round abacus is decorated with four dharmachakras or wheels
of law, alternating with an elephant, a bull, a horse and a lion.
 alternating with an elephant, a bull, a horse and a lion, all carved
with masterly skill. The abacus is supported by a bell-shaped base
consisting of a lotus with dharma chakra.
 Invested with a great power and dignity, and reveals Bull capital of Rampurva, Bihar
the aristocratic and international nature of Mauryan  3rd B.C.
art.  mixture of Persian and Indian elements
 it was only Asoka who started making extensive use  lotus capital
of stone for sculptures and great monuments  The motifs on the abacus are beautiful decorative
whereas the previous tradition consisted of working elements like the rosette, palmette and the acanthus
in wood and clay . ornaments-- none of them is Indian.
 Bull-
 the animals on the abacus will reveal that these
 master-piece of Indian craftsmanship.
animals are not static or rigid. They have been very
 a humped bull is well modelled
keenly and lovingly observed in nature and are very
naturalistically represented, full of life.

Rock-cut elephant,Dhauli,Odisha Stupa

 Dhauli hill is presumed to be the area where the Kalinga  Started during vedic period
War was fought.  Flourished during Mauryan period.
 has major Edicts of Ashoka engraved .
 STUPA
 concern for the "welfare of the whole world".
 Conventional representation of funerary mound
 The rock-cut elephant is above the Edicts.
 It was once the resting place of the bones and ashes of a holy man.
 the earliest Buddhist sculpture of Odisha.
 In the Buddhist traditions,originally,9 stupas were constructed.
 The stone elephant shows the animal's foreparts only, though it  8 stupas-ashes and relics of Buddha
has a fine sense of form and movement.
 1 stupa-over the vessel in which such relics were originally kept.
 He built several chaityas, stupas and pillars there. He got
abodes excavated for the recluse, instructions inscribed for  Definition-Stupa is the Buddhist monument that is hemispherical
officials, expounded the main principles of dandaniti for the dome with Buddha’s relics inside.
public, provided special status to his new kingdom including the
stupas at Dhauli
 Architecture of stupa
Understanding of architecture of stupa
 Anda-hemispherical dome
 Medhi-circular base with the enclosed walls.
 Toran-gateway
 Vedika-upraised platform
 Chhatri-3 chhatras
 Represents triratna-Buddha,dharma and sangha.
 Core of the stupa-unburned bricks
 Outer surface-burnt bricks with lime plaster
 Maximum stupas were constructed by asoka

Development of stupa architecture

Gateway of stupas
 The railing and gateways at Bharhut, Sanchi and Bodh
Gaya are the most famous in the north .
 at Amravati and Nagarjunakonda in the South.
 Upright pillars and cross bars, based on wooden
construction, were made and provided the occasion for
dome of the finest low relief carvings to be found
anywhere in Indian art.
 On these surfaces are carved the favourite symbols of
Buddhism, the lotus, elephant, bull, lion and horse and
some of the Jataka stories.
 depicted in low relief with such exuberant details that
they are considered a land-mark in the story of Indian art.
 Sanchi Stupa  Originally wooden umbrella-represented royalty and dignity
 Hemispherical in shape,with low base.  Later it developed in composition on top of the dome, the
Harmika; a square Buddhist railing from which rises the shaft
that holds the imperial umbrella, sometimes single and later
on multiplied to three or even more-3 chhatras (triratna),
diminishing in size as they go upwards.
 Symbolized the cosmic mountain
 The existing stupa at Sanchi encloses the original stupa and  Inscription by ivory carvers on the southern gateway-
has been enlarged. suggests the transference of stupa from wood and ivory to
 It is enclosed within the stone railing or balustrade, when stone.
stone was adopted in the place of wood.
 a circumambulatory path as well as the stone railing with four
elegantly carved gateways in the four cardinal directions were
added in 1st century B.C.

Amravati stupa
Further development of stupas at sanchi and barhut
 The base,dome and hemisphere dome was sculpted.
 Stupas of nagarjunkoda in Krishna valley-very large
 Maha chaitya of nagarjunkoda has the base in the form of
swastika-which represents the sun
 2nd or 1st B.C.
 Amravati, which was the capital of the ancient Satavahana dynasty,
came under influence of the Buddhist faith through the Kushanas of
Mathura.
 Marbles used instead of bricks and stones. its Inner side has
engraving of Buddha’s life.
 In later centuries it was transformed from hinayan shrine to mahayan
shrine.
 Popular art
 Features
(1) Caves (1)Artistic gateway
 Real beginning of rock cut architecture (2)Polishing inside the cave
 Ie-elephant rock cut at Dhauli,Odisha.
 7 sisters-4 caves of barabar caves+3 caves of
 Mauryan caves-vihar Nagarjuni caves
 Post-Mauryan caves-chaitya
 Use of caves
 Vihar-rest places for monks
 Ajivikas-jain sect,some caves were given to the
monks of this sect.

(2) Sculpture
The sunga influence on Mauryan sculpture
 Yaksh and yakshini sculptures
 Objects of worship in folk religion  185 B.C.
 Places-yaksh-parkham in UP,pawaya in MP, -Yakshini-Didarganj in  Their native style, distinguished by its simplicity and folk appeal is best
Bihar
represented in monolithic free standing sculptures
 The sculptor in India took delight in fashioning his beautiful of Yakshas and Yakshis, discovered from Gwalior and Mathura
creations in poetic or visual metaphors in preference to direct
observation.  On the pillars of barhut stupa-The figure of Chulakoka Devta -
 The surface of figure bears the typical lustrous polish of the period. representing its indigenous character and folk quality.
 striking example of Mauryan art in the 3rd century B.C. is the  Yaksha-The two amulets strung on his necklace ward off evil spirits from
handsome torso of a male figure from Lohanipur. The modelling of his devotees.
the figure executed in a realistic manner, is invested with a
wonderful vitality. It probably represents a Jain Tirthankara or a  The back of his right hand bears an inscription giving the name of the
Saviour of the Digambara sect. sculptor
 (3) Pottery
Yaksha and yakshini
 Yaksha and yakshini figures are related to all three religions
 Hinduism-reference in tamil script-shilpadhikaram
 Northern black polished wear
 Buddhism-On the walls of stupa there are so many
 Maturity and climax in pottery making.
sculptures of yaksha.
 Some silver pottery is found.
 Jainism-In the jain scripts,Every teerthankar is found to be
associated with one Yakshi.  Purpose of silver pottery-luxury wear.

Post-Mauryan Period (1)caves

 Mauryan period-climax of pillar and stupa
 In mauryan-there were only vihars
 Post-mauryan period-climax of sculpture
 Now 2 types of caves –
 3 important developments
 1-vihar-residence or rest places
(1)Caves
 2-chaitya-prayer halls.
(2)Stupa  For ex-Ajanta has 29 caves-4 chaitya and 25 vihar.
(3)sculpture  Famous caves of this period-
 Chaitya-karle chaitya
 Vihar-Nasik Vihar
 Karle chaitya Vihars of Nasik
 Also known as Pandu Leni
 A group of 24 caves
 Largest Chaitya-griha among all Buddhist monuments in  representing the Hinayana Buddhist caves and has
India nothing to do with the characters of Mahabharata (the
 Has a huge lion pillars in front of Chaitya-griha. (only two Pandavas).
caves have this design- Karla and Kanheri)  Most of the caves are Viharas except for the 18th cave
 stupa has cylindrical drum shape which is a Chaitya.
 Octagone shaped pillars behind Stupa, without any  The caves lodge idols of Buddha and Bodhisattva.
decoration  Some caves are intricately connected by stone-cut ladders
 has been excavated from the living rock and is that join them to the other caves
unparalleled for its lofty and elevated impression  contain interesting sculptures
 The caves were called Pundru which in Pali language
means "yellow ochre color”.

Sculpture
Reached at its climax
(2)stupas 

 Buddha is never represented in human form in Buddhist art

before the Christian era,
 The adherents of the Buddhist faith followed the Hinayana
path as a means of attaining salvation.
 Buddha's presence in early Indian art is, therefore,
suggested by symbols like the Bodhi tree under which he
attained enlightenment, the wheel of law, his foot prints, the
royal umbrella, the stupa and an empty throne, etc.
 This change came about as a result of the new changes
that had crept into the religious outlook of Buddhism due to
the influence of the Devotional School of Hindu Philosophy,
 Enlarged stupas compared to Mauryan period. requiring the worship of personal gods.
 Gateways(torans) are now more intricately
decorated.
 Beginning of human representation of Buddha
 After Alexander's invasion of India in 326 B.C., the Indo-Greek, Indo Scythian and
Kushan kings ruled over its north-western territories 3 schools and their features
 under their patronage emerged a distinct style of sculpture, popularly known as
the Greco-Roman, Buddhist or Gandhara art.
 It was a product of the combination of Hellenistic, West Asiatic and native
elements. Greek and Roman techniques, modified according to Indian  (1)Gandhar school of sculpture
requirements, were employed in fashioning the Gandhara sculpture..
 His person was given some of the 32 suspicious bodily signs associated with the
 (2)Mathura school of sculpture
Mahapurushalakshana, such as the protuberance of the skull, the hair-knot, bindi  (3)Amravati School of sculpture
between the eyebrows and elongated ears
 In each case, it was produced by the local artist craftsmen working in the local
tradition. At Mathura it clearly emerges from the Yaksha tradition.
 The Gandhara image might seem to resemble Apollo in some extraneous forms
and does look characteristically Greco-Roman in drapery,
 but even there most of the images represent Buddha as seated in the typically
Indian Yogic posture, a feature completely unknown to the Hellenistic tradition of
art.

Gandhar
Mathura Amravati Contribution of Gandhar school
• Gandhar • Mathura • Amravati
• Outside influence • Indegeneous • Indegeneous
• Grey sandstone • Spotted red  Most important contribution
• White marble
sandstone  Evolution of beautiful images of Buddha and bodhisattva
• Completely Buddhist
• Kushana
• All 3 religions • Buddhism  difference between a Buddha and Bodhisattava-
• NWFP dominated
• Kushana • Satvahana  Buddha is one who has attained the enlightenment of supreme knowledge,
• Spiritual Buddha • Around UP • Krishna-Godavri while the Bodhisattva is still a candidate for it.
• Reminds Apollo
lower valley  Executed in black stone and modelled on the characteristics of indo-
• Bearded,mushtaq, eyes-
• delighted buddha • Narrative art
half closed,
• Reminds Yaksha
graeco-roman-pantheon.
propumurance, weavy
hair,large ears,seated in • Masculine,Grace on the
• Depicting themes  Tallest rock cut statue of lord Buddha-Bamiyan, Afghanistan(3rd or 4th A.D.)
‘yogi’ posture face,energetic body,tight
from jataka tales,life
dress,seated in
of Buddha
 image of the Buddha reached perfection in the Gupta age, three centuries later.
padmasana posture
 Gandhar Mathura Amravati Bamiyan,Afghanistan
two 6th-century monumental statues of standingbuddha carved into the
side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of
central Afghanistan.
 the statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art.
 The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but
details were modeled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. This
coating, practically all of which wore away long ago, was painted to
enhance the expressions of the faces, hands, and folds of the robes; the
larger one was painted carmine red and the smaller one was painted
multiple colors
 They were dynamited and destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban

The Gupta age

 Timeline-4 A.D. to 6 A.D. approx.
Guptas
 Art, science and literature flourished greatly during
their time.
 Brahmanical by religion
 The iconographic canons of Brahmanical, Jain and
Buddhist divinities were perfected and standardized.  Showed tolerance towards Jainism and Budhhism.
 Two climax in this era  Development of Hinudism.
 Architecture  Mainly Three deities of Hinduism
 Cave architecture 1. Vishnu-Northern and central India
 Temple architecture 2. Shiv-Southern India
 Sculpture 3. Shakti-Bengal and eastern India, Malabar region of
 Sarnath school of sculpture kerala
 Cave architecture Phases of cave architecture

 Earliest rock cut caves-by Asoka(around 270 B.C.) and his  3 definite phases
grandson Dasharatha.
1. 1st phase or earliest phase-2nd B.C. to 2nd A.D.
 Early caves-excavated on wooden models
 Related exclusively to early Buddhism
 Standardised religious meeting places
 Buddha was represented symbolically
 Ex-Barabar caves and Nagarjun I caves
 Major excavations-chaitya and vihar
 Inner walls-finely polished
 Practiced in less permanent materials like wood.
 Later cave temples and monestries found in many parts of India.
 Ex-karla, kanheri, Nasik, Bhaja, Bedsa caves.
 West Deccan-under Satvahana rulers-largest and most famous
artificial caves were excavated.
 Eventually this rock cut architecture developed into powerful and
popular architectural style.

2nd phase-5th to 7th century

Dravidian cave architecture
 Elimination of timber
 Introduction of the image of the Buddha
 The plan of excavations-specially for chaitya remained the same as
before.
 Vihar - some changes-housed the image of Buddha  Dominant features-

3rd phase-or the last phase-7th to 10th century. 1. The Mandapa-open pavallion excavated out of a rock-
simple columned hall with two or more cells
 The hindus and Jains extended the Buddhist architectural tradition
2. The Ratha-monolithic shrine carved out of a single rock
 With some modifications-suitable to their rituals
 Bhimbetka caves
Suitability of cave architecture
 Primarily developed in western ghats  Near Bhopal,M.P.
 Rock architecture was suited to India ,for the country had  Buddhist site
plenty of rocky mountains.
 More than 700 shetlers
 Structures excavated in stone-most durable  2 groups
1. Bhimbetka group
2. Lakha juar group
 Rock paintings dated back to stone age era-30,000 years

Kanheri caves
Jogeshwari caves
 Near Mumbai
 Time period-2nd century to 9th century.  Within the island of salsette
 More than 100 caves  Time period-second half of the 8th century
 Belong to first phase-Hinayana Buddhism.  Defaced
 Image of Buddha in chaitya hall-suggests later  Belongs to the 1st stage of Mahayana Buddhist
additions. architecture.
 Main feature-flights of connecting steps -stone seats  Brahmanical influence is evident.
provided for the monks to rest on.
 Shrines are isolated and stand in the centre of
cruciform hall with more than one entrance.
 Mandapeshwar caves Karle,Bhaja and Bedsa caves
 Karle caves-Hinayana period-main feature-chaitya, its
entrance and arrangement of the sun-window.
 Also known as Montepezir
 Bhaja caves-18 caves-built for Buddhist nuns.-around
 Contemporary with Jogeshwari caves 2 B.C.-Last cave-fine sculptures-prince seating on the
 Only brahmanical caves to be converted in elephant,Dancing couple.
Christian shrine.
 Bedsa caves-belong to later period than bhaja caves-
 Ruins of old Portuguese church is found. smaller chaitya than karle but quite similar to it.
 Franciscan monastery nearby.
 caves have sculptures of Nataraja, Sadashiva and
a splendid sculpture of Ardhanarishvara.
 It contained the largest Mandapa and a prominent
Garbhagriha.

Ajanta caves  Buddhist monastic buildings, apparently

representing a number of distinct "monasteries" or
colleges.
 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The Ajanta caves are cut into the side of a cliff that is
 Near Aurangabad,Maharashtra. on the south side of a U-shaped gorge on the small
river Waghur.
 Time period-200 B.C. TO 650 A.D.
 The majority of the caves are vihara halls for prayer
 An aesthetic vision and advanced technical knowledge and living, which are typically rectangular with small
was combined in the architects. square dormitory cells cut into the walls, and by the
 Discovered in 1829
second period a shrine or sanctuary at the rear
centred on a large statue of the Buddha, also carved
 Shaped like a crescent. from the living rock.
 Entirely Buddhist  The caves were built in two phases starting around
the 2nd century BCE, with the second group of
 Chinese travelers Huan-tsung and fa-hien referred to caves built around 400–650 CE
Ajanta in their accounts.
 2nd phase of Ajanta caves
1st phase of Ajanta caves  Vakataka period-around 4th to the 7th centuries CE
 most of the work took place over the very brief period from 460 to 480 CE,during
 Satvahana period-around 230 B.C. the reign of Emperor Harishena of the Vākāṭaka dynasty.
Caves of the second period are 1–8, 11, 14–29, some possibly extensions of
 caves 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15A caves 9, 10, 12, 13 
earlier caves. Caves 19, 26, and 29 are chaitya-grihas, the rest viharas.
and 15A  The second phase of Ajanta shows that the stupa and image coincided together.
 often called the Hinayāna phase  typically described as "Mahayana", but do not show the features associated with
later Mahayana Buddhism.
 Satavahana period caves lacked figurative  In Mahayana it is not Gautama Buddha but the Bodhisattva who is important.
sculpture, emphasizing the stupa instead.  Jataka tales paintings and sculpture-early births of Buddha as a king ,not animals
etc and settings of palaces resemble the royal life of Harisena

Technical aspects theme

 Carved in perpendicular steep side of the hill
 Jataka stories,incidents of Buddha’s life
 So they don’t have courtyards outside the temples.
 Paintings technique
 Mural paintings  Famous paintings-
 Outline is drawn with red color
 The Dying Princess
 Fresco paintings
 Mixture of cow dung and rice husk is spread on the surface  The Flying Apsara
of the caves, than coating of white lime plaster.  The Preaching Buddha
 Surface is kept moist until the color is applied
 Natural colors-primary+secondary
 Elegant cave-cave no-16
 Except blue  The shrine has a large statue of Buddha
preaching
 Famous fresco paining-The dying princess
 Ellora caves Hindu caves
 between the middle of sixth century to the end of the eighth century
 Ellora is known for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temples built
during (6th and 9th centuries) the rule of  The early caves (caves 17–29) were constructed during
the Kalachuri, Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties. the Kalachuriperiod.
 Time period-between 6th and 9th centuries  he caves 14, 15 and 16 were constructed during
 UNESCO World Heritage Site the Rashtrakuta period
 The 34 "caves" are actually structures excavated out of the  All these structures represent a different style of creative vision and
vertical face of the Charanandri hills. execution skills. Some were of such complexity that they required
 Hindu, Buddhist and Jain rock-cut temples several generations of planning and co-ordination to complete.
and viharas and mathas were built between the 5th century and
10th century.  Cave 16, also known as the Kailasa temple,
 The 17 Hindu (caves 13–29), 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12) and 5 Jain  This is designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva –
(caves 30–34) caves, built in proximity, demonstrate the religious looks like a freestanding, multi-storeyed temple complex, but it was
harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history carved out of one single rock, and covers an area double the size
 Excavated on the sloping side of the hill and not in a of Parthenon in Athens.[8] Initially the temple was covered with white
perpendicular cliff plaster thus even more increasing the similarity to snow-covered
 So most of the temples have courtyards and sometimes an outer Mount Kailash.
wall with an entrance

Kailasha temple Other Hindu caves

 One of the grandest monolithic excavation in the world
 A two-storeyed gateway resembling a South Indian Gopuram opens to reveal a
U-shaped courtyard. The courtyard is edged by columned galleries three  The Dashavatara (Cave 15) was begun as a Buddhist
storeys high. monastery.
 The temple itself is a tall pyramidal structure reminiscent of a South  It has an open court with a free-standing
Indian Dravidian temple.
monolithic mandapa at the middle and a two-storeyed
 Most of the deities at the left of the entrance are Shaivaite (followers of Shiva)
while on the right hand side the deities are Vaishnavaites (followers of Vishnu). excavated temple at the rear.
 There are two Dhvajastambhas (pillars with the flagstaff) in the courtyard.  The layout of the temple is closely related to caves 11 and 12.
 The grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasa, the abode of Large sculptural panels between the wall columns on the
Lord Shiva, with his full might is a landmark in Indian art. upper floor illustrate a wide range of themes, which include
 The temple is a splendid achievement of Rashtrakuta Karnataka architecture. the ten avatars of Vishnu.
This project was started by Krishna I (757–773) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty
 the finest relief of this cave is the one depicting the death of
 Its builders modelled it on the lines of the Virupaksha Temple in Pattadakal.
Hiranyakashipu
 Buddhist caves
 Other notable Hindu caves are the Rameshvara (Cave
21), which has figurines of river
 during the 5th-7th century
goddesses Ganga and Yamuna at the entrance
 These structures consist mostly of viharas or monasteries: large, multi-
 the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29) whose design is similar to storeyed buildings carved into the mountain face, including living
the cave temple on Elephanta Island. quarters, sleeping quarters, kitchens, and other rooms.

 Two other caves, theRavan ki Khai (Cave 14) and  Some of these monastery caves have shrines including carvings
of Gautama Buddha,bodhisattvas and saints.
the Nilkantha (Cave 22) also have several sculptures.
 Most famous of the Buddhist caves is cave 10,(refer map) a chaitya hall
 The rest of the Hindu caves, which include the (chandrashala) or 'Vishvakarma cave', popularly known as the
Kumbharvada (Cave 25) and the Gopilena (Cave 27) 'Carpenter's Cave'.
have no significant sculptures.  cathedral-like stupa hall also known as chaitya, whose ceiling has been
carved to give the impression of wooden beams. At the heart of this
cave is a 15-foot statue of Buddha seated in a preaching pose.
 he Vishwakarma (Cave 10) is the only chaitya griha amongst the
Buddhist group of caves. It is locally known as Vishwakarma"celestial
architect" or Sutar ka jhopda "carpenter's hut“
 A large Bodhi tree is carved at the back.

 The Indra Sabha

Jain caves  The Indra Sabha (Cave 32) is a two storeyed cave with one
more monolithic shrine in its court.
 belong to the ninth and tenth centuries.
 It has a very fine carving of the lotus flower on the ceiling. It
 belong to the Digambara sect
got the appellation "Indra Sabha" probably it is significantly
 reflect a strict sense of asceticism – they are not relatively large as ornate and also because of the sculpture of
compared to others, but they present exceptionally detailed art works. the yaksha Matanga on an elephant, which was wrongly
 The most remarkable Jain shrines are the Chhota Kailash (cave 30), identified as that of Indra. On the upper level of the double-
the Indra Sabha(cave 32) and the Jagannath Sabha (cave 33). storied shrine excavated at the rear of the court, an U image
 Amongst other devotional carvings, a place called Samavasarana can of Ambika, the yakshini of Neminath, is found seated on her
be found in Elora caves. Samavasarana is of special interest to Jains, lion under a mango tree, laden with fruits.
as it is a hall where the tirthankara preaches after  Jagannath sabha is smaller than Indrasabha
attaining omniscience.
 Well proportioned torana,within it is a seated mahavira.
 Upper storey has images of 24 tirthankaras.
 On the top of the hill-rock-hewn statue of Parshwanath.
 Junagadh caves Bagh caves

 Time period-around 300 A.D.

 Main feature-Uparkot (citadel)  Near Bagh river, M.P.
 Lower portion-halls
 Time period-around 6th century CE
 Its entrance is in the form of an arcway-fine specimen of
the Hindu Torana  Similar to Ajanta caves in all aspects.
 Many Buddhist caves
 Entirely Buddhist
 Site of Buddhist monastery
 Halls, connected by winding staircases  9 sandstone caves
 Upper chamber-a small refractory and a tank surrounded  Beautiful fresco and sculptured stone work
by corridor
 All supported by 6 richly carved columns

Elephanta caves  the Elephanta cave resembles in some aspects the 8th-
century Rashtrakuta rock-temple Kailash at Ellora.
 Time period-around 8th century A.D.  The Trimurti of Elephanta showing the three faces of
 On the islands of elephant,off the Mumbai Shiva is akin to the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and
Mahesh (Shiva), which was the royal insignia of the
 natively known as Gharapurichi Leni Rashtrakutas. T
 UNESCO World Heritage Site  he Nataraja and Ardhanarishvara sculptures are also
 Island derived it name from the giant carving of an elephant attributed to the Rashtrakutas
which used to stand at the old landing stage.  The ganesh gumpha-one of the earliest example of Brahmanical temple
 Inresting sculpture-wedding of shiv-parvati,shiv tandav,ardhnarishwar,ravan shaking
 consists of two groups of caves—the first is a large group kailasa

of fiveHindu caves, the second, a smaller group of

two Buddhist caves.
 The Hindu caves contain rock cut stone sculptures,
representing the Shaiva
 Miscellaneous caves
Nasik caves-
 Belongs to 1 A.D.,also known as panduleni,23 Buddhist caves
 Buddha represented in symbols-throne, footprint
Undavalli caves-
 Near vijaywada,AP,7TH century Hindu cave temple
 Cut into 5 tiers along the slope of a black granite hill
 Main attracton-reclining statue of Vishnu, sculpted from a single block of granite
Udaygiri caves
 20 rock cut chambers during Gupta period
 Cave 5-varaha cave
 Vital documents. Inscriptions
Eladipattam caves
 At sittanavasal, 1 B.C. to 8 A.D.
 Jain shelter-inscriptions in Brahmi script,in Tamil language
 Site for kayotsarga and Sallekhana