This Presentation is prepared for first-year post-Graduate Students. A presentation consisting of basic information regarding the topic. Students are advised to get more information from recommended books and articles.

1. UNDERSTANDING
ARCHITECTURE
DR. VIRAG SONTAKKE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
A.I.H.C. & ARCHAEOLOGY
BANARAS HINDU UNIVERSITY

2. Group-B: Art & Architecture
Course-I
Historical Account of Early Indian Architecture
Unit-1: Terminologies and Methods of Study
1. Understanding Architecture: Plan, Elevation, and Section, Arches, Vaults,
Domes, Pillars and Capitals.
2. Types of Architecture: Secular and Religious.
Unit-2: Proto Historic to Mauryan Period.
3. Town Planning and Architecture of Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Kalibanga and
Lothal.
4. Glimpses of Architecture as depicted in Vaidika Literature.
5. Town Planning as depicted in Sanskrit Literature with special reference to
Kautilya Arthshastra.
6. Mauryan Town- Planning & Architecture: Pataliputra & Rajgriha.
Unit-3: Origin and Evolution of Stupa Architecture
7. Characteristic features of North Indian Stupa Architecture.
8. Bharhut
9. Sanchi
10. Mathura and Sarnath.
Unit-4: Stupa of Deccan and South India.
11. Amaravati.
12. Nagarjunikonda.
13. Sannati.
Unit-5: Origin and Development of Rock-Cut Architecture.
14. Barabara- Nagarjuni Caves.
15. Hinayan Vihara & Chaityagraha.
16. Mahayan Vihara & Chaityagraha.
17. Brahmanical Caves- Ellora & Elephanta.
18. Jaina Caves- Orisa (Udaygiri & Khandgiri) and Ellora.
ARCHITECTURE
1. Plan
2. Elevation
3. Section
4. Arches
5. Vaults
6. Domes
7. Pillars
8. Capitals

3. PLAN तलविन्यास
• A plan drawing shows a view from above
• This is often used to depict the layout of a structure,
showing locations of rooms and windows, walls, doors,
stairs etc.
• It is basically a Scale drawing of a structure
• Overall picture of the Archaeological site
• Ancient house plans
• Ancient Floor plan
• Ancient Settlement Plans
• Fortifications Plans
• Temple and structural plan

4. Plan योजना
Of
The
Temples

5. PLAN: WORKS AS
• To convey information about the structure
• To describe place
• To get accurate size of the structure
• To understand the space of the structure
• Design of the buildings
• Architecture elements of the structure
• To see all geometric features of a site, house, structures etc.

6. Plan help us to understand the
1. Exact size,
2. Decoration
3. Style
4. Projections
5. Development etc.

7. Circular Plan of the cake

8. SITE PLAN िास्तु विन्यास
• A site plan show
more than just the
building,
• Including the
entire site and
structures.

9. Site
Plan

15. ELEVATION ऊर्धिवच्छद
• Elevation = ऊ
ँ चाई
• In Architecture, an elevation is the front, back, or side of a building, or a
drawing of one of these.
• An Elevation drawing showing a vertical depiction.
• The elevation of a place is its height above sea level.

16. Elevation

21. SECTION
• A section is a cut through the body of a building
• A section is drawn from slicing through a building.
• This is as if you cut through a space vertically and stood directly in
front looking straight at it.
• A section drawing is also a vertical depiction, but show what lies
within.

29. Section:
In
Archaeological
Excavations

31. ARCHES मेहराब
• एक िक्राकार ढाँचा जो इसक
े ऊपर स्स्ित िज़न को
संभालता है.
• A curved structure that supports the weight of
something above it, such as a bridge or the upper part
of a building
• A structure with a curved top that is supported by
straight sides, sometimes forming an entrance or built
as a monument
• ऐसा ढाँचा स्जसका शीर्व िक्राकार होता है तिा स्जसे दो
सीधे ससरों का सहारा होता; प्राय: प्रिेशद्िार बन जाते हैं
या स्मारक क
े रूप में बनाए जाते हैं; मेहराब, तोरण

33. CORBEL ARCHES
• दीिार से ननकला हुआ िह भाग जो उपर क
े हहस्से को
सहारा दे
• Corbel arches in India date from IVC which used
corbel arch to construct drains and have been
evidenced at Mohenjo daro, Harappa, and
Dholavira.
• Arches also noticed in rock-cut architecture as
Chaitya and Gavaksh
• Evidence of arches can be found in Kaushambhi,
numerous temples etc.

34. Barrel vault
Pointed barrel vault

35. Depiction of Arches

37. Depiction of Arches

38. Arches in
Ancient
India

39. Semi-circular
arch of
Bhitargaon
Temple
Arch from Hindu Shahi Temple
6-7 Century CE

40. मेहराबी छत
गुंबदाकार
vault, in a structural member
consisting of an
arrangement of arches,
usually forming a ceiling or roof
Vault
मेहराबी छत

42. TYPES OF VAULT
1.Barrel vault, tunnel vault,
2.Pointed barrel vault, Gothic
vault
3.Rampant vault
4.Conical vault, expanding
vault
5.Cloister vault, domical
vault
6.Pointed cloister vault,
domical vault
7.Groin vault, cross vault,
intersecting barrel vault
8.Pointed groin vault,
pointed cross vault
9.Dormer vault
10.Trough vault
11.Coved vault
12.Segmental vault,
segmental barrel vault

43. A groin
vault viewed
from the
underside

46. DOME, गुम्बद
• Dome, in architecture, hemispherical structure evolved from the arch
• Its usually forming a ceiling or roof.
• Domes appeared as solid mounds.
• The Romans introduced the large-scale hemisphere dome like
Roman Pantheon.
• Islamic rule in India brought with it the use of domes constructed with
stone, brick and mortar, and iron dowels and cramps

47. Dome

48. Alai
Darwaja
Delhi

49. Gol Gumbaj
Bijapur

51. PILLAR: स्तम्भ
• स्तम्भ िह संरचनात्मक अियि है जो स्ियं संपीडित (कम्प्रेस) होकर अपने ऊपर आने िाले छत आहद का भार
अपने नीचे क
े अियिों (जैसे धरती) पर ट्ांसफर कर देता है.
• Pillar, in architecture and building construction, any isolated, vertical structural member
such as a pier, column, or post.
• It may be constructed of a single piece of stone or wood or built up of units, such as bricks.
• स्तम्भों का उपयोग प्रायः छत एिं चापों (arches) को अिलम्ब (सपोर्व) करने क
े सलए ककया जाता है।
• The earliest pillars of India was erected by king Asoka
• Subsequently many independent Pillars were erected by stone, Iron and probably wooden
• Pillar is a main component of the temple architecture
• Pillars could free-standing and carry sculpture and beautiful decorations, inscriptions.

52. PILLARS WERE MAINLY ERECTED FOR :
• To mark the religious sacredness of a place
• To act as a memorial for the dead at their burial sites.
• To act as supporting structures for houses, temples, palaces
• To commemorate important events of the era like victory of a king in a battle,
( dvajastambha and kirtistambha)
• To act as a medium of mass communication for the population via inscribing messages,
laws, rules for the masses.
• The Pillar was an architectural invention which allowed for the support of ceilings without
the use of solid walls।

53. Asokan Pillars

54. Victory pillar with
inscriptions, 8th
century,
Pattadakal, Karnataka.
Vijay stambh,
15th century,
Chittorgarh,
Rajasthan.

58. PILLASTER अधवस्तम्भ
• हदखने में एक सहायक स्तंभ की उपस्स्िनत का कायव
• मूल रूप में अधवस्तम्भ का प्रयोग अलंकरण मात्र होता िा।
• अधवस्तम्भ में स्तंभ संबंधी घर्क उपस्स्ित रहते िे।
• Pilaster is (architecture) a rectangular column that projects partially
from the wall to which it attached;
• Pilaster gives the support, and decoration.

59. Pillar
Pilaster

60. CAPITAL स्तम्भ-शीर्व
• Term: Capital (from the Latin caput, or "head”
• स्तम्भ क
े सबसे ऊपरी भाग को स्तम्भ-शीर्ष' कहते हैं
• अस्तम्भ-शीर्व, स्तम्भ और उस पर पड़ने िाले भार (लोि) क
े बीच की कड़ी है।
• स्तम्भ-शीर्व स्तम्भ क
े उस क्षेत्रफल को धीरे-धीरे बड़ा करने का कायव करता है स्जस
पर लोि को आश्रय समलता है।
• Top of the Pillar
• Use for support the upper surface
• Capitals broadening the pillar supporting surface and
• Separating the weight over a larger surface area.

61. • Various shape and
sizes are observed
• Often decorated

63. THANK
YOU