This document provides a presentation on Chaityas from the Licchavi period in Nepal. It discusses the introduction and history of Chaityas and Viharas in Buddhism. It describes the typical architectural features and chronological development of Licchavi Chaityas, from early types with plain niches to later types filled with Buddha figures. A specific example of Chaitya No. 7 from the Dharmadeva Stupa is analyzed in detail, highlighting its inscription, two-storey substructure, and ornate niches framed by mythical creatures. In under 3 sentences, the document summarizes the history and characteristics of Licchavi Chaityas in Nepal.

1. POKHARA UNIVERSITY
MADAN BHANDARI COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
URLABARI – 3, MORANG
PRESENTATION ON CHAITYA OF LICCHAVI PERIOD
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
PRESENTED BY:
ASMIR GAJMER (06)
MANITA RAI (18)
OJJESWI GAUTAM (24)
ROHINI DAHAL (34)
PRESENTED TO:
ASST.PROF. BHUMIKA SHRESTHA
AR. PRASHANT KARKI
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

2. CHAITYA AND VIHARA
INTRODUCTION
 CHAITYA IS SANSKRIT WORD THAT REFERS TO A SHRINE, TEMPLE, SANCTUARY, OR
PRAYER HALL. THE WORD CHAITYA COMES FROM THE SANSKRIT WORD CHITA,
WHICH MEANS A PYRE OR PILE OF ASHES.
 VIHARA IS A BUDDHIST MONASTERY,POPULARLY KNOWN AS BAHA OR BAHAL,
WHERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF RITES AND RITUALS ARE PERFORMED.

3. ACCORDING TO BUDDHIST PHILISOPHY, CHAITYA
REPRESENT THE UNIVERSE, AND EACH SPIRE THAT
CIRCLES THE CHAITYA SYMBOLISES HEAVEN. THE
INTRICATE CARVING DEPICTS DIFFERENT FORM OF THE
MEDITATING BUDDHA.
THE EARLIEST CHAITYAS ARE FROM THE 3RD CENTURY
BCE. THE OLDEST CHAITYAS IN THE KATHMANDU VALLEY
WAS BUILT DURING THE LICCHAVI PERIOD, WHICH
LASTED FROM THE 5TH TO 8TH CENTURY AD DURING THE
LICCHAVI DYNASTRY. ( SLIDESHOWS)
“THE CONCEPT OF CHAITYA HAS EVOLVED WITH
BUDDHISM. AT FIRST IT WAS JUST MADE WITH EARTH,
WITHOUT THE PANCHA BUDDHAS OR THE GAJUR
(PINNACLE).
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

4.  CHAITYAS EXISTED EVEN BEFORE BUDDHA’S TIME AND THE TERM INITIALLY
WAS REFERRED TO AS A PLACE OF RESTING OR MEDITATION, LATER IT WAS
REFERRED TO THE IDEA OF USING, ‘CHITI’ (ASH) OF THE DECEASED TO MAKE
A STUPA IN THEIR MEMORY,”. s://saara
ACCORDING TO THE DIFFERENT SUTRAS IN BUDDHIST CANONICAL TEXTS SUCH
AS SUCH AS MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA OF DIGHA NIKAYA( THE COLLECTION
OF LONG DISCOURCES), THE BUDDHA TOLD HIM TO MAKE CHAITYA THAT
CONTAINS THE RELICS OF SAMYAKSAMBUDDHA, PRATYEK BUDDHA, ARAHAT
TATHAGATH AND GREAT EMPEROR.
ACCORDING TO SWAYAMBHU PURAN THAT DURING THE PRE- HISTORIC AGE
KIRATI RULER KING SHREE STUNGKO, THE SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA CAME TO THE
NEPAL MANDALA TOGETHER WITH 500 BHIKKHU TO ENLIGHTENMENT,
BUDDHAHOOD, AND LIBERATION. CHAIITYA REPRESENTS THE VAJRAYANA
BUDDHISM, AS IT IS THE SYMBOL OF BUDDHA’S TEACHING FROM BIRTH TO
DEATH FUNCTION.

5. CHAITYA IS NAMED AFTER
ASHOKA, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE
THAT PROVES ITS RELATION WITH
EMPEROR ASHOKA. PEOPLE ALSO
SAY THAT THE ASHOK CHAITYA IS
MORE THAN 2000 YEARS OLD
DURING THE GOLDEN PERIOD FOR
BUDDHISM IN KATHMANDU
VALLEY. THE ORIGIN OF THE
CHAITYA IS UNCLEAR AND THE
SOURCE IS HEARSAY. ( SHRESTHA,
SAARANG)

6. CHRONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT
FIRST TYPE OF LICHCHHAVI CHAITYA:
 THE EARLIEST VOTIVE STONE CAITYAS ARE BULGY
DOME ATTACHED TO A DRUM.
 MONOLITHIC DOME AND DRUM ARE KEPT IN
UPPER AND LOWER STOREYS OF A CAITYA.
 THE UPPER AND LOWER STOREYS ARE ROUNDED
AND OCTAGNOL SHAPES.
 THE TOPMOST PART OF CROWN OR THIRTEEN
BHUVANS SEEMS TO ATTACH THE LATER PERIOD.
 THE EARLIEST VOTIVE CAITYAS ARE PLAIN AND
WITHOUT ANY NICHES.

7. SECOND TYPE OF LICHCHHAVI CHAITYA :
 MOST OF THE EARLIER ABOUT 200
LICHCHHAVI CAITYAS CONTAIN AT LEAST
FOUR NICHES. NICHES ARE PLACED OUT
OF THE DRUM OR VEDIKAS (PLINTHS).
 IN THE CASE OF MULTI-STOREYED
STRUCTURES HAVE EIGHT OR EVEN
SIXTEEN NICHES, WHICH ARE A FIRST
AND SECOND LEVELS OR PLINTHS.
 ROUND NICHES OCCUR ON THE
CIRCULAR STOREYS OF THE CAITYAS.
 THESE ARE THE EMPTY NICHES AND
STONE POLISHED. THERE ARE NO
TOPMOST PART. IN SUCH CASES, A FINIAL
CROWNS EVERY CAITYA SEEMS TO ADD
LATER.

8. THIRD TYPE OF LICHCHHAVI CAITYA:
 THE EMPTY NICHES CAITYAS ARE FULLY
DECORATED, WHICH ARE CARVED MOTIFS
ON TOP AND A LEAFED FRIEZE BELOW.
 IN SUCH CASES THE NICHE CROWN
CONSISTS IN THE FORM OF A KIRTIMUKHA
FACE OR A LOTUS BLOSSOM.
 THE UPPER NICHES ARE GENERALLY SLIGHT
NARROWER THAN THE LOWER NICHES.
 ALL THE CROWN OF THE FRAME, THE
UPPER OF THE LINTEL ARCH. THESE
CAITYAS ARE CHANGED 7-8TH CENTURY
A.D

9. FOURTH TYPE OF LICHCHHAVI CAITYA:
 THE NICHES ARE FILLED WITH SMALL FIGURES
OF THE FOUR BUDDHAS: AKSHOBHYA IS IN
THE EAST.
 HIS RIGHT HAND SHOWS EARTH TOUCHING,
RATNASAMBHAVA IS IN THE SOUTH, HIS LEFT
HAND DISPLAYS BOON-GIVING GESTURE,
AMITABH IS IN THE WEST, HIS BOTH HANDS
ARE MEDITATION GESTURE AND
AMOGHSIDDHI IS IN THE NORTH, HIS RIGHT
HAND EXHIBITS FEARLESSNESS GESTURE.

10. FIFTH TYPE OF CAITYA THE
CATURVYUHA:
 CAITYA CONSISTS THE COMPLETE
PRIMARY TRIO OF FINIAL, DOME, AND
MOULDED DRUM RESTS AT THE TOP OF
THE SHAFT.
 THE FOUR BUDDHAS ARE PLACED THE
FOUR DIRECTIONS. THE FOUR BUDDHAS
HEADS ARE SURROUNDED FROM A HALO.

11. ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES:
CHAITYA IS DIVIDED INTO THREE LAYERS:
• THE DOME AT THE BASE REPRESENTS THE
ENTIRE WORLD.
• THE AWAKENED EYES REPRESENT WISDOM
AND COMPASSION AND AWARE ON THE
BOND OF WORLD AND REACH TO THE STATE
OF ENLIGHTENMENT.
• ON THE TOP LAYERS, THERE ARE 13
PINNACLES THAT REPRESENTS THE SENTIENT
BEINGS HAVE TO GO THE THIRTEEN STAGES
OF SPIRITUAL REALIZATIONS TO REACH THE
BUDDHAHOOD.

12. LICCHAVI CHAITYA
VOTIVE CHAITYAS OF LICCHAVI ORIGIN
ARE STILL FOUND AND RANGE FROM
2-4 FT. HIGH. THESE ARE OF
MONOLITHIC STONE AND COMPOSED
OF 3 PRINCIPAL SECTIONS:
• FINIAL
• DOME
• SUBSTRUCTURES
1.FINIAL
• THE FINIALS ARE MADE OF STONE AND ARE MONOLITHIC. ,THERE ARE THIRTEEN
TIERS OR RAISED ABOVE THE 'BHAGI, WHICH ARE DIMINISHING BOTTOM TO TOP
SMALL SIZE.
• THE PINNACLE IS ABOVE THE THIRTEEN TIERS. AN UMBRELLA IS COVERED ON THE
PINNACLE.
• THE MOST TYPICAL FEATURES OF THESE FINIALS ARE THE LARGE UMBRELLAS AND
FRAGMENTS OF HIGHER SPIRES THE UMBRELLAS ARE OF DIFFERENT DESIGN.

13. 2. DOME-
• THE DOMES ARE SOLID AND MONOLITHIC WITH
DRUMS, AND SOMETIMES ALSO WITH PLINTHS OR
THE UPPER LEVELS OF SUB- STRUCTURES.
• THE DOME IS RAISED ABOVE THE VEDĪKĀ, WHICH IS
SEMICIRCULAR. IT IS KNOWN AS 'ANDA' OR
'GARBHA-GRIHA' IN SANSKRIT WORD. THE RELICS OR
HOLY TEXTS ARE COVERED FROM HEMISPHERIC
DOME
DRUM-
• IT IS FOUND BELOW THE DOME AND
SERVES AS A PLINTH OF ANCIENT STUPAS
AND CHAITYAS
• DIAMETER IS GENERALLY LARGER THAN THE
ONE OF THE DOMES, THUS PROVIDING AT
LARGE STUPAS A WALKWAY AROUND THE
DOME (CIRCUMAMBULATORY) OR IN
SANSKRIT: PRADAKSINAPATHA

14. 3. SUBSTRUCTURE-
• THE GROUND PLAN CAN BE ROUND, SQUARE,
OCTAGONAL OR FEATURE 12 OR 20 CORNERS
• HORIZONTAL CORNICES, ROOF-LIKE
MOULDINGS, NICHES, PILASTERS AND OTHER
ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
• STACKING OF SEVERAL STOREYS WITH
DIFFERENT GROUND PLANS SUCH AS THE
VIMŚATIKONA WITH FOUR OR 12 NICHES, THE
OCTAGON WITH EIGHT AND THE CIRCLE WITH
EIGHT OR 16 NICHES CAN BE FOUND.
PLINTH-
• LOWEST ELEMENT OF A CHAITYA AND IS KNOWN AS 'VEDĪKĀ IN SANSKRIT
WORD AND 'PHAH' IN NEWARI WORD
• SHAPED IN A ROUND, SQUARE, OCTAGON AND TWENTIETH ANGLED, WHICH
FUNCTIONS FIRSTLY IS TO MEDIATE BETWEEN THE SUB-STRUCTURE AND THE
(INVISIBLE) FOUNDATION, AND SECONDLY TO SEPARATE THE DIVINE CHAITYA
AWAY FROM THE UNCLEAN GROUND

15. • MOST OF THE CHAITYAS FOUND NOWADAYS HAVE BEEN RELOCATED IN THE
COURSE OF TIME AND DO NOT REST ANYMORE ON THEIR ORIGINAL PLINTH

16. TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF CHAITYA
CHAITYA NO. 7 (OF THE DHARMADEVA STUPA)
INTRODUCTION
• THE MOST POPULAR TYPE OF THE LICCHAVI ERA IS TYPE C I, BEST REPRESENTED
BY CHAITYA NO. 7 OF THE DHARMA DEVA STUPA-COMPOUND OF CHABAHIL.
• THE INSCRIPTIONS AROUND IT PROVE ITS ANTIQUITY PECULIAR.
• IT WAS BUILT DURING THE REGIME OF DHARMADEV, THE FATHER OF MANADEV.
• THE TWO 'STOREYS' OF THE SUB-STRUCTURE ARE BASED ON THE VIMŚATIKONA-
PLAN. THE HIGH NICHES OF THE UPPER STOREY ARE PARTIALLY ENGAGED TO THE
DRUM.
• WHEREAS THE UPPER HALF OF THIS STOREY DISPLAYS HORIZONTAL MOULDINGS,
THE LOWER HALF IS DESIGNED AS A SQUARE, ORNATELY DECORATED PLINTH.

17. Makara
Squatting gnome
Gandharvas
• THE NICHES ARE FRAMED BY MYTHICAL, BIRD-LIKE CREATURES
(GANDHARVAS).
• GEESE WITH SCROLLWORK TAILS SEEM TO GUARD THIS CHAITYA ELEMENT.
• IN ITS CENTRE WE FIND A SQUATTING GNOME HOLDING SCROLLING
PLANTS IN HIS FISTS.
• EACH OF TWO LOW PILASTERS SUPPORT A MYTHICAL MAKARA WITH A
WIDE OPENED MOUTH AND A THICK TONGUE SUPPORTING THE KIRTI
MUKHA-MASK IN THE APEX OF THE NICHE.

18. THANKYOU