hindu architecture history

1. HINDU
ARCHITECTURE
BY: KIRTI GARG

2. INTRODUCTION
ARCHITECTURE
[STHAPATYA] IS CLASSIFIED
AS ONE OF THE
CRAFTS[SILPA] AND WAS
FIRST PASSED DOWN TO
MANKIND BY
VISVAKARMAN,THE
FAMOUS DEMIGOD
BUILDER OF THE
UNIVERSE. INDIAN
ARCHITECTURE HAS BEEN
INFLUENCED BY FOREIGN
INVADERS INCLUDING
GREEKS,BACTRICIUS,
PARTHIANS,KUSHANS AND
SAKAS.

3. ANCIENT BUILDINGS
• THE LOWER CLASSES LIVED IN GRAMAS CONSISTING
OF THATCHED HUTS MADE OF EARTH,STUCCO AND
REED.
• THE UPPER CLASSES LIVED IN WOODEN STRUCTURES
BUILT BY THE WELL HOUNERED CLASS OF CARPENTER
ARCHITECTS.
• EVERY HOUSE HAD A SMALL SACRED AREA CALLED THE
AGNISHALA,WHERE THE DAILY RITES ARE PERFORMED.
• THE KUTIA WERE MADE OF TWISTED TWIGS
INTERWOVEN WITH STRIPS OF PALM-LEAVES FIXED ON
BAMBOO UPRIGHTS AND PLASTERED WITH MUD AND
COW-DUNG.

4. STYLES OF HINDU
ARCHITECTURE
• DRAVIDIAN STYLE- THIS STYLE IS FOUND IN
THE TEMPLES OF KRISHNA RIVER AND CAPE
COMORIN.
• GOPURAM STYLE- IN THIS TYPE OF STYLE
THE ROOF CONTAINS A VAULTED
OCTAGONAL OR DOMICAL STRUCTURE.
• NAGARA STYLE-THIS STYLE FOUND
BETWEEN THE VINDHYAS AND HIMALAYAS.

6. THE EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLES
• INDIA’S HINDU ARCHITECTURE IS DEVELOPED
FROM THE CREATIVITY OF STHAPATHIS AND
SHILPIS.
• BOTH OF THESE COMMUNITY BELONGS TO THE
LARGER COMMUNITY OF CRAFTMEN AND
ARTISANS CALLED VISHWAKARMA{CASTE}.
• ALL THE HINDU TEMPLES IN INDIA FOLLOWS THE
ARCHITECTURE DEFINED IN SHILPA SHASTRAS.
• HOWEVER THERE ARE ARTISTIC VARIATIONS IN
TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION OF SHIKARA
DEMANDING ON REGIONAL CULTURE.

7. COMPONENTSOFTEMPLES
 VIMANA :-VIMANA REFERS TO THE DOME LIKE
STRUCTURE ABOVE THE GARBHA GRIHA. IT IS ONE
OF THE IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF A
TEMPLE.
 GOPURAM:-GOPURAM IS THE HUGE TOWER AT THE
ENTRANCE OF A TEMPLE. IT SERVES AS THE
GATEWAY TO THE TEMPLE COMPLEX.
 GARBHAGRIHA:-GARBHAGRIHA REFERS TO THE
INNERMOST SHRINE(SANNIDHI) OR ROOM OF A
TEMPLE, WHERE THE IDOL OF THE MAIN DEITY IS
KEPT. IT IS ROUGH EQUIVALENT TO A SANCTUM
SANCTORUM.

8. COMPONENTSOFTEMPLES
VIMANA AND
GOPURAM
GARBHAGRIHA

9. COMPONENTSOFTEMPLES
 ANTARALA :-ANTARALA IS A TRANSITIONAL
SPACE BETWEEN A TEMPLE'S MAIN HALL AND THE
GARBHA GRIHA.
 SHIKHARA :-SHIKHARA REFERS TO THE RISING
TOWER IN A TEMPLE. IT IS EQUIVALENT TO
VIMANA. THERE ARE 3 MAJOR STYLES OF
SHIKHARA.
 MANDAPA:-MANDAPAM IS A PORCH-LIKE
STRUCTURE THROUGH THE GOPURAM AND
LEADING TO THE TEMPLE. IN GENERAL, IT IS A
PILLARED OUTDOOR HALL.

10. COMPONENTSOFTEMPLES
ANTARALA AND
MANDAPA
SHIKARA

11. THANK
YOU