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Architecture of India||Introduction|| ||Temple Architecture|| Cave Architecture||Rajput Architecture|| Jain Architecture || Indo-Islamic Architecture||Colonial Architecture||Modern Architecture||Sculpture in India||World Heritage Sites|| One
of the most enduring achievements of Indian civilization is undoubtedly its architecture.
The artistic and architectural heritages of India are almost five millennia old. The Indus Valley sites of Harappa, Mohenjodaro and
Lothal provide substantial evidence of extensive town planning. However, the beginnings of Indian architecture are
traced to the reign of Ashoka (c. 270-232) when the construction of Buddhist monasteries
and stupas began. The Buddhist
architecture remained predominant for several centuries and it left a legacy of
stupendous architectural marvels to this date, like the Great Stupa at Sanchi and the
rock-cut caves at Ajanta. The
Guptas, Chandellas, Solankis and Gangas were
great patrons of art and architecture. The Gupta period can be described as the zenith of
Indian architecture. By the eighth century,
the southern Hindu school of architecture began to flourish. The Pallavas,
Cholas,
Hoysalas and the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire contributed a great deal to the
advancement of architecture in south India. The
rock-cut temples of Mahabalipuram, the temples of Kanchipuram, the
Hoysalas temples at Belur and Halebid and the Meenakshi temple in Madurai are some of the
excellent examples of south Indian architecture. The advent of Muslim rulers brought in
new elements of architectural finesse such as floral motifs, domes and beautiful
calligraphy. The Islamic architecture reached
its acme under the Mughals, who constructed many beautiful forts, palaces, mosques and
gardens. The Red Fort and
Jama Masjid at
Delhi, the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and
Fatehpur Sikhri in Agra, the Badshahi Gardens at
Lahore and the Shalimar Gardens at Kashmir are fine specimens of Mughal
architecture. New
elements of Gothic, Imperial, Christian and Victorian architectural styles were introduced
into the Indian Architecture during the Colonial
Period. The British constructed several
important buildings in different parts of the country including St Martin’s Garrison
Church, the Presidency College, Madras; the Gateway of India at Bombay and the
Rashtrapati
Bhawan at New Delhi. The departure of the British following the Indian Independence
created a temporary vacuum in the building activities in the country. Gradually, under the inspiration of leading
foreign architects like Le Corbusier, several indigenous architects like
Balakrishna Doshi
and Charles Correa came on to the scene who provided the much needed dynamics to the
dormant architectural scene in India. ||Introduction| |Temple Architecture|| Cave Architecture| |Rajput Architecture|| Jain Architecture || Indo-Islamic Architecture| |Colonial Architecture| |Modern Architecture| |Sculpture in India| |World Heritage Sites|| |
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