The document discusses the architectural periods of Chalukyan and Ashoka in Hindu architecture. It provides details on Ashoka's adoption of Buddhism after the Kalinga war and his architectural manifestations of Buddhism like building stupas. It also describes the characteristic features of Chalukyan architecture seen in structural temples and rock cut cave temples at locations like Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal from the 5th-7th century. Key structures mentioned include the Lad Khan temple and Durga temple at Aihole with their design elements.

1. CHALUKYAN AND ASHOKA
PERIOD OF HINDU
ARCHITECTURE
SUBMITTED TO:
AR.ADITI SHARMA
LECTURER CTIAP
SUBMITTED BY :
KANAV CHOPRA
1732547

2. THE AHIMSA OF ASHOKA THE
GREAT
• ASHOKA CAME TO THE POWER IN 272BC , DUE TO THE
GREAT LOSS IN THE WAR OF KALINGA(MODERN DAY
ORISSA).
• AFTER WHICH ING ASHOKA DETERMINE TO ATONE FOR
HIS SINS BY BECOMING THE MORAL LEADER OF THE
WHOLE CIVILISED WORLD.
• HE ADOPTED THE RELIGION PROPAGATED BY GAUTAM
THE BUDHA AND SET ABOUT THE TASK OF PROPAGATING
THE MESSAGE OF BUDHA TO THE WHOLE WORLD.
• HE SUPPORTED THE DOCTORINE OF AHIMSA.
• THE FIRST ARCHITECTURAL MANIFESTATION OF
ASHOKAS CAMPAIGN FOR BUDDISM WAS TO GIVE THE
MANY NONDESCRIPT EARTH AND RUBBLE STRUCTURES
THAT HOUSED THE RELICS AND ASHES OF BUDHA ,A
DISTINGUISHED AND DURABLE FORMTO TRANSFORM
THESE WAYSIDE SHRINES INTO MONUMENTS IN THE
GLORY OF BUDDHA.

3. THE MONUMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF THE
ANCIENT
•ANCIENT MONUMENTAL
EDIFICES ALL OVER THE WORLD
HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
STRUCTURED ON THE PRINCIPLE
OF BEING BUILT OVER THE
WIDE BASE WITH THE
SUPERSTRUCTURE DECREASING
GRADUALLY IN SIZE TOWARDS
THE APEX OF SORTS.
•A SOLID MONUMENT OF THIS
NATURE CREATES VIRTUALLY
NO LATRAL FORES UNLIKE A
CUBIC MASS THAT WOULD NEED
TO BE CONTAINED WITHIN WELL
REINFORCED AND MASSIVE
WALLS OF MORTAR JOINTED
MASNOR.RATHE THE LOAD OF
THE TAPERING STRUCTURES
ACTS ONLY DOWNWARDS AND
AS LONG THE BUILDING
MATERIAL OF THE LOWEST
COURSE IS NOT CRUSHED BY
ITS OWN WEIGHT ,STRUCTURAL
IMMORTALITY IS VIRTUALLY
INHERENT IN THE DESIGN.
THE GREAT PYRAMID OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS AT GIZEH
A ZIGGURAT OF ANCIENT ASSYRIA

4. •THE ONE STRUCTURAL
PRINCIPLE COMMON TO THE
EGYPTIAN,THE ASSYRIAN IS THAT
HE ALWAYS STARTED FROM A
BROAD BASE TAPERING TO A
NARROW APEX.
•JUST AS THE ANCIENT
CRAFTMAN THE WORLD OVER
HAD BUILT HIS MONUMENTAL
EDIFICES OVER A PLAN THAT WAS
AN ELEMENTARY GEOMETRIC
PROFILE
•THE EVIDIENT CHOICE OF THE
BUDDHIST ARCHITECT WAS
EITHER SQUARE OR CIRCLE ,THE
TWO PUREST FORM.
•HE CHOOSE THE CIRCLE:TO HIM
NOT ONLY IT
IT SYMBOLIOSES THE ‘THE
BUDDHIST WHEEL OF LAW’
IT WAS AN IDEAL FOCUS FOR
PERFORMING THE BUDDHIST
RITUAL OF ENDLESS
CIRCUMBATION OF A SACRED
OBJECT.
MOREVER ITS CONNOTATIONS
WERE CONTRARY TO VEDIC
ALTARS OF SACRIFICE IN WICH
SQUARE FORM THE BASIS OF
PLAN.

5. THE BUDDHIST STUPA
THE STAMBHAS
THE AJIVIKAS AND CAVE
ARCHITECTURETHE CULT OF CHAITYAS

6. THE BUDDHIST STUPA
•THE IRREGULAR HUMBLE MOUND
OF RUBBLE THAT HAVE BEEN PILED
OVER BY WORSHIPPERS OVER
RELICS WAS NOW TRANSFORMED
BY ROYAL BUILDERS INTO
HEMISPHERICAL BRICK PAVED
TUMULUS.
•THE EMBRO OF THE MOST
POWERFUL ARCHITECTURAL FORM
OF BUDDHISM,THE FAMOUS
STUPA,THUS EMERGED FOR THE
FIRST TIME UNDER THE
ARCHITECTURAL PARTONAGE OF
ASHOKA ,WHOSE
PLAN,ELEVATION,SECTION AND
TOTAL FORM OF WHICH ALL
DERIVED FROM THE CIRCLE.
•HIS PROCLAIMED AIM WAS TO
ENSURE A “LONG ENDURANCE OF
THE GOOD LAW” HE INEVITABELY
STARTED”THINKING IN STONE.
•HE USED THE TECHNIQUES TRIED
BY PERSIAN EMPROR DARIUS.
•MESSAGE OF BUDDHQ IN THE PALI
TEXT ,WERE CARVED INTO TABLETS
OF STONE AND INSTALLED AT
VARIOUS LOCATIONS.

7. THE SATAMBHAS
•ASHOKA ALSO ADDED HIS OWN
INNOVATIONS.
•INSPIRED BY WOODEN POLES OF
PRIMITIVE TRIBES,HE ORDERED THE
INSCRIPTIONS CARVED ON COLUMNS OF
STONE,AND THESE WERE SET UP AT
REGULAR INTERVALS ALONG ROADS
LEADING TO PALACE OF BUDDHIST
PILGRIMAGE.
•THE INDIAN STONE MASON LEARNT
LESSON FROM PERSIAN GURUS.
•COLUMNS SOME 40FT IN LENGTH
WEIGHING AS MUCH AS 50 TONNES
,WERE CARVED OUT FTOM A SINGLE
BLOCK OF SANDSTONE, WON OUT FROM
THE FAMOUS QUARRY AT CHUNNAR,IN
MODERN BIHAR.,
•THE COLUMNS WERE THEN CARRIED ON
HUGE BULLOCK DRAWN TIMBER CARTS.
•THE COLUMN APPEAR ROSE STRAIGH T
OUT OF THE GROUND WITHOUT ANY BASE
,LIKE THE TRUNK OF THE TREE,OR AT
SOME PLACES HAD A CIRCULAR BRICK
PLATFORM AT ITS BASE.
•AT THE TOP WAS MOUNTED A LARGE
SCULPTURES FIGURE OF AN ANIMAL.
•THE SCULPTURE EXECUTED IN THE
STYLE REMINISCENT OF PERSIAN
DESIGN,WEIGHING FIVE TONNES AND
ABOUT SEVEN FEET IN HEIGH, WAS
EFFECTIVELY JOINED TO THE PILLAR BY A
TWO FEET LONG CYLINDRICQAL COPPER
DOWEL.
ASHOKA STAMBHA
FAMOUS BUDDHIST SCULPTURE OF THE
FOUR LION

8. THE AJIVIKAS AND CAVE
ARCHITECTURE
•THOUGH ASHOKA ZEALOUSLY
PROPAGATED BUDDHISM
VIRTUALLY AS STATE
RELIGION,HE WAS NOT ENTIRELY
INTOLERENT OF OTHER SECTS.
•THE AJIVIKAS AESTHETICS WERE
ANOTHER OF HIS BENIFICIARIES.
•HE ORDERED SANCTURIES TO
SUIT THEIR NEEDS TO BE BUILT
AT THE COST OF THE STATE.
•THEY DISCARDED THE
TRADITIONAL TIMBER AND BRICK
STRUCTURES.
•THEY CHOOSE INSTEAD TO
CARVE HABITABLE CAVES OUT
OF THE “ETERNALLY IMMOVABLE”
HILL SIDES FOR THEIR
SANCTURIES.
•IN THE SHAPING OF THESE
CAVES,THE BUILDERS WITH
CHISELS AND HAMMERS AS
THEIR MAIN TOOLS,WERE
PRACTICISING MORE THE CRAFT
OF SCULPTURE THAN
ARCHITECTURE.

9. •THE MOST POPULAR CAVE IS
KNOWN AS “LOMAS RISHI” IN
ORRISA.
•ITS INTERIOR CIRCULAR CELL IS
19FT IN DIAMETER AND IS
APPROACHED THROUGH A 33FT
LONG TUNNEL LIKE HALL.
•THE BARREL VAULTED
RECTANGULAR THATCH HUT AND
THE BEEHIVED ROOF SHRINE
CRAFTED BY THE ARYAN
CARPAINTER HAD BEEN
PERPUTATED IN THE FORM OF
CAVE.
•THE SHAPE OF THE ENTRANCE
ARCH ON THE HILLSIDE IS THE
FAMILIAR GABLE END.
•THE ROCKCUTTERS INTRODUCED A
BEAUTIFULLY SCULPTURED PANEL
AT RHE CROWN OF THE ARCH
DEPICTING TEO ROW OF
ELEPHANTS WALKING TOWARD
STUPA.
•BUDDHISM WAS AT LOGGERHEADS
WITH THE CONTEMPRORY THINKING
OF BRAHMINS,JAINS AND AJIVIKAS.
LOMUS RISHI CAVE

10. THE CULT OF CHAITYAS
•BUDDISM BORROWED LITTLE
FROM BRAHMINS,ITS SIMPLE
RITUAL WAS INSPIRED BY THE
POPULAR CULT OF CHAITYAS OR
SACRED SPOTS.
•THE TRADITIONAL CHAITYA WAS A
GROOVE OF TREES IN THE MIDDLE
OF WHICH SMALL TUMULI OF
EARTH HAS BEEN BUILT OVER THE
ASHES OF THE TRIBAL CHIEFS.
•THE BUDDHIST MONK INSTEAD
OF WANDERING AROUND BEGAN
SETTLING DOWN AROUND SUCH
CHAITYAS.
•THE CHAITYAS THUS GREW INTO
SMALL MONESTRIES AND THE
CULT OF CHAITYA BECAME THE
TOUCHSTONE OF BUDDHIST
RITUAL AND WORSHIP.
•IT WAS LIKE THE WAYSIDE
VILLAGE SHRINE OF TODAY.
•THE STUPA AT THE BEST WAS A
WHITE WASHED MOUND PROBABLY
DECORATED WITH FESTOONS AND
PRAYER FLAGS.
•A PROTECTIVE WOODEN FENCE
AROUND THE STUPA SYMBOLISE
ITS SACRED NATURE DEMACRATED
A CIRCUMAMBULATORY PATH
ALONG WHICH THE MONKS WOULD
WALK,CHANTING BUDHA SHLOKAS

11. CHALUKYAS PERIOD OF ARCHITECTURE
• THE KINGDOM WAS FOUNDED BY RAJA
JAISIMHA AFTER DEFEATING KADAMBA. THE
CHALUKYAN KINGS SHIFTED THEIR EARLY
CAPITAL FROM AIHOLE TO VATAPI NOW KNOWN
AS BADAMI.
• BADAMI,AIHOLE AND PATTADKAL ARE
ELOQUENT EVIDENCES OF THE EVOLUTION OF
THE TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE FROM THE CAVE
TEMPLES TO STRUCTURAL TEMPLES.
• THE CHALUKYANS WERE VAISHNAVITES BUT
WERE TOLERENT TOWARDS OTHER RELIGION.
HENCE THEY ENCOURAGED CONSTRUCTION OF
SHIVA AND JAINA TEMPLE.
• THEY RENDERED A VALUABLE SERVICE IN
SERVICE IN DEVOLPEMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
,SCULPTURE AND PAINTINGS IN KARNATAKA.

12. CHRACTERSTIC FEATURES AND
TYPICAL EXAMPLES
• THE ARCHITECTURE FALLS INTO TWO DISTINCT TYPES:
1. ROCK CUT
2. STRUCTURAL TEMPLES
 STRUCTURAL TEMPLES:
• CHALUKYAN ALSO BUILT SEVERAL STRUCTURAL TEMPLES ALONG THE EDGE OF
THE LAKE AND HILL TOPS .
• ABOUT 15 KM FROM BADAMI,AT MAHAKUTA,STANDS A GROUP OF TEMPLES
ENCLOSED BY A FORT-LIKE HEAVILY BUILT WALL
• IT WAS AT AIHOLE AND PATTADKAL THAT EXPERIMENTATION IN TEMPLE BUILDING
CONDUCTED FROM FROM 450 A.D. TO 650 A.D.GAVE BIRTH TO THE HINDU TEMPLE
AND EVOLVED ITS VARIOUS ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENTS AND FEATURES.
• THE EARLY CHALUKYANS COMBINED SOME FEATURES OF CONTEMPRORY NORTH AND
SOUTH INDIAQN STYLE OF CONSTRUCTION I.e.NAGAR AND DRAVIDIAN TO CREATE
THEIR OWN STYLE OF CONSTRUCTION WHICH IS CHRACTERISED BY:
1. HIGH PLATFORM
2. PITHAS ORNATE DOOR FRAME
3. PLINTH MOULDING
4. VESTIBULE-PROJECTED ROOF
5. OCTAGONAL SHIKARA OVER GARBH GHIRA

13. LAD KHAN TEMPLE AT AIHOLE
•WITH A FEW MODIFICATIONS THEY SET
THE TASK OF ADAPTING ITS TIMBER
STRUCTURAL FORM TO THE
PERMANENCY OF STONE MASNORY
,AND ITS VILLAGE COUNCIL PLAN TO
ONE FIT FOR THE WORSHIPO OF GODS.
•THE RESULT OF THEIR INNOCENT
ENDEAVOUR IS A TEMPLE ,WHICH FOR
SOME CURIOUS REASON IS POPULARLY
KNOWN AS LAD KHAN
•IT IS A SQUARE HALL 50FT SIDE
,ROOFED WITH GARGANTUM SLOPING
STONE SLABS.
•INSTEAD OF TIMBER POST TO HOLD UP
THE ROOF ,THERE IS AN INNER DOUBLE
ROW OF MASSIVE STONE COLUMNS.
•THE LOAD OF THE ROOF IS TAKEN UP
BY WALLS OF CYCLOPEAN STONE
BLOCKS PILED ONE OVER WITHOUT
THE USE OF BINDING MATERIAL.
•IN THE MIDDLE OF REAR WALL A
SMALL PORTION WAS PARTITIONED TO
GARBHAGRIHA.
•IN THE ATTACHED PORTICO THE
WORSHIPPERS SIT AND CHAT AFTER
THEIR RITUALS ARE OVER,EVEN THE
BENCH HAS BEEN REPRODUCED IN
STONE,THEREBY SERVING TWO
FUNCTION OF SITTING AND A
BALUSTER.

14. •THE CHALUKYANS BUILDERS
COPIED THE TIMBER PROTOTYPE
OF THEIR CHOICE AS FAITHFULLY
AS THEIR BUDDHIST
PREDECESSORS.
•THE PROJECTING EDGES OF THE
SLABS OF THE ROOF ARE ROUNDED
OFF TO INMATE THE ORIGNAL
THATCH COVERING.
•IT IS CALLED LAD KHAN BECAUSE
LAD KHAN MAKE IT AS ITS
RESIDNCE.

15. THE DURGA TEMPLE AT AIHOLE
•THE CHALUKYANS BUILDERS IN THE
SEARCH OF AN APPROPRIATE
MONUMENTAL SHRINE TRIED TO
ADAPT THE PLAN OF BUDDHIST
CHAITYA HALL TO HINDU WWORSHIP.
•THE TEMPLE STANDS ON A HIGH
MOULDED PLINTH 3M HIGH AND
CONSIST OF PILLARED HALL OR
MUKHA MADAPA AND AN ADDITIONAL
VERANDAH ALL AROUND WITH AN
APSIDAL SANCTURY,LIKE BUDDHIST
CHAITYA.
•TWO FLIGHT OF STEPS ONE FROM
NORTH AND OTHER FROM SOUTH ARE
PROVIDED IN FRONT OF THE PORCH
•TWO ROW OF COLUMNS SEPARATE
THE HALL INTO CENTRAL NAVE AND
TWO SIDE AISLES.
•THE TEMPLE DERIVES ITS NAME
BECAUSE OF FORT LIKE ENCLOSURE
CALLED DURGA.NO WONDER THAT IT
FAILED TO WIN HINDU APPROVAL AS
AN APPROPRIATE SACROSANCT
EDIFICE.
•THEY INTERCEPTED THE HINDU
CONCEPT OF TEMPLE AS A HOUSEOF
GOD RATHER TOO LITERALLY JUST A
HOUSE NO MORE
•WHAT WAS MISSING WAS AN
ARCHITECTONIC FORM THAT WOULD
AT ONCE ADEQUATE A NEW A FAITH
AND CONVERT A HOUSE IN VIRTUAL
MONUMENT.

16. 1. STRUCTURAL TEMPLES
 ROCK CUT CAVE TEMPLES AT
BADAMI:
• THE CHALUKYAN CAPITAL
BADAMI WAS SURROUNDED BY
MOAT.
• THE MOST INTERESTING THING
IN BADAMI IS THE SERIES OF
FOUR CAVES TEMPLE HEWN
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM IN THE
SCRAP OF SOUTHERN HILL
CALLED RANMANDAL.
• THESE ARE BRAHMINICAL IN
NATURE ,ONE SHAIVITE,TWO
VISHNAVITES,AND THE FOURTH
BELONGS TO JAINA
A. CAVE 1 (SHAIVA CAVE): THIS
CAVE CAN BE REACHED BY
CLIMBING 35 STEPS.
B. THIS IS L-SHAPED CAVE ,AND
MEASURES 14M LONG AND 7.5M
DEEP AND FACES TOWARD
NORTHERN SIDE.