vedic civilization

1. 2015 1Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
Foundation of Hindu Culture

2. 2015 2Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
After decay of the Indus Civilization when the art of building again comes into view this no longer
consists of well laid out cities of finished masonry, but takes a much more rudimentary form of village
huts being constructed of reeds and leaves and hidden in the depths of forest. The culture of the people
begins again.
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
The study of Vedic Culture provides for the first efforts being made in response to a need, before any
ideas of architectural effect were conceived.
The difference between the Indus valley inhabitants and those who are responsible of this culture is
fairly clear as there was a wide difference in the conditions under which each of these population
existed, I their mode of life, and notably in the type of building produced by the method of living.

3. 2015 3Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
According to some historians,
Around 1,500 BC, speakers of
Indo- European languages
gradually infiltrated the Indian
subcontinent. These people
referred to themselves as
Arya(Aryan).
As historians do not have much
archaeological evidence for this
era, they rely on the sacred book
of hymns composed by these
people.
These scared books are known
as Vedas: hence this lecture will
refer to the Vedic Civilization.
VEDIC CIVILIZATION

4. VEDAS
2015 4Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
A collection, in multiple volumes, of hymns, rituals, and philosophies
The vedas include stories that attempt to explain how the world was created,
who the gods are, etc. Thought to be the earliest written texts Oldest one is the
Rig Veda. Other vedas were eventually composed later.
Rig veda – the veda of verses, is a collection of poems, hymns and invocations
of deities, reflecting myths, rites, battles and insights of many kinds. Texts and
procedures for rituals and rites of brahmanans are generally derived from it.
Yajur veda – the veda of chants consists of verse (poetry) and prose (writing
style) largely concerned with rituals.
Saama veda – the veda of sacrificial formulas on the other hand, consists mostly
of parts of rigvedam set to music, and a few (less than 100) stanzas of its own.
But the tune of rendering (chanting) saamavedam is totally different from that
of rigvedam and yajurvedam, and is melodious.
Athharwa veda – the veda of atharva priests, is somewhat similar to rigvedam,
but with stress on the practical aspects, and is probably addressed to a different
stratum of society.

5. 2015 5Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
• Primary Building Material: Earth and
timber, The surrounding forests provided
ample building material in the form of
bamboo and mud.
• The aryan hut in its most basic shape was
circular in plan with a thatched roof over
a network of bamboo ribs.
• Cluster of these huts formed a courtyard.
• To protect themselves and their property
from the ravage of wild animals, they
have surrounded their collection of huts
with a special kind of fence or palisade.
• Huts were arranged in threes and fours
around the square courtyard.
VEDIC VILLAGE

6. 2015 6Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
• Towards the middle of first millennium
BC, the social system expanded such town
arose at certain imp centers and were
reproduced at larger scale and more
substantial form.
o Strongly fortified
o Surrounded by ramparts and wooden
palisades
o Buildings almost always of wood
• Era of Timber Construction
It is not surprising, therefore, that in later ages
timber construction techniques were employed
even though the material of construction was
radically different - i.e. stone.

7. 2015 7Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
• Palisade encircling the village
entrance were of a particular
kind.
• In course of time these peculiar
railing became emblem of
protection, used not only to
enclose the village, but
o Paling around fields
o Eventually anything sacred
in nature.
• In another form it still survives
as Gopurams(cow-gate) and
Buddhist archways like
Toranas.
VEDIC VILLAGE
VEDIC
GATEWAY
GOPURAM

8. 2015 8Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
VEDIC VILLAGE
THE STAGES OF VEDIC HOUSES…

9. 2015 9Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
The planning of the village was organic in the
way that it was planned according to the a User
groups/varnas function in the Society.
Society was divided into the four varnas –
• The brahmans who were the center of all
knowldege,
• the kshatriyas – who were the controllers of
political power,
• the vaishyas- who were tradesmen and
farmers and the shudras – who were the
artisans and the craftsmen
VEDIC VILLAGE: Planning
THE CITIES OF THE VEDIC PERIOD:
• RECTANGULAR IN PLAN
• DIVIDED INTO FOUR QUARTERS BY TWO MAIN
THOROUGHFARES INTERSECTING AT RIGHT
ANGLES, EACH LEADING TO A CITY GATE.
• ONE QUARTER HAD CITADEL & ROYAL
APPARTMENT.

10. 2015 10Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
About, 450 BC the three kingdoms of Kashi, Koshala and Magadh were maneuvered and unlike
Indus civilization over the course of history most of the cities of Ganges river plains of these
kingdoms have been continuously inhabited and rebuilt.
Important town were: Saraswati, Champa, Rajagriha, Ayodhya, Kaushambi and Kashi.

11. 2015 11Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
KASHI : ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING CITY (FROM 1200 – 1000 BCE)
The ganges was at the center of vedic mythology. At varanasi, on the ganges , even today vestiges of vedic
rituals continue. Varanasi was founded as the capital of the kashi mahajanapada but lost its political
importance after being conquered by kosala and then Magadha around 600 BCE. It developed, however ,
into a leading religious site. When Buddha gained enlightenment, his first stop was varanasi. (Sarnath is a
mere 16km away)
The city is built on a natural berm, located on the northwestern banks of the
ganges at a point where the river makes a sharp right turn, flowing north and
then west. The high berm (built up with karkar or lime concretion) not only
ensures that the city enjoys a dramatic prospect, some 15 meters above the
normal level of the water, it also ensures that the city is protected form the
river’s floods, the impact of which is born by the opposite shore.

12. 2015 12Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
THE GHATS AND THE RIVER HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT OF ‘SHIVA AND SHAKTI’ - THE GANGES BEING
‘SHAKTI’.
BENARAS BECAME THE CENTER FOR LEARNING OF ARYAN RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY., CLASSSICAL
MUSIC AND DANCE. THE CITY ALSO FLOURISHED AS AN INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC CENTER FAMOUS
FOR ITS MUSLIN AND SILK FABRICS, IVORY WORKS, PERFUMERY AND SCULPTURES.
THE VISHWESHWAR TEMPLE
IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE
PILLAR AT THE CENTER OF
THE WORLD – OR ‘AXIS
MUNDI’

13. 2015 13Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
The pattern of traditional and royal cities
of india mostly duplicates a celestial
archetype , reflecting cosmo-magical
powerr.
Pilgrims to the city take the five sacred
routes (parikrama) from the outer circle to
the inner circle reaching to the highest at
the inner sanctum. Each of the five
journeys starts and ends at the
visveshwara shiva temple situated just off
the ghats of benaras.
This idea runs parallel to a shrinking
world but expanding universe.
It also shows parallels with shiva’s dance
symbolizing cosmic cycles of creation and
destruction and also the daily rhythm of
life and death.
PHILOSOPHY

14. 2015 14Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
Although an interval of two thousand years between Vedic and Mughals, both were extremely similar in planning.
HOW?
But whereas the pavilions of Mughals were of marble, even the royal residence of Vedics hadn’t advanced over
thatched roofs.
One example from the vedic era survives and shows some efforts were made to produce stone masonary. Seen in city
wall of Rajgriha capital of Magadha. Height of 12 feet. Superstructure of wood & brick
Some system found at a Pelagium of Acropolis at Athens, which os probably Contemporary.
Conclusion

15. 2015 15Bhuvnesh, Assistant Professor GCAD3
LECTURE
VEDIC CIVILIZATION
Q&A
How was Vedic city planned and what kind of architectural style developed
during that period? Explain with the help of suitable examples.