India is considered one of the few countries that has preserved traditions not only in terms of clothing, various types of art, but also in architecture. The traditions of ancient India are preserved in almost everything. To verify this, just visit any city in this country. Perfect lines like lace buildings soaring in the air - this cannot be found in any other culture. The architecture of ancient India, of course, differs from that which can be seen in modern cities. But, nevertheless, it was she who formed the basis of each building, whether it be a modern hotel or temple.
Indian architecture as part of the country's culture
Ancient Indians represented the Universe as something unimaginably large and grand. This is what affected art in general and architecture in particular. The ancient monuments of India, despite significant damage, amaze with their scale and brilliance. The inextricable interweaving of the philosophical worldview with music that seemed to be frozen in stone is exactly what is considered typical Indian architecture. You must admit that it is impossible to imagine Ancient India without temples and palace complexes, decorated with sculptures, paintings, high domes and spiers, covered with gold.
The architecture of ancient India is also inextricably linked with the religious movements of this state. The reliefs covering most of the walls of ancient buildings can tell a lot about the worldview of the Indians, as well as discover the secrets of their past.
Distinctive features of Indian architecture
How is the architecture of ancient India different from others? Briefly describe its features can be in the following words: the shape, color and complete harmony of buildings with the surrounding space and their monumentality. The architects paid much attention to the smallest details of the decoration: decorations on the walls, ceiling and even on the roof. Thanks to this, the structures that have survived to this day resemble lace, despite their size. This is especially noticeable when you look at the temples and cities from afar or from the air.
The architectural features of ancient India are also in the sacred sense, embedded in every detail of the building. Majestic temples were built according to a single plan described in religious literature. But even so, each building is full of personality. Somewhere, the external internal surfaces of the walls contain sensual bas-relief images, and somewhere, the main motive becomes a peculiar story about the everyday life of peasants, kings or even gods.
What was built in India from?
The building materials from which buildings were erected in ancient India varied by region. For the northern districts, the use of stone, brick and wood was characteristic, and for the southern - wood and adobe blocks. A little later, limestone and other rocks became the main building material for their construction. Also common were cave temples, which were cut down in a monolithic rock. Today, the architecture of Ancient India is represented by temple complexes made of stone, since the wooden and brick structures have not been preserved in their original form.
Ancient Indian cities
The discovered remains of the cities of Dholavir, Lothal, Kalibangan and Rakhilvari allow to fully understand what the architecture of Ancient India was. The typical ancient Indian layout of these settlements, consisting of 3 parts (a citadel or fortress, the lower and upper parts of the city) is still widely used, but on a slightly different scale. By exploring the places of the ancient cities of India, archaeologists could once again be convinced that in this state for many millennia there was a stratification of society on the principle of belonging to a particular caste. So, the houses closest to the citadel belonged to noble people and were separated from the lower city, where artisans and poor people lived, by a double earthen rampart.
Lothal possessed absolutely distinct features from other cities - one of the most significant trading cities on the coast of India. The citadel there was located not in the city center, but at the maximum distance from the coastline, and the border between the upper and lower cities passed along a straight wide street. To avoid flooding of residential buildings, standing in the immediate vicinity of the water, they were erected on high platforms of unburnt brick.
Temples of india
There is an opinion that those who want to get acquainted with such a phenomenon as the architecture of Ancient India should make a pilgrimage to the temples located in this country. And indeed it is. Their style and layout did not change even after 8 millennia from the beginning of its formation. What is their feature? Firstly, this is their layout. Regardless of its location and size, all temples of India consist of the following premises:
- the sanctuary (garbhabriha) - a low room without windows with a single low passage, which houses the statue of the main temple deity;
- vimana - a domed or spike-shaped tower towering above the sanctuary;
- the passage around the sanctuary - pradakshinapatha, along which visitors to the temple move to go around the main shrine of the temple ;
- mukhamandapa - a small corridor connecting the temple sanctuary with its main hall, is used as a place for storing religious and religious objects, sacrifices;
- mandapa - a hall located between the main entrance to the temple and the sanctuary, in which the parishioners of the temple perform religious actions;
- in front of the entrance to the temples are flagpoles and statues of mounts of those gods who are worshiped here (by the god Vishnu - Garuda, by Shiva - the bull Nandin, etc.);
- in the courtyard of the temple on the same line with the main gate and the sanctuary is the altar for sacrifices;
- the wall surrounding the temple with towers, at the base of which are usually located additional gates or shrines of the satellite gods (Lakshmi, Hanuman, Subramanyi, etc.).
To this day, all these canons of erection are strictly observed, and this gives the Indian temples the very highlight.
The most striking architectural monuments of India
The architectural identity of Indian temple complexes has recently gained millions of fans. In order to fully absorb the spirit of Ancient India, dozing in gigantic buildings, it is worth visiting several unique places. These include a complex of three temples in Khajuraho, which differ from others in the abundance of large and small statues of women (apsaras and sura-sundari), which seemed to freeze for a moment, but very soon again began to spin in dance. Only the snow-white marble Ranakpur hovering on 1444 columns can compete with this temple complex.
The most beautiful and richly decorated ancient Indian temple is located on the west bank of the Ganges. This is the only "golden temple" in India, because almost a ton of the purest precious metal went into its decoration. But the most unusual and majestic temple is considered to be Kailasanatha - the temple of the god Shiva carved in the rock . Despite the fact that when it was erected, builders used primitive tools, the decoration and decoration of columns and sculptures amazes with its subtlety, precision and airiness.