This document provides an overview of the major periods and styles of Indian architecture from ancient to modern times. It summarizes the key architectural features of different dynasties including the Mauryans, Satavahanas, Guptas, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar empire, and Delhi Sultanate. Examples of architectural monuments from each period are presented such as the Sanchi Stupa, Ajanta caves, Ellora caves, Brihadisvara temple, and Taj Mahal. The document categorizes Indian architecture into periods based on ruling powers and highlights the evolution of structural temple design as well as development of Islamic architecture over time.

1. S. Kannan, Associate Professor, Dept of History,
Raja Doraisingam Government Arts College, Sivagangai
Glimpses of Indian Architecture
Sanchi Stupa, Maurya and Satavahana, 3rd to 2nd c. B.C. Dasavatara Temple, Deogarh, 5th to 6th c. A.D.
Quwwat- ul- Islam mosque and Qutb Minar, Delhi, 12th c. A.D. Viceroy’s House (Raj Bhavan), Kolkata, 19th c. A.D.

2. Periodisation of Indian Architecture
Period
Civilisations /
Major Dynasties
Type of Monuments
Architecture of the
Proto- Historic Period
(2750 BCE to 600 BCE)
Indus Valley
Civilisation and
Vedic Civilisation
Brick- built Secular
and Religious
Monuments
Architecture of the Early
Historic Period
(300 BCE to 400 CE)
Mauryas,
Satavahanas,
Sungas, Ikshvakus
Rock- cut Caves,
Stone- built Stambhas
and Stupas
(Buddhist and Jaina)
Architecture of the Early
Medieval Period
(400 CE to 600 CE)
Guptas, Vakatakas
Rock- cut caves and
Structural Temples
(Buddhist and
Brahmanical)

3. Period
Major Dynasties /
Rulers
Type of Monuments
Architecture of the
Medieval Period
(600 CE to 1200 CE)
Chalukyas, Pallavas,
Pandyas, Rastrakutas,
Cholas, Shailodbhavas,
Eastern Gangas,
Chandellas
Rock- cut Caves,
Monolithic and
Structural Temples
(Buddhist, Jaina and
Brahmanical)
Architecture of the
Late Medieval Period
(1200 CE to 1750 CE)
Delhi Sultanate,
Mughals, Bahmini
Sultanate, Vijayanagar-
Nayaks
Mosques or Masjids,
Tombs, Madrasas,
Mahals, Forts, Structural
Temples
(Islamic and
Brahmanical)
Architecture of the
Modern Period
(1750 CE to 1947 CE)
Europeans and
Princely States
Secular and Religious
Buildings
(Christian and
Brahmanical)

4. Mauryan Rock- cut Caves
Lomas- Rishi Cave, Maurya, 3rd c. BCE
Sudama Cave, Maurya, 3rd c. BCE Sita Marhi Cave, Maurya, 3rd c. BCE
Exterior View Interior View

5. Mauryan Stambhas (Pillars)
Lauriya
Nandangarh
Lion Capital
Basarh
Bakhira
Lion
Capital
Sarnath Lion
Capital
Rampurva Bull
Capital
Sankisa Elephant
Capital

6. Stupas of the Mauryas, Sungas and the Satavahanas
Sanchi Stupa, Maurya and Satavahana, 3rd c. BCE- 2nd c. BCE
Architectural Details

7. Stupas of the Mauryas, Sungas and the Satavahanas
Barhut Stupa, Sunga, 2nd c. BCE

8. Stupas of the Mauryas, Sungas and the Satavahanas
Amaravati Stupa, Satavahana, 2nd c. BCE

9. Ajanta Rock- cut Caves
Aerial View of Ajanta Rock- cut Caves

10. Ajanta Rock- cut Caves
Panoramic View of Ajanta Rock- cut Caves

11. Ajanta Rock- cut Cave no.9 (Satavahanas)
Ajanta Cave no. 9, Satavahana, 2nd – 1st c. BCE

12. Ajanta Rock- cut Cave no. 10 (Satavahanas)
Ajanta Cave no. 10, Satavahana, 1st c. BCE

13. Rock- cut Cave at Karla (Satavahanas)
Exterior view of Karla Rock- cut Cave no. 8, c. 100 CE

14. Rock- cut Cave at Karla (Satavahanas)
Interior view of Karla Rock- cut Cave no. 8, c. 100 CE

15. Bhaja Rock- cut Cave, 2nd c. CE
Rock- cut Cave at Bhaja (Satavahanas)

16. Chaitya (Cave 7), 2nd c. CE
Rock- cut Cave at Bedsa (Satavahanas)

17. Vihara (Cave 11), 2nd c. CE
Rock- cut Cave at Bedsa (Satavahanas)

18. Ajanta Rock- cut Cave no. 19, 5th c. CE
Ajanta Rock- cut Cave no.19 (Vakatakas)
Buddha
Exterior

19. Ajanta Rock- cut Cave no. 26 (Vakatakas)
Ajanta Rock- cut Cave no. 26, 5th c. CE

20. Gupta Brahmanical Rock- cut Caves
Panoramic View of Udayagiri Caves, 4th c. CE

21. Gupta Brahmanical Rock- cut Caves
Varaha Avatar, Udayagiri Cave (Cave 5), 4th c. CE

22. Styles of Hindu Structural Temple Architecture
1. Nagara style – North India – square shrine with curvilinear tower (sikara)
with a pillared porch in front
Lingaraja temple, Puri

23. Styles of Hindu Structural Temple Architecture
2. Dravida style – South India – square or rectangular or circular
sanctum with pyramidal vimana with pillared hall in front and around
Brhadiswara temple, Thanjavur

24. Styles of Hindu Structural Temple Architecture
3. Vesara style - Northern Deccan - admixture of Nagara and Dravida slyles
Mallikarjuna temple at Pattadakal, North Karnataka

25. Gupta Brahmanical Structural Temples
Parvati Temple, Nachna Kuthara,
Sanchi, 5th c. CE
Gupta Temple no.17,
Sanchi, 5th c. CE
Dasavatar Temple, Deogarh,
5th c. CE
Gupta Brick Temple,
Bhitargaon, 6th c. CE

26. Badami Rock- cut Cave no. 2
Badami Rock- cut Cave no. 3
Badami Sand Stone
Rock- cut Caves, 6th c. CE
Badami Rock- cut Caves of the Early Western Chalukyas
Badami Rock- cut Cave no. 1

27. Badami Rock- cut Cave no.3
Vishnu as Adinatha, Badami Rock- cut Cave no. 3, 6th c. CE

28. Ravana Phadi
Rock- cut Cave,
Aihole, 6th c. CE
Aihole Rock- cut Cave (Early Western Chalukyas)
Dancing Shiva
Mahisasuramardhini
Varaha

29. Structural Temples of the Early Western Chalukyas
Kontigudi Group of Structural Temples, 7th c. CE
Lad Khan Temple, Aihole, 7th c. CE
Durga Temple, Aihole, 7th c. CE

30. Structural Temples of the Early Western Chalukyas
Papanatha Temple, Pattadakal, 7th c. CE Sangamesvara Temple, Pattadakal, 7th c. CE
Virupaksa Temple,
Pattadakal, 7th c. CE
Mallikarjuna and Kasivisvesvara Temple,
Pattadakal, 7th c. CE

31. Rock-cut Caves of the Pallavas
Mandagapattu Rock-cut Cave,
Pallava, 6th c. CE
Varaha Rock-cut Cave,
Mahabalipuram, Pallava, 7th c. CE

32. Monolithic Temples of the Pallavas
Five Rathas, Mahabalipuram, Pallava, 7th c. CE

33. Structural Temples of the Pallavas
Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram,
Pallava, 8th c. CE
Kailasanatha Temple,
Kanchipuram, Pallava, 8th c. CE

34. Rock-cut Caves of the Early Pandyas
Subramanya Rock-cut Temple at Yanaimalai (Ladan Koyil), Early Pandya,
8th - 9th century CE

35. Monolithic Temple of the Early Pandyas
Front View of Vettuvan Koyil, Kazhugumalai, Pandyas, 8th c. CE

36. Structural Temples of the Early Pandyas
Adhinatha Temple, Attalanallur, Early
Pandya, 9th c. CE
Tiruvalisvara Temple,
Tiruvalisvaram, 10th c. CE

37. Structural Temples of the Cholas
Brahmapurisvara Temple,
Pullamangai, Early Chola,
Parantaka I, c. 910 CE
Nagesvarasvami Temple,
Kumbakonam, Early Chola,
Aditya I, c. 886 CE

38. Structural Temples of the Cholas
Brihadisvara Temple,
Gangaikondacholapuram, Middle
Chola, Rajendra I, c. 1018- 1035 CE
Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur,
Middle Chola, Rajaraja I,
c. 1010 CE

39. Structural Temples of the Cholas
Airavatesvara Temple,
Darasuram,
Rajaraja II, c. 1170 CE
Kampaharesvara Temple,
Tribhuvanam, Late Chola,
Kulottunga III, c. 1212 CE

40. Monolithic Temple of the Rashtrakutas
Aerial view of Kailasanatha Temple, Ellora, Rashtrakuta, 8th c. CE

41. Monolithic Temple of the Rashtrakutas
Kailasanatha Temple, Ellora, Rashtrakuta, 8th c. CE

42. Structural Temples of the Shailodbhavas (Orissa)
Parasuramesvara Temple, Bhuvaneshvar, Shailodbhavas , 8th c. CE

43. Structural Temples of the Somavanshi (Orissa)
Muktesvara Temple,
Bhuvaneshvar, Somavanshi,
10th c. CE
Lingaraja Temple, Bhuvaneshvar,
Somavanshi, 10th c. CE

44. Structural Temples of the Eastern Gangas (Orissa)
Sun Temple, Konark, Eastern Gangas, c.1250 CE

45. Structural Temples of the Chandellas (Central India)
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple (left) and Devi Jagadambi Temple (right),
Khajuraho, Chandellas, 11th c. CE

46. Structural Temples of the Chandellas (Central India)
Architectural Details of Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho,
Chandellas, 11th c. CE

47. Papanatha Temple, Pattadakal, 7th c.AD
Kasivisvesvara Temple, Lakkundi, Later Western Chalukyas, 11th c. CE
Structural Temples of the Later Western Chalukyas

48. Mallikarjuna Temple,
Kuruvatti, 12th c. CE Yali Balustrade on a Porch
Ornate Shrine Entrance Wall Relief
Structural Temples of the Later Western Chalukyas
Pillar in Mandapa

49. Chenna Kesava Temple, Belur,
12th c. CE
Kesava Temple, Somnathpur,
13th c. CE
Structural Temples of the Hoysalas

50. Hoysalesvara Temple,
Halebid, Hoysala,
12th c. CE
Structural Temples of the Hoysalas
Decorated Pillars in Mandapa
Exterior Carvings

51. Structural Temples of the Vijayanagar
Mandapa, Vitthala Temple, Hampi, Vijayanagara, 16th c. CE
Garuda Shrine, Vitthala Temple Interior of Mandapa, Vitthala Temple

52. Structural Temples of the Vijayanagar
Hazara Rama Temple, Hampi,
Vijayanagara, 16th c. CE
Virupaksha Temple,
Hampi, Vijayanagara,
16th c. CE

53. Quwwat- ul –Islam Mosque, Delhi, 12th c. CE Corridor, Quwwat- ul –Islam Mosque
Qutb Minar, Delhi Alai Dharwaza, Delhi, 14th c. CE
Quranic Verses on
the Walls of Qutb
Minar
Mosques, Minarates and Gateways of the Delhi Sultanate

54. Madrasa of Alauddin
Khilji, Delhi, 14th c. CE
Madrasas and Tombs of the Delhi Sultanate
Tomb of Alauddin Khilji, Delhi, 14th c. CE

55. Mosques, Minarates and Gateways of the Delhi Sultanate
Qutb Minar Complex, Delhi

56. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, 16th c. CE
Aerial view of Fathepur Sikri fort, 16th c. CE Buland Darwaza, Fathepur Sikri, 16th c. CE
Tombs, Forts, Cities and Gateways of the Mughals (Akbar)

57. Tombs, Forts, Cities and Gateways of the Mughals (Jahangir)
Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandara, 17th c. CE

58. Aerial View of Taj Mahal Complex, Agra, 17th c. CE
Buland Darwaza, Fathepur Sikri, 16th c.AD Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandara, 17th c.AD
Taj Mahal, Agra, 17th c. CE
Red Fort (Lahore Gate), Delhi, 17th c. CE
Jama Masjid, Delhi, 17th c. CE
Tombs, Mosques, Forts, Cities and Gateways of the Mughals (Shah Jahan)

59. Mosques and Tombs of the Mughals (Aurangzeb)
Tomb of Rabia Daurani,
Aurangabad, 17th c. CE
Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque,
Red Fort, Delhi, 17th c. CE

60. Thank You
Facade of Lomas Rishi Cave
“Men may come and men may go; but I go on for ever”
– A.L.Tennyson