Study of Ancient Indian Art &

Architecture

by Anand Gowande
India is the one land that all men desire to see and having
seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse
for all the rest of the globe combined…

- Mark Twain
Art (Kala)
“is an expression of our thoughts, emotions,
intuitions and desires….”

64 Kala’s described in
➢ Yajurveda
➢ Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra
Examples: dance, music, painting, plays, diplomacy,
construction, issue resolution, etc.

Each Kala as a subject expanded by later authors

➢ Natyashastra by Kapil Muni
➢ Books on Art & Architecture by various authors
Motives of Art

Stylistic Symbolic Commentary

Variations
Religious –
worship & rituals,
Fantasies or Entertainment
Imagination
Motives
Multiple Motives

Political or Social
Message Propaganda
Mythical
Narratives
Self
Expression Commemoration Motifs & Designs
Architecture (Sthapatya)
“is the art or science or style of designing
and building….”
✓ Concepts – various forms envisaged e.g. temple architecture
forms
✓ Elements & their placements e.g. position of Nagar-devata in
town planning, elements of foundations of a temple
✓ Plans – elaborating all the elements with measurements
✓ Measurements – described in Vedic literature i.e.
Shulbasutras
✓ Influences – culture, religion, ideology, material, etc.

➢ Kautilya’s Arthashastra
➢ Books on various architecture styles – temple architecture
Examples: Samarangansutradhar, Shilpaprakasha, etc.
Architecture Classifications
➢ Religious – e.g. cave temples, constructed temples
Purpose
➢ Non-religious – e.g. towns, forts, etc.

➢ Cave (layana) – majority in Maurya, Shunga and Satvahan era

Type
➢ Constructed – e.g. towns, forts, etc.

➢ Nagara style – from North India till Karnataka region

➢ Dravida style – south India

Architecture Style ➢ Kalinga style – Orissa
Classifications
➢ Mixed (Vesara) style – Karnataka region

➢ Bhumija – Central India

Religion ➢ Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Islamic, etc.

➢ Single shrine – ekakuta

No of Shrines
➢ Multiple Shrines e.g. panchayatana, dwikuta, trikuta, etc.

Medium ➢ Stone, wood, terracotta, etc. – medium plays a very critical role in form,
style and intricacy of art to be achieved
Architecture Classifications - Purpose
Non Religious Religious
Architecture Classifications - Type
Cave Architecture Constructed Architecture
Architecture Classifications - Style
Nagara Dravida Vesara

Bhumij Kalinga
Architecture Classifications - Religion
Hindu Buddhist Jain

Islamic Christian
Architecture Classifications – Number of Shrines
Single Shrine (Ekakuta) Three Shrines (Trikuta)

Two Shrines (Dwikuta) Four Shrines (Chatushkuta)

Architecture Classifications - Medium

Terracotta Wood Stone Bronze

Evolution of Indian Art & Architecture
Time Chart
Shung- Gupta- Islamic,
Pre Historic Proto Historic Maurya Satvahan Vakataka Post Gupta Vijaynagar
40000-3000 BP 7000 – 600 BC 4th to 2nd BC 1st BC to 3rd AD 3rd to 6th AD 6th to 13th AD 13th to 17th AD

Paleolithic Sindhu Maurya Shung Gupta Pallava Chalukya Vijaynagara

40000-10000 BP Sarasvati
7000-1600 BC Satvahan Vakataka Chola Kadamba Maratha
Mesolithic Pandya Hoyasala
Kushan Islamic
12000 to 6000 BP

Vedic Chandel Ganga

Neolithic 1800-600 BC
Parmar Yadav
7000 to 3000 BP

Rashtrkuta Shilahar
Sindhu Sarasvati -
Material evidence
but script yet to be • Constructed as
deciphered well as cave • Golden Era of • Additions to the
Vedic – Literature architecture Indian History • Variety of temple architectural existing temple by
available but no • Brick temples & • Brick temples styles – Nagar, Kalinga, Dravida, Vijayanagar kings
material evidence stupas • Hindu art & Vesara • Degradation of Indian
• Cave Paintings • Cave • Majority architecture • Experiments in architecture art
• Burials Sindhu Sarasvati architecture Buddhist • Caves • Majority Hindu art and architecture • Paintings in many
• Terracotta culture is same as • Ashoka pillars • Coins architecture - • Hoyasala art – the epitome of forms
Pottery Art Vedic ?? • Terracotta art • Terracotta Art Ajantha Indian stone carving art • Maratha architecture
 Pre-Historic Period

Paleolithic, Mesolithic & Neolithic Age

Paleolithic (stone age) Art
➢ First discovery of rock paintings in the world was made in India by
an archeologist Archibold Carllayle in 1867-68

➢ Rock paintings form Upper Paleolithic age (40000 to 10000 BP)

have been found in MP (Bhimbetka, Jogimara), UP (Lakhudiyar),
Andhra, Telangana, Karnataka (Tekkalkota, Piklihal), Bihar and
Uttarakhand

➢ Subjects of stone age art confined to human figures, animals,

symbols, geometric designs and human activities such as hunting,
etc.

➢ Human and animal figures are slick with not much details, however
one can see the flow, movement and postures

➢ Most black, red and white colors used – colors created using
natural material/minerals and mixing them with animal fats and
other ingrediants
 Proto-Historic Period

Sindhu-Sarasvati & Vedic Period

Sindhu-Sarasvati Civilization
➢ Harappa was known to have remains of some civilization since 1829.
Alexander Cunningham visited the Harappa site 3 times between
1853-1857

➢ John Marshal conducted a systematic excavation at Harappa &

Mohonjodaro in 1920-21

➢ John Marshall (ASI Director in India) published a paper in London

and for the first time West got to know about a civilization older
than Greeks or Mesopotamia

➢ John Marshal initially used the term Indo-Sumerian but later

dropped the idea. It was initially called Harappan Civilization.

➢ Since initial most of the sites were found around the Indus river, it
was named Indus Civilization

➢ Post independence, most of the sites discovered are in Sarasvati

valley. Therefore few scholars suggested the name Sindhu-Sarasvati
Civilization
Architecture of Sindhu-Sarasvati
➢ Elaborate town planning. Town generally divided into two segments
– acropolis, lower town, industrial area, roads, water supply, etc.

➢ Most of the cities have fortifications and even the parts within the
town are fortified – particularly the acropolis area

➢ Separate systems for drinking and drainage water

➢ Water storage and utility – wells, rock-cut reservoirs, canals, great

bath of Mohenjo-Daro, etc.

➢ Drainage system with underground gutters, safety tanks & man-

holes

➢ Storage facilities for food grains

➢ Straight roads with grid structure created by main roads and alleys.
Roads mostly in cardinal directions.

➢ Houses with multiple rooms or two levels, with a common area

(Aangan) at the center, doors & windows opening into alleys
Art of Sindhu-Sarasvati
➢ Copper figure of a dancing girl from Mohonjodaro

➢ Priest king made up of steatite figure discovered from Mohonjodaro

➢ Religious – Terracotta figure identified as Mother Goddess figure

recovered from Pakistan, the Pashupati seal,

➢ Jwellary made up of shells, lapis lazuli stones, beads of calcite, garnet,

carnelian, etc.

➢ Sophisticated pottery, prepared on the wheel, properly baked and

painted – in black, red or white colors.

➢ Pictures of animals, fish, geometric designs, Peepal leaf motifs, stars,

etc. painted on pottery

➢ Human and animal/bird figures

➢ Terracotta toys – animals, carts, etc.

Indus Valley Seals Sindhu-Sarasvati Seals & Script
➢ Terracotta seals with figures and symbols or letters

➢ Animals – elephant, dears, bulls, tigers, unicorns, etc.

➢ Earliest use of Swastika – Swastika seal

➢ Pashupati – Proto Shiva seal

➢ These seals were probably used to seal the containers as well as

Dholaveera Sign Board passports

➢ Foreign seals found at Sindhu-Sarasvati sites as well as Sindhu-

Sarasvati seals were found at Susa (Persia) and Ur (Mesopotamia) –
evidence of international trade

➢ Terracotta & stone seal production site at Chandudado

➢ Dholaveera sign board

➢ Sindhu-Sarasvati script yet to be deciphered

 Historic Period

Maurya, Shunga-Satvahan-Kushan, Gupta, Post-Gupta,

Vijayanagar & Islamic Period
Maurya Period (4th to 2nd BC)
Chandragupta’s Palace Barabar Caves Lauriya Bihar – Pillar & Inscription

Ashoka Pillar Capitals Terracotta Female Figures

Shung-Satvahan-Kushan Period (1st BC to 3rd AD)
Satvahan - Nashik Cave Shunga - Sanchi Stupa - Torana

Besnagar Heliodorus Pillar Bharhut Stupa – Narrative Panels

Shung-Satvahan-Kushan Period (1st BC to 3rd AD)
Kanishka Statue Gandhara School of Art Mathura School of Art

Kanishka Gold Coin - Shiva

Gupta - Wakataka Period (3rd AD to 6th AD)
Wakataka – Ajanta Cave Painting Gupta - Dashavtar Temple, Devgad, MP

Gupta - Gold Coins

Post Gupta Period (6th AD to 13th AD)
Pallava - Mahabalipuram Chola – Brihadeeshwar Temple
Post Gupta Period (6th AD to 13th AD)
Pattadakkal Temple Complex Durga Mandir - Aihole

Badami Chalukya vs Kalyani Chalukya

Post Gupta Period (6th AD to 13th AD)
Kalinga Art Solanki Period – Rani Ki Vaav

Rashtrakuta Period – Kailas Mandir, Verul

Post Gupta Period (6th AD to 13th AD)
Hoyasala Art Pillars (Stambha) Roof (Vitana)

Torana
Vijayanagar–Islamic–Maratha Period (13th AD to 18th Ad)
Vijayanagar Maratha Indo-Islamic Architecture
Evolution of Indian Art & Architecture
Handmade Pottery Pottery Made on Wheel
Technology
Terracotta Art: Connected Parts Moulds

Hinayana Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism

Shiv (Purusha) ArdhaNaraNarishwar Parvati (Prakruti)

Religious Concepts Shiv (Hara) Harihara Vishnu (Hari)

Panchayatana – e.g. Ganesh Panchayatana, Devi Panchayatana, etc.

Myths, stories from Puranas, Sthalpuranas, etc.

Nagara, Dravida, Bhumija styles

Style
Mixed – Karnataka Dravida (Vesara) style, developed in Karnataka region

Temple architecture in Maratha period

Cultural Influence
Indo-Islamic architecture
 Sources to Study
Ancient Indian Art & Architecture
Sources to Study Ancient Indian Art & Architecture
➢ Vedic literature

➢ Religious literature – Epics, Puranas, Buddhist, Jain, Agama Granthas etc.

➢ Literature related to Art & Architecture

Literature
➢ Manasar, Mayamat – for South Indian style architecture

➢ Shilpaprakash – for Kalinga style architecture

➢ Samarangansutradhar, etc. for North Indian style architecture

➢ Architectural elements discovered during excavations

Sources Excavations
➢ Artifacts – pottery, toys, jewelry, tools, etc.

➢ Helps us to understand religious and material culture prevailing in the region

Surviving
Architecture ➢ Traditions and rituals at surviving temples

➢ Portraits on coins
Coins
➢ Narratives inscribed on coins
➢ Help to understand creation date, creator and events associated with that
particular architecture
Inscriptions
➢ Helps to understand influences on architecture
The best way to study Indian Art & Architecture is to visit
the sites and experience yourself….

Thank You !!!