case study on Maratha architecture

1. (17th – 19th CENTURY AD)

2. EARLY MARATHA PERIOD- 13TH CENTURY TILL BEGINNING OF 14TH CENTURY :
•Yadavas of Devagiri are considered as first Maratha empire.
•Ramadev yadava was defeated by Alla-ud-din Khilji in 1294, kingdom was given back in lieu of huge
amount of ransom and annual tribute.
•The amount was not paid till 1307 ad, when Malik Kafur was sent to retake the kingdom.
•Ruled by alla-ud-din Khilji till 1317ad, Devagiri renamed as ‘DAULATABAD’.
•After that there was a period of anarchy till Mohammed-bin Tughlaq shifted his capital to daulatabad in
1340 ad.
•Alla-ud-din baman shah a Persian official established his kingdom in Gulbarga in deccan.
•5 divisions of Islamic rule in Deccan:
1. Berar - Imad Shahi (1490-1574 AD)
2. Ahmednagar – Nizam shahi (1490 – 1636 AD)
3. Bijapur- Adil shahi (1490-1686 AD)
4. Bidar – Barid Shahi (1492-1619 AD)
5. Golkonda- Kutubshahi (1518-1687 AD)
6. Several jagirdars and sardars were also in rule in smaller parts

3. • Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja gave a fight against the Sultanates and later also against
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb till his death in 1680 AD
• Later his sons Sambhaji (1657-1689AD) and Rajaram (1670- 1700AD) also continued the
fight.
•The actual Maratha rule spans from 1749 – 1818

4. TYPES OF
STRUCTURES
RELIGIOUS TEPLES
MILITARY FORTS
DOMESTIC WADA
KARTIK SWAMI TEMPLE, PUNE
SHANIWARWADA, PUNE
PRATAPGADH FORT, SATARA

5. •Developed from Hemadpanti style as well as gradually got fused with Islamic features. •Both Dravidian &
Nagara (specially Gujarat, Rajasthan) influences were synthesized.
•The evolution of temples could be grouped in three categories :
1.Neo-Yadava
2.Nagara style
3.Maratha style
NEO-YADAVA STYLE
•Developed from the earlier Yadava style
•Introduced Islamic arcuated system of construction with dome in Garbhagriha.
•Vimana with dressed black trap (basalt) stone with mortar & shikhara has stucco with conical upward
sweep lotus petal base •Horizontal bands with motifs
•Domical amalaka finial with kalash •Monolithic pillars of square, octagonal, round profile, with motifs and
capital
NAGARA STYLE
•Followed Nagara style of Gujarat & Rajasthan
•More Islamic style adapted for construction & decoration like arches in porch, dressed stone with mortar
•Two types of Shikhara found- plain domes, conical Nagara style, decorated with motifs Devdeveshwar
temple, Pune

6. MARATHA STYLE
•Most popular since 1725 AD during Peshwa period
•Adapted Islamic methods of construction & features widely (domes, arches, minerate motifs)
characterized by plain shrine & rich row of columns
•Main features are arches (cusped, pointed circular) cypruss column, wooden pillars.
• Example
1. Kartik Swami temple at Parvati, Pune
2. Tulsi bag temple, Pune
3.Omkareshwar temple, Pune
Omkareshwar temple is situated in Shaniwar
Peth on the banks of river Mutha. It is one of the biggest
and oldest temples in the city. The holy abode was built by
Shivaram Bhat, spiritual guru of Peshwas between 1740 to
1760 .Temple proclaims the splendor of the fallen Peshwa
Empire.
Chimaji Appa, commander of Maratha Empire
and brother of Bajirao Peshwa provided donations to built
the temple. The samadhi of Chimaji Appa is in the temple
where he regularly visited and left for heavenly abode.

7.  Omkareshwara boasts of splendid architecture, huge domes, and intricate carvings that charm and
amaze devotees with its beauty. Spacious verrandah with artistic columns enhance the grandeur of
the shrine. The columns are in the shapes of circles, polygons and squares.
 In addition to the Shiva temple, you have six other temples in the premises. These include Lord Shani,
Lord Hanuman, Lord Vishnu, Lord Ganesh and Goddess Durga
 The white dome of the temple is made of soft soap stone displaying intricate carving on upper portion
as well as on the stone roof of temple.
 Nandi Mandap: As you enter the shrine through a gateway, you can see a beautiful mandap a home of
Nandi Maharaj.
 Shivling:In the Garbhagriha, devotees mind fills with spiritual emotions, as they see pleasing Shivling
decorated by the priests. Devotees offer flowers, bael leaves, and milk for the blessings of the most
divine hindu god, Shiva.

8.  The temple is surrounded by verandaa each column
 These columns are carved in polygons, squares and circles,
 The temple provides nice showcase of the creativity and charm of that period.
 The temple has become well known for its extravagant style of construction.
 This temples at pune is built in Nagara style of architecture and consist of five distinct layers which
represents the different hindu Gods.

9. •Nearly 350 forts of different types are found in Maharashtra many of them were built by chatrapati shivaji
maharaja.
• Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaja, founder of maratha empire in western india in 1664, was well known for his
forts; he was in possession of around 370 at the time of his death. Many, like Panhala
Fort and Rajgad existed before him but others, like Sindhudurg and Pratapgadh, were built by him from
scratch.
•Most of these forts were built mainly along the highways to check on the enemies.
•Maratha kings mainly Shivaji maharaja built many forts Several defensive architectural features were
evolved for the guerilla warfare tactics, forts are mainly of three types:
1. Hill forts
2. Sea forts
3. Land forts
• Notable features of Maharaja Shivaji's forts:
 Design changes with the topography and in harmony of the contour, no monotony of design.
 No ornate palaces or dance floors or gardens.
 No temple complexes.
 Not much difference in the area of higher or lower ranks.
 Marvelous acoustics in the capital.
 Sanskritization of fort names.
 Community participation in the defense of forts.

10.  Three tier administration of forts.
 System of inspection of forts by higher ups including the king.
 Distinct feature of forts like double line fortification of Pratapgad, citadel of Rajgad.
 Foresight in selection of sites.
Shivaji seized the fort in 1656, then known as the
fort of Rairi from Chandraraoji More, The King of Jawali.
Shivaji renovated and expanded the fort of Rairi and
renamed it as Raigad (King's Fort). It became the capital
of Maharaja Shivaji's Maratha Empire.

11.  The Raigad Fort was built by Shivaji, Maharashtra and the chief
architect/engineer was Hiroji Indulkar.
 The main palace was constructed using wood, of which only the base
pillars remain.
 The main fort ruins consist of the queen's quarters, six chambers,
with each chamber having its own private restroom
 Only main pathway to the fort passes through the "MahaDarwaja"
(Huge Door) which was previously closed at sunset.
 The Maha Darwaja has two huge bastions on both sides of the door
which are approximately 65–70 feet in height.
 Fort has a famous wall called "Hirakani Buruj" (Hirakani Bastion)
constructed over a huge steep cliff.
 Secondary entrance, called the Mena Darwaja, was supposedly the
private entrance for the royal ladies of the fort that lead to the queen's
quarters.

12. • Wadas - which were the traditional residential form of Maratha architecture, evolved under
the reign of Peshwas. A wada was typically a large building of two or more storey with
groups of rooms arranged around open courtyards. Types of wadas:
• Palace Wadas
• Nobleman Wadas
• Ordinary Wadas
•Its style was an amalgamation where features from Mughal, Rajasthan, and Gujarat
architecture were combined with local construction techniques. Settlements developed
around the Peshwa’s residence. Land around the Peshwa residence was divided into wards
called peths. Similarly the wadas were built in rest of the Maharashtra.
• The streets and roads in the settlement were narrow. Roads were never straight as the
growth of the settlement was organic. The plots for construction of wadas were rectangular
and lay right next to the streets. A wada never had a garden or vistas leading to it. The
urban form of the settlement appeared like a maze of two or three storied structures having
internal open spaces, placed along the road network with very little open community space.

13. • Shaniwarada is a historical
fortification in the city of Pune in
Maharashtra, India. Built in 1732, it
was the seat of the Peshwas of the
Maratha Empire until 1818, when the
Peshwas lost control to the British
East India Company after the Third
Anglo-Maratha War. Following the rise
of the Maratha Empire, the palace became the center of Indian politics in the 18th century.
• The Shaniwarwada was originally the seven-storey capital building of the Peshwas of
the Maratha Empire. It was supposed to be made entirely of stone but after the completion
of the base floor or the first storey, the people of Satara (the national capital) complained to
the Shahu(King) saying that a stone monument can be sanctioned and built only by the
Shahu(King) himself and not the Peshwas. Following this, an official letter was written to the
Peshwas stating that the remaining building had to be made of brick and not stone. Even
today if you visit and see the walls carefully, they are partly made of stone and partly by
bricks. The Wada was then completed and upon being attacked by the British Artillery 90
years later, all the top six stories collapsed leaving only the stone base, which was immune
to the British artillery. Hence only the stone base of the Shaniwar Wada remains and can be
seen even today in the older parts of Pune.

14.  Distinct zoning can be seen.
 Separate entrances for guests, domestic help, people visiting the durbar, separate
entries for the people performing in the durbar and a separate entry into the cattle
shed.
 Privacy for the women given a priority. Three main courtyards or chowks.
 The wada has it’s entrance in the southern side.
 The most significant features of the wada was the way it’s zoning of public, private
and semi-private spaces was done.
 This can be seen very distinctly in the plan.

15.  Three main courtyards.
 Architecutural Details Courtyard of Wada Wooden window Details. Brick of size 12
inches x 24 inches x 15 inches were used for construction of walls which were
plastered with lime plaster. Door and window openings were done in teak woods
 columns made of great dark processed saag (teak) columns and cream walls. Intrica
tely curved ornamental tear drop teak pillars. The banana flower embellishment are
characteristic to the Peshwa era Wooden makara Detail made up of teak wood.
Wooden Beam-Bracket Detail made up of teak wood.

16.  The characteristic of the Maratha style from later buildings such as forts,
palaces and temples. Brick, wood, mortar and stone were the materials used
for construction. Besides other apartments, the palaces contained darbar halls
and ranga and chitra mandirs.
 The use of the arch was kept to the minimum and, where used, followed the
Deccan style. Forts were naturally the most common feature of the earlier
period.
 The decorative features of the mansions were “pointed arches, heavy carved
stone brackets, narrow balconies projecting on rows of such brackets, domical
shallow ceilings resting on a variety of squinches, the chief being the
interwoven type”.
 The temples constructed during the period, we may refer to the Vitthalwadi
temple near Poona and the temple of Shambhu Mahadvat Shinganapur. Both
of them are said to have been constructed during the time of Shivaji. These
temples followed the earlier style of the Yadava temples.

17.  The Maratha temples generally provided with a huge lampstand (deepmala),
represents a renaissance of the medieval western Chalukyan or Shilhara
sanctuary often combined with the Mughal arches and coupolas, its spire is a
curious transposition of the ancient shikara (tower) into Deccani-Mughal
forms, a bulbous lotus dome (in place of amalaka) rising on top of several
storeys of domed chhattris (pavilion).
 The Maratha architecture lacked the beauty and grace of the buildings of the
Mughals, and the Rajputs. But the Marathas excelled in fort architecture. The
wood work they used to decorate their palaces and other civil buildings was
intricate and minute. Maratha art could have developed and attained a
distinctive character but it was not possible because of the unstable times.