Buddhist rock-cut architecture in India included chaitya halls and viharas. Chaitya halls were large prayer halls containing a stupa at one end to accommodate gatherings of devotees. They were influenced by ascetic lifestyles and tended to have vaulted halls with colonnades and apsidal plans without a clear division between the nave and prayer space. Viharas were monasteries consisting of cells for monks arranged around a central courtyard. Over time from the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, chaitya halls and viharas became more ornate as the rock-cut architecture style evolved.
2. CHAITYAS
A Buddhist shrine or prayer hall with
stupa at one end.
Made for large gatherings of devotees
Made in rock-cut due to permanency of
structure
Chaityas were influenced by ascetic
lifestyle of Vedic period and tendency of
hermits to retire in solitude
3. Basic Characteristics
Accommodates Stupa
Apsidal Plan
No division between nave and chaitya
i.e space for congregational service not
clearly defined
Vaulted hall
Colonnades
Side aisles
4. Why a Chaitya Hall?
The stupa evolved from
being a funerary mound
carrying object of worship,
had a sacral value.
Building needed to
accommodate copies of
stupa and provide shelter
A structural house for
religious rites
Birth of temples with idol
worship
Building had almost
circular plan and a domed
roof
6. Architectural Features
Wooden construction
inspired from Vedic
period imitated in
natural rock
Supplemented with
wooden surfaces for
e.g.. Screens etc. (half
timber construction)
Shows similarities to
Roman concept of
column and arch, but
no evidence of any
relation
7. Architectural Features
Rectangular halls with
finely polished interior
walls
Well proportioned pillars
with capitals(around 35)
Semi circular roof
Pillar had three parts:
prop, base buried in
ground and shaft
Stupa at the end
Extensive use of motifs,
decorative and
symbolic.
8. VIHARAS
A monastey, arrangement of cells for
accomodation of monks
Dwellings were simply wooden
construction/thatched bamboo huts
Near settlements on trade routes
After first century AD, Viharas came in
as educational institutes
9. Basic Characteristics
Quadrangular court for
gathering
Surrounded by small
cells
Front wall incorporated
a shrine for image of
Buddha
Cells had rock cut
platforms for beds
Viharas were not alike in
design
Doorways were on sides
of the walls of main hall
10. Construction and Materials
Rock-cut architecture
basically aped
wooden construction
down to joinery details
Hardly structural
In brick, corbelled
arches are used, and
very large bricks to for
large span
motifs used floral
patterns,
animals(used
throughout the
kingdom)
15. WHY WESTERN GHATS
Uniformity of texture in hills
Horizontally stratified
Ends in perpendicular cliffs
BUILDING STRATEGY
Cliff was made perpendicular
Entry was made
A small excavated for
architect monk
Excavation from top to bottom
Subsequently other cells were
build
16. Bhaja(150 b.c)
Most primitive hall
55ft by 26ft, side aisles 3.5ft
wide and high stilted vault
29ft high with closed rank
wood ribs
Facades have numerous
mortice holes for fixing
elaborate wooden frontages
Simple stupa with cylindrical
base and a wooden harmikaa
and chhatri
One central doorway+2 side
ones
Projection balcony supported
on four pillars
H shaped framework held by
projection beams
17. Kondane
Same as bhaja,
except archway, which
are partially of stone
66ft by 26.5ftby28ft
Archway more
finished and curved
Pitalkhora
50ft by 34.5ft by 31 ft
Roof ribs in side
aisles made of rock
Structural columns
due to fault in strata
18. Ajanta Cave No. 10
100ft by 40ft by 33ft
Same roof ribs
Two tiered stupa
with circular base
and elongated dome
20. Ajanta No.9
Entire hall rock carved
Rectangular plan,
ceilings of side aisles
flat with perpendicular
pillars
Doorway in centre
and a window on
either side, topped by
elegant cornice
Lattice windows
around archways
No wooden ribs
bracing the vaults
21. Pandulena, Nasik
Lunette above
doorway
Decoration has new
motifs, pilaster in
persipoltian order
Capital introduced in
pillars
Base decorated
Tall and slender
pillars
Musician’s gallery
22. Bedsa
45.5ft by 21 ft
Exterior consists of two
rock cut columns
between pilasters acting
as vestibule to the
screen at rear
Vase shaped base-
octagonal shaft and
carved capitals
Pillars support main
beam of roof
All joints copied from
timber construction
Plain interiors
23. Karli
Pinnacle of Hinayana Chaitya
construction 124ft by 46.5ft by
45ft
At front are simha stambha,
50 ft tall free standing pillar on
both side of façade,
detatched to evoke reverence
Each stands on widerock
cylinder base, 16 sides shaft,
fluted abacus, above capital
and a harmika pedestal
Behind them is vestibule,
front made of rock cut screen
with triple entrance and
clerestory
Vault has wind braces
24.
25. Kanheri
Last hinayana chaitya
hall, 2nd century AD
86ft by 40ft by 50ft
Courtyard in front of
exterior contained with a
samll wall, accessible by
steps
Within a simple stambha
as at karle but attatched
Outer fixed plain wall
screen with 3 tall square
opening below and 5
window clerestory
Half timber construction
26. Vihara at Kondane
Central hall was pillared
23 by 29 columns in
colonnades, with cells
on three side
Cornice over the portico,
copy of wooden
construction methods.
Portico was pillared and
had 3 square headed
openings. Portico also
had motifs
Columns supported roof
27. Pitalkhora
Few cells
Cells were vaulted chambers with ribbed
roofs
Ajanta(Hinayana Phase)
Vihara no. 8 was attatched to chaitya
hall no.9
Vihara no.12 to chaitya hall no.10
Vihara no. 13 had provision for
expansion
28. Nasik(1st century AD)
Mahapana (cave no. 8) was
excavated first
Its columns were copies of
Ganeshlena Chaitya at
Junnar(contemporary)
Lotus base on pedestal
Aniaml goups on abacus
Later altered to Mahayan style
Sri Yajma (No. 15) and
Gautamiputra(No. 3) were 2 more
Viharas in this series
Sri Yamja had columned portico,
large central hall without pillars,s
stone beds
Gautamiputra was elaborate, with
pillars having pairs of elephants,
bulls, gryphon, alternating with
scroll of foliage
Doorway similar to sanchi torana
29. MONASATARIES AT
GANDHARA
Buddhist interpretation of hellenic model of
Greece calleed Greco-Bactrian Style
Sites situated at modern day Peshawar
and Rawalpinindi
Region was visited by Hiuen Tsang in 7th
century, spreading Buddhism(cult religion)
B.C followed by Alexander in 350 B.C
bringing Greek style
Gandhara became independent in 250
B.C, finally conquered by Scythians
30. Basic Characteristics
Intention Indian, treatment Greek for eg.
Fire-altar, animal capitals, sculpture,
pediments, entablature introduced
Stimulation of image worship
Statues of Buddhas etc, corinthian
capitals with Buddha in leaves of
Acanthus
Monastery had irregular aggregation
consisting of Stupa and Sanghrama
31. Monastic Sanctuary(Takht-i-
Bahai)
Axial Plan, logical arranged
Rectangular plan(200 ft long)
Stupa court on South,
monastery on north
Small chapel on terrace
West had conference hall
Kitchens etc on rest of site
Stupa treated artisiticallly
Courtyard-quadrangle 45ft by
55ft
Central platform 20ft by 8 ft
high on which there was a
Stupa with six-tiered umbrella
No true arches
Simple unadorned room in
Sanghrama
32. Taxila(Near Rawalpindi) 2nd
Century B.C
Distyle-in-antis style
158ft by 80ft wide
Had a vestibule,
porch, sanctuary and
a back
porch(opisthodomos)
Peristyle
This architectural style
was practiced till 4th
century AD of
Kushans
No influence on rest of
Indian style
34. Basic Characteristics
Main seats of this school were Ajanta,
Ellora, Auarngabad
There was a change in iconography
since both schools perceived different
imagery of Buddha
Elements of Chaitya Halls remained
same
Viharas became finer and more
elaborate
35. Chaityas of Mahayana
Phase
Rock cut chaitya halls are not stone
copies of timber construction
Only curved transoms and ribbed vaults
resemble woodwork
Carved solid rock,instead of copying
slender wooden joints
Cushion capital developed, shaft is a
square prism, upper being round in
section, fluted with compressed capital
36. Ajanta Cave No. 10
Exterior 38ft by 32 ft
Exterior entrance court with side chapels,
with one doorway and pillared portico
Portico had a entablature and ministrel’s
gallery
Vaulted roof with ribs
Stupa monolith 22 ft high, double domed,
with dome having Buddha recessed in
canopy
Tall tiered finial, harmika and 3 decreasing
parasols and a vase
37. Ajanta Cave No. 26
68ft by 36f by 31 ft
Last Ajanta Hall
More ornamented,
right from pillars,
elaborate triforium,
and recessed panels
Portico had 3
doorways with
Chaitya window
above
Decline of style by
excessive
workmanship
38. Vihara(Cave no. 11, 7 and
6)
Wooden construction
11 and 6 had four central pillars while 7th
had 2
2 storied
Had colonnades on all sides and a
verandah with a 54sq. Ft hall
doorway and windows on two sides
Plllars had vast capiatl base and a
pedestal in shape of carytid
39. Vihara Cave no. 1 and 16
Exterior verandah 65ft long with 65sq, ft
main hall
Colonnades of twenty pillars
16 square cells, has a sacracium with
figure of Buddha
40.
41. Ellora Caves
Caves excavated out of low
ridge hills, Buddhists
occupied best site.
Dhedwada group(caves 1 to
5) and 6 to 12 were two main
groups
Mahanwada cave(no.5) had
both monastery and hall, it
had two parallel platforms for
seating of priests
Later group had chaitya hall
no. 10
Cave no. 2 has 48 pillars
colonnade attached with side
gallery.
Cushion pillar comes in focus
now
42. Cave 6 to 12
Largest monasteries
No. 12 is knows as tin
thaal(thre stories), can
lodge 40 priests (108ft
by 60 ft)
Does not have any
ornamentation
Access is through
pillared verandah
All three floors are
different
43. Vishwakarma Chaitya Hall
85ft by 44ft by 34ft
Plainer than Ajanta
Stupa is foundation to
support a shrine of
buddha
Chaitya Arch
compressed to a samll
opening
Two canopies over the
niches, predecessors
of Indo Aryan and
Dravidian temple
shrine styles
44. Aurangabad Caves
No. 3 and 7 are finest and best
preserved
No. 3 is deep cut in the rock, cella
leading out of pillared hall
No.7 has a passage of ambulation
around it
Pillars have combination of the bracket
with vase and foliage motif
45. Chaitya Arch
Chaityas noramlly had a
great-horseshoe
archway with a wall or
screen below
There was sun window
in centre of arcway to let
light in
First horseshoe arch
was seen at Bhaja
Sun window is semi
circular aperture divided
into lunettes using
curved wood transoms
and wooden braces
46. Buddhism in Southern India
Eventually spread but no lasting
impression, Brahmanism prevelant faith
Two main sites Guntupalle in Kitsna District
and Sankaram Hills in Vishakhapatnam
Guntupalle one of the first chaitya halls
18ft in diameter with domed roof 14ft high,
contemporary to Lomas Rishi
Remaining of sangagrama has a samll
monastery and brick built chaitya hall
No emphasis on planning, coarsely
executed
47. Buddhism in Southern India
Sanakra hall had a square based stupa
with a rectangualr plan
It was a monastery, interior meaasuring
150ft by 70ft with three symmetrically
disposed chaitya halls
Has some of largest monolith stupas, as
wide as 65 ft.
No advances in rock-cut
48. Built in brick(5th century A.D TO
12th century A.D)
Flourished in Mathura region, Gangetic plains with
rich alluvial soils
Can be timed with size of bricks, larger he brick,
earlier the period
Later stone lintels were used
The Chaityas in this type was Ter near Sholapur and
Cherzala in Kistna district,(5th century AD)
Cherzala is small and its flat ceiling hides
construction of vault, with large bricks(17inch by
9inch by 3inch)
The chaitya hall at Ter is well-proportioned with
pilastets framing the exterior
Copies from wooden arcjhitecture
Cherzala has a florid ornamentation
49. Built in Brick
Immense sized Buddhist sanctuaries bulit
in Kaisa, rhomboid 1250 ft wide, and at
Nalanda 1600 ft by 800 ft
Had a stupa, temple and a shrine, and a
hostel
Statues, for. Eg dying buddha constructed
to attract pligrimage
Had high plinths, ornamentation borrowed
from rock-cut.
Made famous from Chinese pligrimage,
who called it a ‘great vihara 200 ft high’
50. Built in Brick
Chaitya hall at Uttaresvera was 16ft by 9ft
by 2ft
They introduced wooden beams and door
frames in brick construction
Bricks are moulded and columns carved,
and arches are corbelled
Another monastic establishment was at
kapilavastu, Sravasti, Paharpur etc, these
were aggragation of lot of structures,
restored till lost their original forms
51. Inspiration and influence
Inspired from Vedic wooden construction
techniques, prevelant to Buddhism
coming in vogue
Inspired Indian temples, for eg. Early
Brahmanical temples in South India (for
eg. Chaitya window motif), temples at
Sanchi
Even Jain caves got influenced from
Buddhism, fro eg. Udaigiri
Spread to North East