Samar State University

College of Industrial Technology

Bachelor of Science in Architecture

HISTORY
OF
ARCHITE
CTURE 4
Research No. 1
India

Submitted By:
John Russell O. Ignacio
BS ARCHITECTURE 2B

Submitted To:
Ar. Karen Mae G. Maravilla
 The architecture of India is a rich and diverse field that has evolved
over thousands of years. It reflects the country's cultural, historical, and
religious traditions, as well as its climate and geography. India's
architectural heritage can be broadly classified into several periods:

1. Prehistoric Period: This period covers the period before the Indus
Valley Civilization, which emerged around 2600 BCE. During this period,
people lived in caves and rock shelters and built megaliths, which are large
stone structures.
2. Indus Valley Civilization: The Indus Valley Civilization, which lasted
from around 2600 BCE to 1900 BCE, was characterized by the
construction of well-planned cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.
The cities had sophisticated drainage systems, brick buildings, and public
baths.
3. Vedic Period: The Vedic Period, which lasted from around 1500 BCE
to 500 BCE, was characterized by the construction of sacred structures
such as fire altars and temples. The architecture of this period was mostly
made of wood and brick.
4. Mauryan Period: The Mauryan Period, which lasted from around 321
BCE to 185 BCE, saw the construction of monumental structures such as
the Ashoka Pillars and the Great Stupa at Sanchi.
5. Gupta Period: The Gupta Period, which lasted from around 320 CE to
550 CE, was characterized by the construction of ornate temples such as
the Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh and the Vishnu Temple at Tigawa.
6. Medieval Period: The Medieval Period, which lasted from around 750
CE to 1700 CE, saw the construction of some of India's most iconic
structures, such as the Qutub Minar and the Taj Mahal. During this period,
Islamic architecture was introduced to India and blended with traditional
Indian styles.
7. Colonial Period: The Colonial Period, which lasted from the 16th
century to 1947, saw the introduction of European styles of architecture,
such as Gothic and Neo-Classical. Some of the notable buildings
constructed during this period include the Victoria Terminus and the
Gateway of India.
8. Modern Period: The Modern Period, which began after India gained
independence in 1947, has seen the construction of several modernist
buildings such as the Lotus Temple and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Contemporary architects in India continue to blend traditional and modern
styles to create innovative designs.

Medieval Period
The Indian architectural treatises have proposed several
classifications of the temples: according to a pseudo-geographical
distribution or according to their forms or shapes. The first classification
takes its terminology from region’s names: the categories Nagara, Vesara,
and Dravida that seem to apply respectively to the northern, central, and
southern provinces of India. This terminology has the drawback of
designating precise types of sanctuaries and of over-understanding that
each one of them is located in a specific and exclusive region, which
doesn’t correspond to reality. The Nagara type for example, located to the
North, refers to the curvilinear roof temples, and yet this roof is also seen in
the South, even in the Madras region. It is, therefore, more satisfying to
follow a classification based on morphology, as it can be appreciated in the
temples. The floor plan, on the one hand, and the type of the roof, on the
other, are precise criteria with the help of which it is possible to observe the
development of the temples of the medieval period.
 With the triumph of Brahmanism and with the experience acquired
since the Gupta period in relation to the use of brick and stone in
construction, the way was paved for the Hindu temple (whatever its
religious sect) to evolve and fully develop, which has been translated into
different forms both in the North as in the South. To satisfy the needs of the
cult and rituals, a Hindu temple usually includes the sanctuary itself
(garbhagriha*), an antechamber (antarala*) and a hypostyle hall
(mandapa*), this last element located on the same axis at the head of the
group. The sanctuary contains the image of the god and only the priest can
enter it which implies a cell of small dimensions although the temple’s size
can be very vast; the antechamber separates the space to allow for the
ritual preparations that the priest must perform; under the hypostyle
pavilion certain ceremonies are held in view of the faithful as well as sacred
dances in honor of the god. The architects have combined these three
essential elements in different ways; very often these three spaces have
each been covered with a different type of roof obeying a kind of hierarchy,
in which the roof of the sanctuary is manifestly the most important by its
elevation, shape, and richest decoration.
 In the previous period, three types of sanctuaries were the norm:
one, with an apsidal plan and covered by a semi-cylinder that hugged the
curve marked by the apse, the other two, with a square floor plan, were
covered by a roof that curved towards the top and by a stepped pyramidal
roof. Of these, the first type (the semi-cylindrical roof) was abandoned from
the middle of the 9th century (Baitala Deula in Bhubaneswar). The other
two types (curved and pyramidal roofs) remained, giving rise to the most
beautiful artistic achievements of the Hindu medieval era.

Antarala: (from the Sanskrit meaning “intermediate space”). The small

antechamber or foyer between the shrine (garbhagriha) and the hypostyle
hall (mandapa), more typical of north Indian temples.
Garbhagriha: (from the Sanskrit meaning “womb chamber”, “garbha“=
womb and “griha“= house). The sanctum sanctorum, or the innermost
sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the idol or icon (murti) of the
primary deity of the temple. Generally in Hinduism only ‘priests’ (pujari) are
allowed to enter this chamber. Although the term is often associated with
Hindu temples, it is also found in Jain and Buddhist temples.
Mandapa: In Indian architecture, a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public
rituals, the hypostyle hall of a Hindu temple.

Colonial Period

The Indian subcontinent has been home to flourishing civilizations

since the beginning of time, and has, therefore, borne witness to the rise
and subsequent falls of a multitude of kingdoms. With the idea of
leveraging India’s prosperity, European countries from the West proposed
allies in different forms. Making spice-trading the prime agenda for visiting
India, Europeans paved their way to the Indian subcontinent. Keeping
colonization, religious propagation, and plundering as a hidden agenda,
they further began to set their base in India by constructing ports. While the
Dutch and French were a part of this wagon, it was the Portuguese and the
British who managed to secure their grip on parts of the Indian
subcontinent. By the end of the 18th century, the British emerged as the
ultimate colonial power to supersede Portugal and reign India for the
forthcoming century.
The Impacts of Colonization on Architecture

Colonization has had a long-lasting impact across the globe. From

experimenting with government forms to exploring technology, the period
from the 18th to 20th century has been revolutionary. As the motive of
colonization was global supremacy and power, the Europeans built
magnificent structures as testaments of their authority. The structures
initially constructed were for the purpose of assisting trade activities. Thus,
ports, docks, warehouses, and residential forts were built along the coast to
support Europe’s trade with India. With time and the strengthening grip of
the colonial powers, structures of administrative, religious, and institutional
importance were built. The infrastructure in India also improved by
constructing concrete roads, bridges, and transit facilities.

Architecture of the Portuguese

The Portuguese stationed

themselves along the South and
West coast of India and maintained a
stronghold over the states of Goa,
Daman, Diu, Kerala, Dadra, and
Nagar Haveli. As the colonizing
power in these states, they
constructed forts, churches, schools,
and cathedrals. Since Portuguese
colonies were located along the
coast, the buildings were constructed in picturesque locations to provide
excellent views of the sea. These structures were built in locally available
materials, such as laterite stone.

The vibrant use of colours, intricacy in design, arched windows,

wooden columns, stained-glass, and sloping roofs laid with mangalore tiles
are peculiar characteristics of Indo – Portuguese architecture. The
Portuguese buildings in India resemble design features inspired by the
traditional Baroque and Manueline architectural styles that blended
seamlessly with the prevailing vernacular architecture, thereby creating a
new architectural vocabulary that was unique to those places. Se Cathedral
in Goa is one of the finest examples of Indo – Portuguese architecture in
India. It is also Asia’s largest church, built in the 16th century. The church
has 14 altars, 8 chapels, and 5 bells and is listed as one of the UNESCO
World Heritage sites. The cathedral was built as a blend of Portuguese and
Manueline style while using locally sourced materials.

Architecture of the British

The British survived as the long-

prevailing colonial powers in India and
therefore built many formidable
structures all over the country. With
the cities of Kolkata (then Calcutta),
Mumbai (then Bombay), Chennai
(then Madras) forming the bases of
their power, the Indo-Gothic
architecture flourished in these
locations. Many buildings of small and large-scale that housed British
officers, served as workplaces and enhanced recreation spaces were
constructed in the cities of prime importance.

Similar to the Portuguese, the British transformed their native

Saracenic or Gothic style to suit India’s context. The Indo-Gothic
architecture is characterized by pointed arches, vaulted ceilings, full-height
stained-glass windows, flying buttresses, domes, turrets, spires, and ornate
facade decorations. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (then
Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai is a classic example of Indo-Gothic
architecture. Made of sandstone and limestone, the building today houses
railway terminals and government offices of the state of Maharashtra. It is
also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Architecture of the French

French colonies in India were

established in Pondicherry, Yanaon,
Karaikal, Mah,e and Chandernagor. The
Indo-French architecture adapted to India’s
tropical climate and used local materials
such as stone or stucco for construction.
Features of this architectural style include shutter windows, dormers, round
towers or gables, chimneys, and sloping roofs.

Pondicherry is a classic example of cultural blends, where the city

sees a clear distinction of two thriving towns across the bridge. One being
of the French community and the other being of the Tamil township. This
French half of Pondicherry reflects in the smaller elements of cityscape
such as signboards written in French, white-painted buildings, ornamented
facades, etc.

Architecture of the Dutch

The Dutch hold over India was

restricted to Kerala and parts of the
Coromandel coast. The city of Kochi (then
Cochin) has the most number of Dutch-style
buildings. The Bolgatty Palace situated in
Kochi is one of the oldest Dutch
constructions in India. The other Dutch
buildings thriving in Kochi include the St.
Francis Church, the Old Harbour Hotel, and
the Dutch warehouse headquarters.

While colonization had drastic negative effects on the economy and

socio-political status of India, it also brought us a step closer to witnessing
global culture through art and architecture. The colonial buildings in India
stand today as architectural marvels that have much to share about
building construction and technology. A striking common feature in all these
architectural forms was their adaptability to India’s context. Understanding
the local needs and keeping up with them is the key principle around which
architecture revolves. Hence, these structures have stood the test of time
by showing design flexibility, versatility, and forward-thinking.