Indian Architecture

Indian Architecture in its entirely, can be described as highly ornate, intricately detailed, with acute complexity in geometry and harmoniously symmetric. Sculpting and Architecture have an interconnected relationship in structures, as not only were sculptures bountifully used in adorning buildings but entire structures were sometimes painstakingly carved out of cliffs with extreme precision, on a colossal scale. Further adhering to the idea of perfect harmony as its entire structure in from one piece.

Architecture in India has a plethora of varying expressions in the confines of different social Architecture to different eras internal and external geographical influence and design expressions. The Architecture dates back thousands of years with an array of architectural style, structure, design and pattern but always retaining a great amount of congruence throughout its history.

Indian Architecture can be simplified into 6 categories accounting, periods, socioeconomic and regional differences. These are:

Cave Architecture
Rock cut
Temple Architecture
Ancient/Medieval Architecture
Indo-Islamic Architecture
Indo-Saracenic Architecture

Cave Architecture -

Used as a places of worship and residence by Buddhist and Jain monks, cave Architecture is believed to have begun around the third century in India. These were built in cave or were carved out of it, they illustrate extreme precision and intricate details as well as profound symmetry.

A great example of this would be the Ellora cave in Maharashtra.

Rock cut -

Rock Architecture is a highly famous and important architectural style these were wide spread by Buddhist and Jain monks. In this style temples were made out of a single type of rock material it was deemed as pure structure or temple as only one material was used for its entire construction.

Great examples are -

Meenakshi Temple and its interior.

Ramanathaswamy Temple and its interior.

Temple Architecture -

Temple Architecture is a style used in building temples alone. This was held in high regards and built to the best standards in every region styles varied from regions across India but their design layouts were still distinct to what was noted as temples with, tower entrances and tower main shrines.

Antarvedi Temple in Tamil Nadu.

Ancient/Medieval Architecture -

India's Architecture is as old as its civilization's history, with its earliest records dating back to the Indus Valley cities existing from about 2500 BC to 1700 BC. Their cities were well laid out in grid patterns, had advanced drainage systems and their main building material of choice was brick, although timber was occasionally used to lace the brick work.

Mohenjo-daro (in what is now Pakistan) was one of the principal cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization.

During the Medieval periods, great temples were built from the 9th to 11 centuries in 2 distinct styles one in the northern part of India and another in the southern part. In the north the Shikhara which is a tall tower or spire that is curved in its outline sits atop the Mandapas which are pillared porches of hallways. The entrance of the sanctuary is richly decorated with river goddesses and streaks of ornamentation. The exterior walls are adorned with semi-divine and mythological sculptures with main images of deities placed in niche place for main projection.

In the south, this uses a Kutina type, where the tower sits above the sanctuary and is stepped stories that form a pyramid shape. Pilasters are used to divide the temple walls at the exterior having niches that house temple walls. the gopuras at the entrance of the temple enclosure, are extremely large and are adorned with sculpture which dominate.

Illustrates northern Temple. the Surya temple at Osian, in Rajasthan state, India.

Illustrates Southern Temple. Kapaleeswarar Temple, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state, India.

Indo-Islamic Architecture -

This style of Architecture was neither strictly Muslim or strictly Hindu but was an amalgamation of both as the extension of Islam from the 11th and 12 centuries. Structures such as mosques and bombs features domes and pointed arches with the Islamic style or decoration and calligraphy. Materials such as red sandstone surfaces with white marble inlays were used alluding intricate adornments.

Qutb Minar in Delhi, India.

The Taj Mahal at Agra, Uttar Pradesh state, India

Indo-Saracenic Architecture -

This describes an attempt by the British in mixing or revival of European styles such as Baroque, Gothic and Neoclassical mixed with Indian and Islamic elements. This happened between the 16th to 19th centuries.

The Gothic revival railway station named Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), in Mumbai, India.

Geometry and ornamentation in Indian Architecture -

Ornamentation and geometry work in great tandem in Indian Architecture. Ornamentation shows not only geometry and symmetry but also illustrate the plethora of diversity from different religions, influence of cultures due to invasion and from several regions of the country. Ornamentation was integral in showing their understanding of the Cosmos, mathematics, spiritual devotion to several deities and also used as a record of myths and legends. For example, The Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, had 52 pillars ordered in geometric manner to illustrate the 52 weeks in a year with goddesses for the morning and night. the temple further elaborates 365 elephants symbolizing each day in a year.

The Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, India.

On the case of geometry, many structures in India use the idea of fractal geometry where the entire structure can be broken down to smaller pieces in varying directions forming something highly intricate, forming the entire structure but still illustrating the structure itself but it smaller fractions around the building. This self replicating geometry utilizes the idea or harmony with the cosmos and this is done in accordance to the philosophy of the ancient Hindu Sankhya school where it was taught that the cosmos is holonomic, This meant that its structure replicated itself with a reduction in scale.

An example of this is the fractal geometry used in Kandariya Mahadev temple at Khajuraho built in 11th century AD. Wher its main Shikhar is surrounded by smaller ones and this is repeated around its structure as its size depletes.

Kandariya Mahadev temple at Khajuraho, India.

Reference list:

Cultural India, (n.d.), Indian Architecture.
Available at:
https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-architecture/
(Accessed: 18th September 2021).

Kids Britannica, (n.d.), Indian Architecture.
Available at:
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Indian-architecture/623664