This document discusses the history and key architectural elements of Buddhist architecture in India, beginning with its origins in the Indus Valley civilization. It describes the three main types of Buddhist structures - monasteries (viharas), places of relic veneration (stupas), and prayer halls (chaityas or temples). Specific examples like the Great Stupa at Sanchi and caves at Ajanta and Ellora are highlighted. Distinctive features of stupas, chaityas and viharas like their layouts, components, and ornamentation are outlined. The document also notes how Buddhist architectural styles have been adapted in other countries as Buddhism spread.

1. Presented By- Arima Chaturvedi
Heena Chaudhary
Kirti Sajnani
Pavit Bansal
Pushpendra Singh Parihar
Riya Agarwal
(II Year, III Semester)
Submitted To- Kirti Varandani

2. Indus valley civilization have its great
impact on every emergence of architectural
style in India and so on Buddhist
architecture. Though there is no evidences
of temples in Indus valley civilization but
Buddhist architecture has its resemblance
with the architectural elements used during
Vedic period.

3. 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). For the first time, it was the Indian
emperor Ashoka, who 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. Distinctive
Buddhist architectural structures and sculptures such
as Stupas, Pagodas, monasteries and Caves, which
have been mere spectators of different eras quietly
speaks about the phases of the Buddhist stages.

4.  The square base represents Earth
 The hemispherical dome/vase represents Water
 The conical spires represent Fire
 The upper lotus parasol and crescent moon represents
Air
 The sun and the dissolving point represents the elemnt
of space

5. Three types of structures are associated with
the religious architecture of early Buddhism:
monasteries (viharas), places to venerate relics
(stupas), and shrines or prayer halls (chaityas also
called chaitya grihas), which later came to be called
temples in some places.

6. 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 Ajanta, Ellora. Nasik, Karle, Kanheri, Bagh and
Badami.
Plan of rock cut vihara

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

8. Layout of Stupa-
Outer Terrace
Paved Terrace
Dome
Elements of Stupa-
Chhatravali or Umbrella sticks
Harmika
Anda or Egg
Stambha or Pillar
Torana or Gateway

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. Their were 12 Buddhist
cave in Ellora all were
adorned with the
Buddha seated on the
throne and flanked by
two attendants.
These Caves were with
valuated hall with
apsidal end divided by
two rows of colonnades
forming a broad nave in
centre.

13. In the present scenario architectural style used in Buddhist
architecture were in extinction in India . It can only be seen
stupas being erected at some places.
But outside India countries like China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia
are attaining a new design theory using the previous ones to be
obtain a marvelous structure.
Eco quarry
hotel is an great
masterpiece by an architect Juan
Bustos. This was formulated with
the design concept of
Ajanta cave having horse shoe
shaped valley and spread over an
area more than 500 mts wherein
flows the small nivulet

14. As Buddhism
spreaded
throughout the
world its extracted
the style and
shapes of the
prevailing
architectural style
at that existing
place and thus so
we have different
shapes of stupas,
chaityas,
monasteries.
Such a versatiles
form of
architectural