THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF MAURYAN EMPIRE

CONSTITUTES THE CULMINATING POINT OF THE PROGRESS

OF INDIAN ART . THE PERIOD WAS MARKED BY MATURE USE
OF STONE AND PRODUCTION OF MASTERPIECES.

GEOGRAPHY
MAURYAN EMPIRE LASTED FROM 322 B.C TO 185 B.C..
ORIGINATED FROM THE KINGDOM OF MAGADHA.
SOUTHERN ASIA AND PARTS OF CENTRAL ASIA.
SITUATED ON RICH ALLUVIAL SOIL AND MINERAL DEPOSITS.

GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE
FIRST KING: CHANDRAGUPTA
ESTABLISHED A CENTRALIZED STATE, UNITING NORTHERN INDIA.
HAD STATE
REGULATED TRADE THAT PROSPERED.
SECOND KING: BINDUSARA
EXTENDED KINGDOM TO THE SOUTH.
THIRD KING:ASHOKA
HELPED BY A COUNCIL OF MINISTERS WHO WERE THE HEAD OF DIFFERENT
MINISTRIES.
HE WAS CONCERNED WITH THE WELFARE OF HIS PEOPLE.

DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHISM
6TH CENTURY B.C IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE IN THE ANNALS OF HISTORY
OF INDIA AS IT USHERED AN ERA OF SPIRITUAL REVOLUTION .
BY THE END OF THE 6TH CENTURY B.C KING OF MAGADH DYNAST Y RULING
FROM PATILPUTRA HAD ESTABLISHED THE FIRST GREAT EMPIRE IN INDIA BY
EXTENDING THEIR REIGN OVER MOST OF GANGES BASIN.

DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE

BUDDHISM GAVE IMPETUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHITECTURE ,ART AND
CRAFT AND VICE VERSA. BUDDHIST MONKS LIVED AND PRAYED IN VIHARAS
AND CHAITYAS BUILT IN ROCKS OF THE DISTANT MOUNTAINS AWAY FROM THE
HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF CROWDED AND HEAVILY POPULATED URBAN AND
RURAL CENTERS. THEY CREATED ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE IN THE FORM OF
ROCK CUT CAVES WHICH IN TURN DEVELOPED THE INTEREST OF MASSES IN
BUDDHISM.

AMARAVATHI
SANCHI STUPA

DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE

BUDDHISM GAVE IMPETUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHITECTURE ,ART AND
CRAFT AND VICE VERSA. BUDDHIST MONKS LIVED AND PRAYED IN VIHARAS AND
CHAITYAS BUILT IN ROCKS OF THE DISTANT MOUNTAINS AWAY FROM THE HUSTLE
AND BUSTLE OF CROWDED AND HEAVILY POPULATED URBAN AND RURAL
CENTERS. THEY CREATED ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE IN THE FORM OF ROCK CUT
CAVES WHICH IN TURN DEVELOPED THE INTEREST OF MASSES IN BUDDHISM.

DHARMARAJIKA, TAXILA

BHARHUT

BHARHUT
MEDIVEAL
BHUDDA IMAGE

TORAN DWARAS
UTTARI TORAN,
NORTHERN GATE,
SANCHI STUPA
BUILT BY KING
ASHOKA IN 3RD
CENTURY BC

THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF THOSE TIMES DEVELOPED

AND MANIFESTED IN SEVERAL IMPORTANT FORMS.
1. EDICTS INSCRIBED ON THE ROCKS
2.STUPAS
3.MONOLITHIC PILLARS
4.MONOLITHIC ACCESSORIES TO SHRINES
5.CASTLES AND PALACES
6.ROCK CUT CHAMBERS
7.BUDDHIST MONASTRIES

1. EDICTS INSCRIBED ON THE ROCKS

2.STUPAS

PILLARS

CITY
PLANNIN
G

CITY PLANNING
ACCORDING TO MEGASTHENIES, PATILPURA WAS SITUATED ON
THE CONFLUENCE OF RIVER GANGES AND SONE.
THE CITY WAS LAID OUT IN THE SHAPE OF A PARALLELOGRAM,
WHICH WAS NINE AND HALF MILE LONG AND TWO MILES WIDE.
THE ENCLOSURE ALL AROUND THE CITY WAS MADE OF TIMBER,
WHICH HAD 570 BASTIONS AND 64 GATES.

CITY PLANNING

KUMRAHAR
RUINS

REMAINS
OF
WOODEN
PALISADE

PILLARED
HALL
RUINS

CLASSIFICATION:
THE MAURYAN PERIOD ART AND ARCHITECTURE, EXCEPT
THAT OF THE RELICS OF THE PALACE OFCHANDRAGUPTA
MAURYA AT PATALIPUTRA, IS MAINLY ASOKAN. IT CAN BE
CLASSIFIED INTO STUPAS, PILLARS, CAVES, PALACES AND
POTTERY.

STUPAS
THE STUPA FORMED AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE
ARCHITECTURAL ACHIEVEMENT OF MAURYAN BIHAR.THE WORD
STUPA MEANS 'SOMETHING RAISED', AND CAME TO BE USED
AS A BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURAL TERM FOR A MOUNT
CONTAINING THE RELICS OF BUDDHA. ASHOKA WAS THE
BUILDER OF CITIES,STUPASANDVIHARASEXCAVATED IN HARD
ROCKS, ROCK-ART CHAITYA-HALLS, PALACES AND PILLARS OF
STONE. THE PILLARS ARE SAID TO BE THE MASTER PIECES OF
MAURYAN ART. THE MASONS OF MAGADHA DELINEATED THE
NATURAL FORMS OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS IN STONE AND
REDUCED AND SHAPED LARGER MASSES OF ROCKS INTO
PILLARS.

STUPAS

NORTHERN GATEWAY,
GREAT STUPA, SANCHI

DHARMAKSHA STUPA,
SARNATH

MAURYAN STUPAS:
THE STUPAS WERE SOLID DOMES
CONSTRUCTED OF BRICK OR
STONE, VARYING IN SIZES.SAMRAT
ASHOKABUILT NUMEROUS STUPAS
SCATTERED OVER THE COUNTRY.
BUT MOST OF THE STUPAS HAVE
NOT SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF
TIME. THE ASHOKANSTUPAS WERE
CONSTRUCTED TO CELEBRATE THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF GAUTAMA
BUDDHA.

MAURYAN STUPAS:
THE STUPAS WERE SOLID DOMES
CONSTRUCTED OF BRICK OR
STONE, VARYING IN SIZES.SAMRAT
ASHOKABUILT NUMEROUS STUPAS
SCATTERED OVER THE COUNTRY.
BUT MOST OF THE STUPAS HAVE
NOT SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF
TIME. THE ASHOKANSTUPAS WERE
CONSTRUCTED TO CELEBRATE THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF GAUTAMA
BUDDHA.

MAURYAN PILLARS:THE MOST

STRIKING MONUMENTS OF MAURYAN ART
ARE THE CELEBRATED PILLARS OF DHARMA.
THESE PILLARS WERE FREE STANDING
COLUMNS AND WERE NOT USED AS
SUPPORTS TO ANY STRUCTURE. THEY HAD
TWO MAIN PARTS, THE SHAFT AND THE
CAPITAL. THE SHAFT IS MONOLITH COLUMN
MADE OF ONE PIECE OF STONE WITH
EXQUISITE POLISH. THE ART OF POLISHING
WAS SO MARVELOUS THAT MANY PEOPLE
FELT THAT IT WAS MADE OF METAL.
SOME OF THE PILLARS MARK THE STAGES OF
ASOKAS PILGRIMAGE TO VARIOUS CENTERS
OF BUDDHISM.

ROCK CUT CAVES

INDIAN ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTUREIS MORE VARIOUS AND FOUND IN GREATER ABUNDANCE THAN ANY OTHER
FORM OF ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTURE AROUND THE WORLD.
ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTURE IS THE PRACTICE OF CREATING A STRUCTURE BY CARVING IT OUT OF SOLID NATURAL ROCK
INDIAN ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTURE IS MOSTLY RELIGIOUS IN NATURE
THERE ARE KNOWN MORE THAN 1,500 ROCK CUT STRUCTURES IN INDIA

ROCK CUT CAVES : BARABAR CAVES

THE OLDEST ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTURE IS THEBARABAR CAVES,BIHAR
BUILT AROUND 3RD CENTURY BC MAURYANPERIOD (322185 BCE)
THEBARABAR CAVESARE THE OLDEST SURVIVINGROCK-CUT CAVES IN INDIA
LOCATED IN THEBELA GANJ BLOCK OF GAYA DISTRICTOFBIHAR, INDIA,
24KM NORTH OFGAYA.
CAVES AT BARABAR CONSIST OF TWO CHAMBERS,
CARVED ENTIRELY OUT OFGRANITE, WITH A HIGHLY POLISHED INTERNAL
SURFACE AND EXCITING ECHO EFFECT
THE FIRST CHAMBER WAS MEANT FOR WORSHIPPERS TO CONGREGATE IN A
LARGE RECTANGULAR HALL
SECOND, A SMALL, CIRCULAR, DOMED CHAMBER FOR WORSHIP
INNER CHAMBER PROBABLY HAD A SMALLSTUPA LIKE STRUCTURE.

CAVES AT BARABAR HILL

LOMAS RISHI CAVE: THE ARCH-LIKE SHAPE FACADE OF LOMAS RISHI CAVES, IMITATE THE
CONTEMPORARY TIMBER ARCHITECTURE. ON THE DOORWAY, A ROW OF ELEPHANTS PROCEED
TOWARDSSTUPAEMBLEMS, ALONG THE CURVED ARCHITRAVE.

CAVES AT BARABAR HILL

SUDAMA CAVE: THIS CAVE WAS DEDICATED BYMAURYAN EMPEROR, ASHOKA IN 261 BC.
THE ARCHES OF SUDAMA CAVE ARE OF BOW SHAPE. THE CAVES CONSIST OF A CIRCULAR
VAULTED CHAMBER WITH A RECTANGULAR MANDAPA.

VIHARAS
VIHARAS OR MONASTERIES CONSTRUCTED WITH BRICK OR EXCAVATED FROM
ROCKS ARE FOUND IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF INDIA.
USUALLY BUILT TO A SET PLAN, THEY HAVE A HALL MEANT FOR
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER WITH A RUNNING VERANDAH ON THREE SIDES OR
AN OPEN COURTYARD SURROUNDED BY A ROW OF CELLS AND A PILLARED
VERANDAH IN FRONT.
THESE CELLS SERVED AS DWELLING PLACES FOR THE MONKS. THESE
MONASTIC BUILDINGS BUILT OF BRICKS WERE SELF-CONTAINED UNITS AND HAD
A CHAITYA HALL OR CHAITYA MANDIR ATTACHED TO A STUPA - THE CHIEF
OBJECT OF WORSHIP.
SOME OF THE IMPORTANT BUDDHIST VIHARAS ARE THOSE AT AJANTA, ELLORA. NASIK,
KARLE, KANHERI, BAGH AND BADAMI.

VIHARAS

ROCK-CUT VIHARA,
NASIK

VIHARAS
TWENTY-FIVE OF THE ROCK-CUT CAVES OF AJANTA ARE VIHARAS AND ARE
THE FINEST OF MONASTERIES.
THE FINEST OF THEM. CAVE 1, OF THE MAHAYANA TYPE CONSISTS OF A
VERANDAH, A HALL, GROUPS OF CELLS AND A SANCTUARY. IT HAS A
DECORATED FACADE.
THE PORTICO IS SUPPORTED BY EXQUISITELY CARVED PILLARS.
THE COLUMNS HAVE A SQUARE BASE WITH FIGURES OF DWARFS AND
ELABORATELY CARVED BRACKETS AND CAPITALS.
BELOW THE CAPITAL IS A SQUARE ABACUS WITH FINELY CARVED MAKARA
MOTIFS.

VIHARAS

THREE STOREYED VIHARA,

ELLORA

CHAITYAS
CHAITYA GRIHAS OR HALLS OF WORSHIP WERE BUILT ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY EITHER OF BRICK OR EXCAVATED FROM ROCKS.
RUINS OF A LARGE NUMBER OF STRUCTURAL BUDDHIST CHAITYA
GRIHAS ARE FOUND IN THE EASTERN DISTRICTS OF ANDHRA PRADESH,
IN VALLEYS, NEAR RIVERS AND LAKES.
THE RUINS LOCATED IN THE DISTRICTS OF SRIKAKULAM AT SALIHUNDAM,
OF VISAHKAPATNAM AT KOTTURU, OF WEST GODAVARI AT GUNTAPALLI,
OF KRISHNA AT VIJAYAWADA, OF GUNTUR AT NAGAJUNAKONDA AND
AMARAVATI BELONG TO THE 3RD CENTURY BC AND LATER.
THE LARGEST BRICK CHAITYA HALL WAS EXCAVATED AT GUNTAPALLI.

CHAITYAS
SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROCK-CUT CAVES ARE THOSE AT
AJANTA, ELIORA, BHAJA, KARLE, BAGH, NASIK AND KANHERI.
SOME OF THE CHUNAR SAND-STONE ROCK-CUT CHAITYAS OF
BHAJA. KONDANE. KARLE AND AJANTA, ALL IN MAHARASHTRA
STATE ARE EARLIER EXCAVATIONS AND BELONG TO THE FIRST
PHASE OR HINAYANA CREED OF BUDDHISM AND ARE SIMILAR TO
THE BRICK AND WOODEN STRUCTURES OF ASHOKAN TIMES.
SOME OF THE CHAITYAS SHOW THAT WOOD HAD BEEN USED IN
THE ROOFING AND ENTRANCE ARCHES.

CHAITYAS

BHAJA, ROCK-CUT
CHAITYA HALL

CHAITYAS
THE SECOND PHASE OF BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE IS MARKED BY
THE MAHAYANA CREED OF BUDDHISM SEEN IN SOME OF THE
EXCELLENT ROCK-CUT CHAITYAS AT AJANTA IN AURANGABAD
DISTRICT OF MAHARASHTRA EXCAVATED BETWEEN 5TH AD AND
9TH CENTURY AD DURING THE RULE OF THE VAKATAKAS, THE
GUPTAS AND THE RASHTRAKUTAS.
THE CAVES ARE EXCAVATED FROM A SEMI-CIRCULAR STEEP
ROCK WITH A STREAM FLOWING BELOW, AND WERE MEANT FOR
THE USE OF THE MONKS WHO SPENT THE RAINY SEASON THERE
IN MEDITATION.

CHAITYAS

KARLE, CHAITYA HALL

CHAITYAS
THE MOST PERFECT OF THIS GROUP OF CHAITYA GRIHAS IS

CAVE 19.

IT IS SIMILAR TO THE OTHER CHAITYAS IN ITS PLAN AND RIBBED VAULTED

CEILING EXCEPT FOR ITS SINGLE DOORWAY AND ELABORATE ORNAMENTATION.
IT HAS A PILLARED PORTICO IN FRONT LEADING INTO A COURTYARD WITH THE
WALLS ON EITHER SIDE HEAVILY SCULPTURED WITH FIGURES.
THE INTERIOR PILLARS ARE WELL DECORATED WITH CUSHION SHAPED
CAPITALS.
TWO FIGURES OF STANDING BUDDHA FLANK THE ENTRANCE.
THE WALLS OF THE HALL AND THE CEILING OF THE AISLES IS RICHLY PAINTED
WITH FIGURES OF BUDDHA, FLORAL MOTIFS, ANIMALS AND BIRDS.

CHAITYAS

FACADE, CAVE 19, AJANTA

CHAITYAS

AJANTA CAVES