The document discusses key features of Buddhist architecture that developed in India. It began with symbolic structures representing Buddha's life, promoted by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. Major architectural forms included stupas to house Buddhist relics, pillars (stambhas) bearing inscriptions, and chaityas/viharas that were temples and monastery halls carved into rock. The Great Stupa at Sanchi and reliefs at sites like Amaravati and the caves/temples at Ellora and Elephanta are highlighted as iconic examples that demonstrate the evolution of Buddhist architectural styles and motifs over centuries.

1. BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE

2. • 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.

3. • 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.

4. 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 Stupa become a cosmic symbol in response
total form of which were to a major human condition: death. With
the enlightenment of the Buddha, stupa
all derived from circle. became a particularly buddhist symbol.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. •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

8. •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

9. Axonometric drawing

10. 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

11. 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.

12. STUPA AT AMARAVATI
The Great Stupa at Amaravati was a
large Buddhist monument built in
south-eastern India between the
second century B.C. and the third
century A.D. It was a centre for
religious activity and worship for
hundreds of years.
The Stupa was part of a complex
of religious buildings built and
paid for by local people. Over
time, the Stupa was added to and
changed many times.

13. HARMIKA DOME (UPPER)
.
The main part of the Amaravati Stupa was a
solid great dome which most likely stood about
This relief shows a stupa with 18 meters high. The dome was made of pale
a harmika and umbrellas. green limestone which was probably painted
with bright colors.

14. DOME (LOWER) GATEWAY
There were four gateways in the
railing around the Stupa. Each one of
the gateways marked one of the four
directions, north, south, east and
west.
AYAKA PLATFORM
A small platform extended out from the
drum at each of the gateways. Five
pillars were mounted on top of each of
The lower part of the dome was the ayaka platforms. The ayaka
covered with large stone reliefs. This platform may have been used in the
section of sculpture shows different rituals which took place at the
scenes from the Buddha's life. Amaravati Stupa.

15. PILLAR
Facing each gateway into the Amaravati Stupa was a group of five pillars. The
pillars were mounted on a special platform called the ayaka which was part
of the drum and extended out from it.

16. RAILING LION
Around the outer limits of the Stupa was a Lion sculptures were placed at the
tall railing made of limestone. The railing gateways to the Amaravati Stupa. Lions
marked the boundaries of the Stupa. represented power and strength and
were meant to ward off evil spirits and
protect the Stupa.

17. STAMBHAS OR LATS
•These pillars are common to all the styles of Indian
architecture. With the Buddhist they were
employed to bear inscriptions on their shafts, with
emblems or animals on their capital.
•Typical Buddhist column are of two type one is
based on persepolitian type and other graeco-roman
type.
•Persepolitian type is a octagonal with bell shaped
capital supporting animal sculpture. The shaft is
highly polished and has a vase-shaped base.
•Graeco-roman type is rectangular with shallow
flutes. They are tall and slender, the height nearly
six to eight times its lower diameter. At the top is a
capital usually with a fluted vase motif.

18. ASHOKA PILLARS
•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
•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

19. CHAITYAS
•Chaityas or ‘sacred spots’ are the
temples as well as assembly halls
created out of the particular demands
of buddhist religion. These became
necessary to accommodate those who
congregated to pay their homage.
•These have a small rectangular door-
way which opens to a vaulted hall, with
apsidal end and divided longitudinally
by two colonnades forming a broad
nave in the centre and two side aisles.
•At end is a stupa also carved in natural
rock with enough space around it for
circumambulation
•The roof is usually semi-circular.
1-stupa, 2-nave, 3-aisles, 4-entry

20. CHAITYA AT
KARLI
The entrance of the chaitya is very grand and consists of three doorways set underneath a
gallery.
The chaitya hall is 38.5m long and 13m wide with a vaulted roof rising to a height of 13.7m.
The roof is supplemented by a series of wooden ribs which are closely spaced.
The hall is divided by two rows of columns forming a broad nave in the centre.
Each column is 1.22m in diameter and 7.32m high, with bell shapes capital which supports a
pair of kneeling elephants carrying male and female riders and those of horses and tigers in
the rear.
The shaft is octagonal in shape and has a vase-shapes base.
At the end is a stupa, caved in natural rock, with railing and inverted stepped pyramid or tee
at the top.
A beautiful ‘lat’ surmounting with four addorsed lions is erected at the entrance of the
chaitya.

21. FEATURES
Detail of wooden frame for window
Facade of chaitya hall at karli
Richly carved pillars Couples on elephant

22. Section in perspective of rock-cut chaitya hall at karli

23. ELEPHANTA CAVES
•The cave temple of Shiva, located on
Elephanta Island in Bombay Harbor, was
excavated out of the rock sometime in the 6th
century.
•The Elephanta caves are a network of
sculpted caves located on Elephanta island.
•The island has two groups of caves in the rock
cut architectural style.
•The primary cave numbered as Cave 1 is a
rock cut temple and consists of a main
chamber, two lateral chambers, courtyards,
and subsidiary shrines.
•Inside, it contains a square linga shrine. The
interior of the cave is decorated with a dozen
large relief sculptures of the great god Shiva in
his fierce and kindly aspects.
•On the eastern part of the island, on the
Stupa Hill, there is a small group of caves that
house Buddhist monuments

24. Main cave
•The main cave, also called the Shiva
cave, Cave 1, or the Great Cave, is 27
meters (89 ft) square in plan with a
hall (mandapa).
•At the entrance are four doors, with
three open porticoes and an aisle at
the back. Pillars, six in each
row, divide the hall into a series of
smaller chambers.
• The roof of the hall has concealed
beams supported by stone columns
joined together by capitals.
•The central Shiva shrine is a free-
standing square cell with four
entrances, located in the right
section of the main hall. The main cave blends features such as massive
•Smaller shrines are located at the figures of the divinities, guardians, and square
east and west ends of the caves. The pillars with custom capitals with Gupta artistic
eastern sanctuary serves as a characteristics, like the depiction of mountains
ceremonial entrance. and clouds and female hairstyles.

25. MAIN CAVE SHRINE
•The central shrine is a free-standing
square cell, with entrances on each of its
sides. Each door is flanked by two
dvarapalas (gate keepers).
•The linga, the symbol of Shiva in union
with the yoni, and the symbol of Parvati
together symbolize the supreme unity
that is deified by the shrine.
The height of the eight dvarapalas varies
from 14.833–15.167 feet (4.521–4.623 m)
Hindu cave No 2 is located to the south-east is destroyed, interior has been damaged by
water. to the south there is cave No 3 damaged by stagnant water. To the north cave No 5
it has been abandoned soon after the start of construction.
The 173 m high Stupa Hill is located in the eastern part of island. It contains two caves
with Buddhist monuments and also cisterns from 3rd century AD or earlier. One of two
caves is not complete. In the other cave there is stupa made in bricks.

26. VIHARAS OR MONASTERIES
•These are the residential places of the buddhist priests.
They consist of a main-hall entered by a door-way.
They also contain the assembly hall, dining chambers.
•From the halls deep into the rocks, cells are provided for
meditation.
The shrines contains beautiful figures of Buddha and the
walls of the antechamber depict the stories based on
Buddha's life and fine frescoes as in case of Ajanta.
•Some great structural viharas were about 60m high
covered with glazed tiles.
Pillars were richly chiseled in the form of dragons.
Beams were painted in red and rafter with all colors of
rainbow.
•Viharas were literally the pleasure gardens of monastic
precincts.
•Some of the important Buddhist viharas are those at Plan of rock cut vihara
Ajanta, Ellora. Nasik, Karle, Kanheri, Bagh and Badami.