3. A Journey Through Indian Architecture

• Planning: First choose a hillside of solid rock without cracks. Mark the outline of the cave on the rock face. Carve from the top downwards, so that no scaffolding is needed for the ceiling and the loose rock falls to the floor.
• Challenges: Hidden cracks or weak rock, very hard stone, removing thousands of tonnes of rubble, poor light inside the cave and the danger of a wrong cut that cannot be undone.
• Arched beams: Carve the ceiling first while standing on the uncut rock below, marking the curve of each ‘beam’ and chiselling away the rock between them, and then lower the floor.
• Indian word for nave: maṇḍapa (pillared hall). The aisle for walking around is the pradakṣhiṇa path.

If the temple plan is seen as the cosmic being lying along the east-west axis, the garbhagṛiha (where the deity sits) corresponds to the head, the maṇḍapas correspond to the body (torso), and the entrance or gopuram corresponds to the feet. The worshipper walks from the feet to the head — from the outer world to the inner world.

• Bṛihadīśhvara (south Indian style): a tall pyramidal vimāna rising in storeys, with a dome-like top.
• Kandāriyā Mahādeva (north Indian style): a curved śhikhara with many smaller towers rising like mountain peaks towards the main one.
• Angkor Wat (Cambodia): a huge complex with five lotus-bud-shaped towers on raised terraces, surrounded by long galleries and a moat.

Yes. None of these structures used cement mortar. The builders used lime mortar, interlocking blocks or carved the structure out of solid rock.

Common features: All are places of worship with a sanctum for the deity, a tower or roof over it, halls or pillared spaces and rich carvings.

• Bṛihadīśhvara — granite, huge pyramidal vimāna.
• Lingarāja — sandstone and laterite, tall curved śhikhara.
• Dilwara — white marble, extremely delicate carvings on pillars and ceilings.
• Bishnupur — brick and terracotta, curved roof and square terracotta panels.

• Privacy: Family life happens inside, away from the street.
• Convenience: All rooms open onto the courtyard, so movement is easy; it is used for work, gatherings and rituals.
• Rainfall: Rainwater can be collected and stored.
• Cooling: Hot air rises out of the open courtyard and cooler air flows in, so the house stays airy and well-lit.

Using the 5-metre scale given below the plan, the house is roughly 20–25 metres wide. This is about two to three times the length of a typical classroom (about 8–10 m).

You can make out about two staircases leading to the upper floor.

The rooms downstairs may have been used by servants, and for storage, kitchens, bathing areas, workshops and receiving visitors.

• Brick dome: Lay bricks in circular rings. Make each ring slightly smaller than the one below, so the dome slowly closes towards the top. Fill the inside with earth or rubble for support, and cover the outside with plaster.
• Carved ceiling: Start from the top of the rock face. Mark the curved ribs on the rock and chisel away the rock between them, standing on the uncut rock below. Then cut downwards to make the floor.

The water level in a tank goes up and down with the seasons. Many stairways allow people to reach the water at any level. They also let many people use the tank at the same time for bathing, fetching water and rituals. In the Vijayanagara puṣhkariṇī, the steps also make the tank a work of art and allow devotees to sit and perform water-based rituals.

The terracotta pillars in Fig. 3.27 are easier to sculpt. Terracotta panels are carved by hand in soft clay and then fired in a kiln. The marble pillars of the Dilwara Temple (Fig. 3.25) are carved directly in hard stone with very fine, deep details. One wrong cut can spoil the whole pillar.

Common features: A garbhagṛiha with the deity, maṇḍapas, a tower over the sanctum, a pradakṣhiṇa path, an east-west alignment and rich carvings. They were planned using śhilpaśhāstra and mathematics.

Differences: Material (granite, sandstone, marble, brick-terracotta), shape of the tower (pyramidal vimāna in the south, curved śhikhara in the north), size, and the religion (Hindu, Jain).

No. The courtyard floor is made slightly lower and sloping, with drains that carry the water out or into storage tanks. The rooms around it are built on a raised plinth. So rainwater is collected or drained away without flooding the house.

1. Dholavira — Harappan town planning and water management.
2. Sanchi Stupa — Buddhist stupa architecture.
3. Ellora Caves — rock-cut Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves.
4. Rani ki Vav — stepwell, water architecture.
5. Bṛihadīśhvara Temple — south Indian temple style.
6. Dilwara Temples — Jain marble temples.
7. Jama Masjid, Delhi — mosque architecture.
8. Mehrangarh Fort — forts and palaces.
9. Taj Mahal — Mughal tomb architecture.
10. Madras High Court — Indo-Saracenic colonial style.

Together they cover different periods, regions, religions, materials and purposes.

Example — Ellora Caves (Maharashtra): They belong to rock-cut architecture.

Markers: They are carved out of a single hillside of basalt rock; there are no joints of separate blocks; they have pillars, halls and sculptures cut from the same rock; and some caves have a stupa and arched ceiling.

Threats:

• Air and water pollution (like the yellowing of the Taj Mahal).
• Neglect and lack of maintenance.
• Encroachment and unplanned construction around monuments.
• Vandalism — writing names and littering.
• Natural disasters like earthquakes and floods.
• Theft of sculptures and artefacts.

Protection:

• Strict laws and regular maintenance by government bodies.
• Controlling pollution and construction near monuments.
• Awareness among citizens and students to respect monuments.
• Involving local communities and NGOs.
• Following our Fundamental Duty “to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture”.