VIJAYANT 019

HARSH 014

BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE
 INTRODUCTION
KUSHINAGARA

BODH GAYA

SARNATH

KIZIL

BAMIYAN BUDDHAS

MIRAN
GAUTHAM BUDDHA
Buddha's birth place was Lumbini, near the small city of Kapilavastu on the
borders of Nepal and India. In his twenties, he renounced his life in the palace
and left home in search of enlightenment after witnessing sights of suffering,
sickness, aging and death. He achieved Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and
gave the first sermon at Sarnath.

Teachings: Three Refuges or the Triple

The Three Universal Truths Jewels to rely on.
The Four Noble Truths
The Eightfold Path of
Enlightenment

There are two main schools of Buddhism: Theravada and Mahayana.

EARLIEST EXAMPLES OF BUDDHIST ART

Riderless horse
The wheel

The Buddha footprint

The bodhi tree

The lotus flower
 SCULPTURE

STAMBHA

STUPA

FEATURES
VIHARAS

CHAITYAS
THANGKA
MANDALA
 STUPAS

Stupas began in pre-Buddhist India as

hemispherical burial grounds that
marked the remains of temporal
rulers. At an early stage in the
development of Buddhist art, they
became symbols of the Buddha’s
continuing immanence as well as
representations of his Mind.
SYMBOLISM
 In pre-Buddhist India, grave-mounds
(tumuli) of ascetic saints were regarded
as holy place for pilgrimages and places
of meditation. Their shape – that of a
dome – was the beginning of the
Buddhist Stupas.
 The dome shape originated form the
seated position the saints were buried
in. The stupas shape is said to be that of
the Buddha seated for meditation.
 SYMBOLISM OF STUPA
The shape of the stupa represents the Buddha, crowned and sitting in meditation posture on a lion
throne. The stupa also symbolizes the five elements and colors and their relationship to
Enlightened Mind:
Base – Square – Yellow – Earth - Equanimity
Dome – Circle – White – Water - Indestructibility
Spire – Triangle – Red – Fire – Compassion
Parasol – Half Circle – Green – Wind – All- accomplishing Action
Jewel – Dewdrop (no shape/no color/void) – Space – All-pervading Awareness
Evolution of Stupas
SYMBOLIC STUPA
BOROBUDUR , INDONESIA
COMMEMORATIVE STUPA
CHOEUNG EK, CAMBODIA

TYPES OF STUPAS OBJECT STUPA

GOTEMBA JAPAN

VOTIVE STUPA RELICS STUPA

NALANDA INDIA SANCHI, INDIA
 STUPA - CONSTRUCTION

 These stupas are the

circular tumuli built of
earth, covered with stone
or brick, the plan,
elevation, section and the
total form of which were all
derived from circle.
 Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath
The Dhamek Stupa is said to mark the spot of a deer park
where the Buddha gave the first sermon to his five disciples
after attaining enlightenment. In its current shape, the stupa
is a solid cylinder of bricks and stone reaching a height of
43.6 meters and having a diameter of 28 meters. It is the
most massive structure in Sarnath. The stone facing is
chiseled and displays delicate floral carvings
of Gupta origin. The wall is covered with exquisitely carved
figures of humans and birds, as well as inscriptions in
the Brahmi script
Dhamek stupa, Sarnath
 THE GREAT SANCHI STUPA
•The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and was originally
commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE.
•Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the
Buddha.
•It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolizing high rank, which
was intended to honour and shelter the relics.
•It has four profusely carved ornamental gateways and a balustrade encircling the
whole structure.
•DOME- is a solid brick-work 32.32m in
diameter and 12.8m high.
•The dome has a slight ‘crushed’ profile
at top and was surmounted by
HARMIKA with a central triple
UMBRELLA.

HARMIKA

•The terrace 4.87m high from ground

was added thus creating a separate
and upper AMBULATORY passage
1.8m wide access to which was
provided by a double staircase with
high BALUSTRADE, on the south side

Plan and elevation

•There are four
gateways known as
‘TORANAS’ at the
cardinal points to the
compass and are
slightly staggered from
the railing enclosing
stupa.
•The ambulatory or
pradakshina path is
fenced by railing
3.35m high all around
the stupa.
•Outside the railing
there once stood the
famous ashoka pillar,
the fragments of which
are noticed now to the
right of southern
torana
 TORANA – A SPECIAL FEATURE OF SANCHI STUPA
•Toranas, the entrance to the
ambulatory were accepted as the
traditional type of ceremonial potals
and excel the array of architectural
embellishment.
•Torana consists of two square uprite
columns with capital of lion or
elephant heads denoting strength.
•These columns support three
separate horizontal panels between
each of which is a row of ornamental
balusters.
•These panels are supported by
atlantean figures, a group of dwarfs,
lions and elephant.
•The total height of this erection is
somewhat 10.36m with a width of
3m
 RAILING OR VEDICA
•The vedica or railing
consists of upright octagonal
plan 45cm in diameter
spaced at 60 to 90cm from
each other and connected by
three lens shaped horizontals
called ‘suchi’ or needles
60cm deep being threaded
through the holes of the
upright.
•The top horizontal bar is
provided with coping to drain
out rain water.
STUPA AT AMARAVATI
The Great Stupa at Amaravati was a large Buddhist monument
built in south-eastern India between the second century B.C. and
the third century A.D. It was a centre for religious activity and
worship for hundreds of years.

The Stupa was part of

a complex of religious
buildings built and paid
for by local people.
Over time, the Stupa
was added to and
changed many times.
 FEATURES OF AMARAVATI STUPA

DOME (UPPER)
The main part of the Amaravati Stupa
was a solid great dome which most
likely stood about 18 meters high. The
dome was made of pale green
limestone which was probably painted
with bright colors.

HARMIKA (BOTTOM)
This relief shows a stupa with a
harmika and umbrellas.
DOME (lower)
The lower part of the dome was
covered with large stone reliefs.
This section of sculpture shows
different scenes from the
Buddha's life.
GATEWAY
There were four gateways in the
railing around the Stupa. Each
one of the gateways marked one
of the four directions, north,
south, east and west.

AYAKA PLATFORM
A small platform extended out from the drum at each of the gateways. Five pillars
were mounted on top of each of the ayaka platforms. The ayaka platform may have
been used in the rituals which took place at the Amaravati Stupa.
PILLAR LION
Facing each
gateway into the
Amaravati Stupa Lion sculptures were
was a group of five
pillars. The pillars
RAILING placed at the
gateways to the
were mounted on a Around the outer limits of
the Stupa was a tall railing
Amaravati Stupa.
special platform Lions represented
called the ayaka made of limestone. The
railing marked the power and strength
which was part of
the drum and boundaries of the Stupa. and were meant to
extended out from it. ward off evil spirits
and protect the
Stupa.
 Swayambhunath Stupa, Nepal
The stupa consists of a dome at the base, above
which is a cubical structure painted with eyes
of Buddha. There are pentagonal Toran present
above each of the four sides with statues
engraved in them. Behind and above the torana
there are thirteen tiers. Above all the tiers there is
a small space above which the Gajur is present.

Jetavanaramaya, Sri Lanka

The height of the stupa is 400 feet (122 m) and was
the tallest ancient stupa in the world.
it is the largest with a volume of 233,000
m2 (2,508,000 sq ft). At the time of its completion the
structure was the third tallest structure in the world
behind the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, is

located at the Shambhala Mountain Center in
Colorado, USA. It was built to inter the ashes
of Chogyam Trungpa, who died in 1987.
Construction of the stupa began in 1988. The
structure took ten years to complete and used a
special concrete formula designed to last one
thousand years.
 STAMBHAS OR LATS
A stambha consists of a
circular column or shaft
slightly tapering
towards the summit
(monolithic). On top of
this shaft is the
Persepolitan bell or the
inverted lotus shaped
base. Above this is the
abacus on top of which
rests the crowning
sculpture. These three
portions were carved
out of a single stone
(monolithic)

Graeco-roman type is rectangular Persepolitian type is a octagonal

with shallow flutes. They are tall with bell shaped capital supporting
and slender, the height nearly six animal sculpture. The shaft is
to eight times its lower diameter. highly polished and has a vase-
At the top is a capital usually with shaped base.
a fluted vase motif.
ASHOKA PILLAR

•The pillar at sarnath more than 15m high

has a group of four addoresed lions with
flowing manes, surmounting the capital.
•These lions originally supported a
massive metal wheel with 24 spokes
called ‘wheels of the law’.
•The capital more than 2m high resembles
the shape of a inverted bell or lotus bub
with series of fluted petals.
•Above the capital is the abacus which is
circular, having broad edge carves with
ornamental borders, containing four figure
of animals alternate with the four small
wheels
 CHAITYAS
•Chaityas or ‘sacred spots’ are the
temples as well as assembly halls
created out of the particular
demands of buddhist religion.
These became necessary to
accommodate those who
congregated to pay their homage.

•These have a small rectangular

door-way which opens to a vaulted
hall, with apsidal end and divided
longitudinally by two colonnades
forming a broad nave in the centre
and two side aisles.

•At end is a stupa also carved in

natural rock with enough space
around it for circumambulation
•The roof is usually semi-circular.
1-stupa, 2-nave, 3-aisles, 4-entry
 CHAITYA AT KARLI

The chaitya hall is The hall is divided

38.5m long and 13m by two rows of
wide with a vaulted columns forming a
roof rising to a height broad nave in the
of 13.7m. centre.

The roof is Each column is

supplemented by a 1.22m in diameter
series of wooden ribs and 7.32m high, with
which are closely bell shapes capital
spaced. which supports a
pair of kneeling
elephants carrying
male and female
riders and those of
horses and tigers in
the rear.

The shaft is octagonal in shape and has a vase-shapes base.

At the end is a stupa, caved in natural rock, with railing and inverted stepped pyramid or tee at the top.
A beautiful ‘lat’ surmounting with four addorsed lions is erected at the entrance of the chaitya.
 FEATURES

Detail of wooden frame for

Facade of chaitya hall at karli
window

Richly carved pillars Couples on elephant

 Ajanta caves
The Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad
district of Maharashtra, India are about 30 rock-
cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from
the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE.
The caves include paintings and sculptures. The
monasteries mostly consist of vihara halls for
prayer and living, which are typically rectangular
with small square dormitory cells cut into the
walls, and by the second period a shrine or
sanctuary at the rear centred on a large staue of
the Buddha, also carved from the living rock
 VIHARAS
These are the residential places of the buddhist priests.
They consist of a main-hall entered by a door-way.
They also contain the assembly hall, dining chambers.
•From the halls deep into the rocks, cells are provided for
meditation.
The shrines contains beautiful figures of Buddha and the
walls of the antechamber depict the stories based on
Buddha's life and fine frescoes as in case of Ajanta.
•Some great structural viharas were about 60m high
covered with glazed tiles.
Pillars were richly chiseled in the form of dragons.
Beams were painted in red and rafter with all colors of
rainbow.
•Viharas were literally the pleasure gardens of monastic
precincts.
Rock cut Buddhist vihara in Nasik
•Some of the important Buddhist viharas are those at
Ajanta, Ellora. Nasik, Karle, Kanheri, Bagh and Badami.
 Ellora Caves
These caves were built during the 5th-7th century.
It was initially thought that the Buddhist caves
were one of the earliest structures, created
between the fifth and eighth centuries.

These structures consist mostly of viharas or

monasteries: large, multi-storeyed buildings
carved into the mountain face, including living
quarters, sleeping quarters, kitchens, and other
rooms. Some of these monastery caves have
shrines including carvings of Gautama
Buddha, bodhisattvas and saints
 MONASTRIES

JETAWANA MONASTRY
Jetavana was one of the most famous of the
Buddhist monasteries in India. It was the
second monastery donated to Gautama
Buddha

Mahabodhi Temple, Gaya

The Mahabodhi Temple(Literally: "Great Awakening Temple") is
a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, the location where Siddhartha
Gautama, the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment
Mahabodhi Temple is constructed of brick and is one of the
oldest brick structures to have survived in eastern India. It is
considered to be a fine example of Indian brickwork,
 Buddhist Mandalas
 The symbolism of Mandalas has a rich
tradition. The outer form of these so-
called holy circles is a geometrical
diagram, a Yantra, and each detail of its
construction has symbolic meaning.All
these different picture-tools have
essentially the same inner meaning and
purpose, but there are mandalas to suit
all levels of consciousness: for the
spiritually highly developed, for average
people and for people not yet
developed.

There are various forms of mandalas with

distinct concepts and different purposes.

 Tibetan monks constructing a festival mandala

with sand and the dust of precious stones.
 BUDDHIST PAINTINGS

AJANTA, BODHISATTVA PADAMPANI THANGKA PAINTING THANGKA PAINTING

A thangka is a complicated, composite three-dimensional object consisting of: a picture panel which is
painted or embroidered, a textile mounting; and one or more of the following: a silk cover, leather corners,
wooden dowels at the top and bottom and metal or wooden decorative knobs on the bottom dowel.

Thangkas are intended to serve as a record of, and guide for contemplative experience. In this way, thangkas
are intended to convey iconographic information in a pictorial manner
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