MODULE 02

PROVINCIAL STYLE IN INDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE:

• Rulers from Delhi, Turks and Arabs constantly invaded other regions in India with the intent of spreading
their rule as well as religion in India.
• These Muslim rulers constructed several new cities, fortresses, palaces, free-standing victory towers,
citadels, embankments and so on
• They created the buildings with the locally available building materials combining the regional styles with
the typical Muslim features such as domes, arches, minarets and mihrab
• Local climatic conditions influenced the designs
• Local masons and master builders bought in the local style of architecture.
• This resulted in Indo-Islamic architecture
• In earlier centuries of Islamic India, Delhi was the fountainhead as much of Islamic culture and political
intrigue, as of architectural inspiration. Usually the Hindu kings contributed to the construction of large
number of temples to address most of the population in the kingdom.
• Since Islamic religion was a minority in the provinces thus only one mosque sufficed the need of
minorities, as the religion was congregational in nature. Earlier mosques were a recomposition of building
materials extracted from existing Hindu and Jaina temples.
• But over the time, the provincial builders used Islamic ideas with indigenous craftsmanship, local building
materials and climatologically, social aspects of a province.
• The eight primary provincial styles included:
• Punjab
• Bengal
• Gujarat
• Jaunpur
• Malwa
• Deccan
• Bijapur and Khandesh
• Kashmir

Provincial phase building chronology:

JAUNPUR:
1) Atala Masjid, Jaunpur
2) Jami Masjid, Jaunpur

BENGAL:
1) Adina Masjid, Pandua
2) Eklakhi Tomb, Pandua
3) Dakhil Darwaza, Gaur
4) Bara sona masjid, Gaur
5) Gunmont Masjid, Gaur

GUJARAT (AHMEDABAD):
1) Jami Masjid, Ahmedabad
2) Sarkhej Rauza, Ahmedabad
3) Vavs of Gujarat (Adalaj at Ahmedabad, Rani ni Vav at Patan)

BIJAPUR:
1) Jami Masjid, Bijapur
2) Ibrahim Rauza, Bijapur
3) Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur

BIDAR:
1) Jami Masjid, Bidar
2) Madrasa of Mond at Gawan, Bidar

GULBARGA:
1) Jami masjid, Gulbarga

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JAUNPUR:
Jaunpur was a province of Delhi Sultanate. It was a city built by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1360 AD. It is located
along the River Gomti and around 58km South-East of Varanasi. After the rule of Feroz Shah Tughlaq,
Jaunpur was ruled by the Sharqi dynasty. The militaristic aspects of Tughlaq style was muted to a more civil
style in Jaunpur. The builders of Jaunpur dealt effectively with sociological aspect of Muslim worship- ladies
of the court taking part in the ritual of worship in Purdah. Translated into building, this purdah (Zenana
enclosure) became an elevated platform on either side of the mimbar within the Liwan of mosque,
screened off by panels of Jaali.

There was a departure from the Begumpuri masjid type. The greater monumentality derives not only from
the adjustment of the proportions of the main elements, but also from the substitution for rubble of fine grey
sandstone and granite from temples or dressed specifically for them by Hindu masons.
Militaristic style of the Tughlaqs – buttress fringed central pylon of mosques, muted by the fusion with Hindu
elements, crystallized version of the corbelled ‘screen of arches’.
The major structures built in Jaunpur were:

1) Lal Darwaza Masjid, Jaunpur

2) Atala Masjid, Jaunpur
3) Jami Masjid, Jaunpur

ATALA MASJID, JAUNPUR:

The Atala Masjid stands on the site of a Hindu temple of Atala Devi. Atala Devi temple was destroyed to
make way for a mosque and hence the name Atala Masjid. The mosque was erected over the foundations
of the temple. It was built in 1408 by Sultan Ibrahim (1401-1440), Sharqi Sultan of Jaunpur on foundations laid
during the reign of Tughluqid Sultan Firuz Shah III (1351-1388).

A large number of its pillars, brackets, lintels and flat ceilings were extracted from Hindu monuments. Though
the emergence of this mosque dates back to 1377, the construction work was completed in 1408. It has
various influences of Delhi Tughlaq style but had an additional flavour and vigour all of its own. The
presence of niches, inclined walls, the form and structure of beams and pillars, resembles the mosques,
tombs and other buildings that were built by the Tughlaqs. The Hindu artisans were freed from their age-old
indigenous conventions’ and were more capable of inventive formation and infusing fresh spirit into such a
notable architectural synthesis.

Some distinct features of the mosque are:

 Square-shaped mosque with robust appearance
 Use of dramatic rectangular pylons in the center of liwan, influence of circular tapering turrets of
Tughlaqs resolved into rectangular shape, while retaining the inclined profile.
 The upper reaches were filled with Jharokas and Jaalis. Additional mini pylons were built on either sides
of the central pylon
 Hindu influence is present in bracketed openings
 Huge arch springing between two pylons
 On the either side of Maqsura pylon are two identical mini – pylons and three separate gateways are
also installed in northern, eastern and southern colonnades
 The Eastern, Northern and Southern gates were designed like the Maqsura pylon. The quoins still are
marked with circular tapering turrets just like the Tughlaq style and not the rectangular pylons. An
inscription indicates that the mosque was a work of Hindu architects.

Atala Masjid is made of gray sandstone and granite. Its most distinguishing feature is the original treatment of
the facade of its prayer-hall composed of three large ornamental archways, the central one of which
soaring to 23 mts, is gigantic. The courtyard is enveloped by a two-story veranda and is entered from three
domed gates facing north, east and west. The screened upper story was most likely reserved for
women. The qubba dome on eight valanced arches, four applied to the walls and four thrown across the
corners to form squinches, but the domes of the subsidiary prayer-hall chambers and the vestibules within
the north and south portals rest on beams disposed to form hexagons and octagons respectively.

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The dome of the main sanctuary is carried on squinches. Although it is raised on an octagonal drum, it is still
not visible from the courtyard due to the imposing height of the entry pylon, a distinctive element of
Jaunpuri architecture. Inside the sanctuary is stone mihrab niche with a ribbed semi-dome, flanked by the
stone minbar. The decoration consists mainly of carved floral patterns. The gallery wings have two-floors
and are centered on domed rooms with a mihrab and courtyard entrance. Their flat ceilings are supported
on twin columns and beams resting on brackets. The three domed rooms of the prayer hall project beyond
the qibla wall, with tapering turrets bracing their corners in the manner of Delhi's Tughluqid architecture.

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JAMI MASJID, JAUNPUR:
The last great mosque of Jaunpur and also its largest, the Jami Masjid was built in 1470 by Hussain Shah in
1458-78. In plan and design it is a larger version of the Atala Mosque. The imposing structure encloses a
courtyard 66m x 64.5m. The interior of the prayer hall is topped by a lofty dome. The magnificent
appearance of Jama Masjid at Jaunpur is heightened by a number of factors. The entire structure of Jami
Masjid, Jaunpur stands on a plinth that is 6m high. The double-arched, pylon-shaped gate at the entrance
presents a majestic sight.

The main portal lies in the focal point of the facade and stands about 26m tall and measures nearly 24m at
the base. This was again a characteristic feature of the mosques built by the Sharqis. The Jami masjid has
vast barrel-vaulted chambers beyond narrow trabeated galleries on either side of the qubba. The feature
which can be exclusively traced in Jami Masjid, Jaunpur is a massive rectangular hall meant for prayers. This
hall is flanked by tunnel vaults on its sides and is covered by a dome, measuring 11.4m in diameter. Windows
pierce into the dome's drum to illuminate the interior, creating a splendid sight.

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Liwan
 Congregational worship
 Need for pillarless space
 Load on east and west walls led to ingenious articulation of structure on the walls
 Barrier between liwan and sahn snapped spatial link
 Model of planning was never repeated.
 The mosque does not have the subsidiary frontispiece and the great central pylons stand out in sharp
contrast to the low wings.

Integration suffers on the large scale as the pylons’ towering bulk shares the skyline only with the awkward
external shells of the barrel vaults and the weighty walls masking the prayer hall; pierced by relatively small
arched windows, which hardly provides an effective foil.

BENGAL:
The monuments in Bengal were lost in Fig jungles but were discovered by James Ferguson. The Islamic
architecture was developed in the capital cities of Gaur and Pandua (Twin cities). The river Ganga afforded
a direct means of communication right across the Northern India. The slave dynasty established its power
initially at Tribeni in Hooghly district, but the place was rain affected and flood devastated perennially.

Stones were rarely available in the plains; hence Hindu temples were built of bricks found in abundance.
Thus, the Muslim rulers missed the stone beams and columns for reassembling the mosques in Bengal. Thus,
mosques were built on basalt columns of Hindu temples and the superstructures were built of arched brick
vaults and domes. Arches were not possible with bricks. So only small pointed arches were used which were
called ‘Drop Arch’.

Alluvial river delta region and hence no good building stones were available. Therefore, the primary
building material was brick. Building style developed from original bamboo and thatch construction.
Originally the roofs were curved so as to throw up the water bought in through incessant rains (Bengal roof).
The new form of roof were also curved but bamboo was replaced by brick. Thus there were curved
cornices or curved eaves

EKLAKHI TOMB, PANDUA

 The early 15th century Eklakhi Mausoleum in Pandua is thought to be that of Sultan Jalal al din
Muhammad Shah 1414-1432.
 To battle the incessant rains of Bengal, the typical cube and hemisphere tomb was modified with the
flat portions given a discernible slope to throw off rainwater. The tomb structure is suggestive of the
framework of traditional wood and wattle hut.
 The square brick tomb is massive, surmounted by a plain dome and decorated with carved brick.
Each of its four sides is pierced with a stone portal derived from Hindu forms.
 The interior is octagonal and crowned with a ribbed dome carried on eight squinches. There are three
tombs within

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  It forms a square roofed by a dome with a small turret at each corner.
 The walls are exquisitely ornamented in the exterior with terracotta, carved tiles and decorative motifs
on bricks.
 Tradition runs that this construction cost One lakh rupees so the name.
 Its dimensions are 22.8m x 22.8m. The inner diameter of the dome being 16m and the walls are 4m
thick. The entrance walls are ornamented by carved tiles and the ceiling of the dome is neatly
plastered and covered with ornamental work.
 Its interior is an octagon which is only lit through the four small doors. Over the entrance door is a lintel
with a Hindu idol carved on it, and round the door way are other stones on which may be detected
partial representations of the Hanuman figure, the original carvings must therefore have been of Hindu
origin.
 The brick tomb chamber, externally square with curved cornice, the octagonal corner towers, and an
entrance on each side, is internally converted into an octagon by thick brickwork left hollow at four
corners to accommodate four small cells; the dome rests on squinches carried on embedded stone
pillars. Once profusely embellished, the surface ornamentation bears traces of floral painting on
plaster in the interior and variety of terracotta and glazed tiles on the exterior.

ADINA MASJID, PANDUA:

 To commemorate the self-proclaimed freedom of Bengal from the delhi sultanate, sultan Sikandar
Shah (the second sultan of the Ilyas dynasty) built a huge Jami Masjid called Adina Masjid in 1369 - 73,
the Adina mosque is one of the largest mosques to be built in the subcontinent and the only hypostyle
mosque in Bengal.
 It is a rectangular, hypostyle structure, with an open central courtyard. Externally it measures 154.3 x
87m with the longer side running north-south, while the courtyard measures 130 x 45m. The longer side
of the courtyard faces west. It provided large proportion of covered area for prayer and for the
climatic conditions in Pandua, roofed halls were more comfortable than open courtyards.
 The prayer hall is located to the west and is divided into two symmetrical wings by a central nave that
was originally covered by a pointed barrel vault. The prayer hall is five aisles deep, while the north,
south and east cloisters around the courtyard consist of triple aisles.
 The interior of the courtyard is a continuous façade of 92 arches surmounted by a parapet, beyond
which the domes of the bays can be seen.
 It stands out because of its vast size and unique design, neither of which was repeated again.
 The main entrance of the mosque consists of three arches that open on the south-eastern corner.
 Another three small entrances are in the northwestern wall, two of which lead to the Badshah-ka-
takht, a private worship area for the kings and the ladies.
 The exterior of the west wall is faced with smooth blue-grey basalt up to a height of 3m and was
taken from the earlier Hindu building.

 Most of the upper part of the building - the arches and the domes - is of brick. At the corners of its
exterior walls are circular stone-faced, blind engaged turrets.
 The domes carried by triangular pendentives are now fallen except some on the northern cloisters of
the prayer chamber.
 The nave, much higher than the cloisters, was covered by a barrel vault, which because of its loftiness
dominated the whole structure.
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  The decorative aspects of the mosque can be ascertained from the structural design of the columns,
the pendentives, the mihrabs, the facial terracotta, ornaments of tiles, and the calligraphic inscriptions
that can still be noticed in broken condition.
 The subject matters of other non-calligraphic surface ornamentation are vegetal motifs of local
variety, rosettes, abstract arabesque designs, geometrical patterning, and designs of indescribable
complexities

DAKHIL DARWAZA, GAUR

 This impressive gateway built of brick was probably built by Sultan Barbak Shah (1459-74 AD) and
served as the main entrance on north into the citadel of Gaur. It was also called 'Salami Gate' as
salutes were fired from its sides.
 Made of small red bricks and terracotta work, this dominating structure is more than 21m high and
34.5m wide. Its four corners are topped with five-storey high towers. Once the main gateway to a fort,
it opens through the embankments surrounding it.
 The gateway represents the height of excellence that the brick masons of Bengal were capable of
achieving. The apex of the pointed arch, is flanked by a pylon like buttress, one on each side of the
frontage and guarding the portal.

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  The archway between the two pylons provides a deep and wide portico containing the arched
opening, which leads into a central vaulted passage, with a guard room on each side. The entire
structure has beautiful terracotta ornamentation and a guard example of the intermingling of Islamic
thought and regional characteristic features.
 The gateway built of bricks except the piers between the doorways, which are faced with stone up to
the springing of the arches and consists of a passage through the middle of the structure. On both
sides of the corridor are two guardrooms entered from the former through subsidiary entrances
numbering four on each side.
 The gateway arch projected in the form of an iwan portal, which is flanked on either side by massive
twelve-sided towers at the corners, which are in perfect harmony with the design, and speaks of a
gateway commensurable to the dignity and prestige of a great ruler.
 The decoration of the gateway is not profuse. The ornaments (consisting of Motifs such as flaming suns,
rosettes, hanging lamps, fretted borders etc) all in terracotta like other monuments of the time and
unlike the plain military Tughlaq architecture, consisted of string mouldings, at base levels, inset fret-
rings around the corner towers - all segmented with vertical offsets, window-shaped arched-panels
with hanging motifs inside and rosettes on the spandrels of arches.

BARA SONA MASJID, GAUR

• Bara Sona Masjid (Large golden mosque) was built in 1526AD by Sultan Nusrat Shah
• It is the largest Building standing in Gaur till date
• Its located along the western side of a raised quadrangle, with 11 arched openings facing an entrance
gateway and a lake
• Gateways to the east and north remain, forming an open entrance courtyard of 60.96m size
• It is a rectangular building; brick faced with stone, and measures 51.20m by 23.15m with the usual
octagonal towers at the corners.

• The three aisles mosque is deep with three additional entrances on the north and south sides, having thus
a total of forty-four domes built on pendentives carried by spacious rectangular columns.
• The gateways are similar, having a vaulted passage through the middle, and correspond to a roof,
curvilinear in form
• The verandah leads to a prayer hall of 3 x 11 bays. Parapet is 6m high
• The mosque is built of brick, faced in plain stone with no carvings.
• It is plain and almost devoid of ornamentation except perhaps the mihrabs, which being the most
important part could be imagined having been decorated profusely like all other mosques

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GUNMANT MASJID, GAUR
• It is located near the village Mahdipur on the bank of the Bhagirathi (the old Ganges)
• It is quadrangular in plan. Plan resembles the Adina mosque.
• 48m in length by 18m in breadth externally. Internally, it measures 44.50m in length by 13.65m in breadth.
• The western prayer chamber of the mosque is divided into three sections - a central nave and the side-
wings.
• Consisting of a ribbed barrel vaulted central nave resting on massive octagonal stone piers, three aisles
and four openings on either side, covered with 24 small domes.
• An arched window opening on the east allows light inside the vault
• Decorated with terracotta work in the interiors.
• Each of the side wings is divided into three longitudinal aisles by stone pillars and roofed over with nine
hemispherical brick domes.
• Due to incessant rains, the courtyard was redundant for long periods of rain. The sahn of the mosque was
not enclosed by the Liwan or riwaq or cloister.
• The outer peripheral wall was of massive brick masonry 2.7m thick and had stone pillars in the central
portions (From Hindu temples)
• Thus the Gunmant mosque in its plan (Like some eastern mosques) conforms to the early oblong great
mosque of Damascus, the mosque at Samarra, and the mosque of Abu Dulaf.
• The higher central nave, flanked by lower side wings, is the basic characteristic feature of the Gujarati
mosques.
• It is also believed to have dark blue and white coloured glazed tiles on the back and side walls
• The date of construction of the Gunmant mosque is not definitely known.
• But because of the mosques octagonal towers at the corners, curved battlement, highly decorated
terracotta art, terracotta imitation in stone, profuse use of glazed tiles and stone facing of the walls, it is
said to be in the era of Sultan Jalaluddin Fath Shah in 1484 AD.

GUJARAT (AHMEDABAD):
Ala-Ud-Din Khilji captured Karnavati, Gujarat and Islamic ideals spread across. Post Tughlaq dynasty,
Gujarat declared freedom from Delhi Sultanate. The Hindu art was highly evolved and Muslim rulers had no
choice but to suit themselves to the beautiful Gujarati style in preparation of their mosques and tombs.
Gujarat was under the reign of Jaina kings before the Muslim rulers.

Thus Hindu and / or Jaina craftsmen were left to practice structural methods themselves. The style which
prevailed in the kingdom included that of lavish large mantapas with pyramidal corbelled dome. The Sind
and ports of Gujarat were wealthy states under the Solanki domain. The greatest ruler in Ahmedabad was
Ahmad Shah (1411-42)

JAMI MASJID, AHMEDABAD:

 Built in 1424 by Bhamani ruler Ahmad Shah I (1411-1442), the Jami Masjid of Ahmedabad was probably
the largest mosque constructed on the Indian subcontinent at the time.
 382 x 258 ft (116 x 79m)
 Courtyard 75 x 66m
 Constructed with yellow sandstone
 The courtyard is entered from three gateways, one at the center of each side.
 There is a long rectangular ablution tank in the center. It is wrapped by a colonnade on three sides, with
the prayer hall occupying the western side.
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 The taller central chamber is flanked by two shorter archways and is entered from the tall arched portal
with a final bearing dome.
 Perforated stone screens are pierced into the pillars of the two framing bays. The portal is framed by two
columns, which are the remains of two lofty minarets ("shaking minarets") whose shafts were destroyed
by the earthquakes of 1819 and 1957.
 Minarets -Applied to the elevation, derived from Solanki piers
 Early progress – addidtion of minar turrets on either side of the central arch of the screen wall, inspired
from Tughlaq architecture.
 The decorative detail was unfamiliar and thus saw balcony like projections, brackets, capped with
miniature mandapa like roof form, the vertical architectonics of the Islamic motif was comprehended
differently, as part of the structure, rather than independent. Experimental, hence unstable.
 In essence followed the scheme of constructing a temple building and introducing it into the mosque
sanctuary as a central compartment.
 The solid, walled and buttressed central triple-arched composition is flanked by the airy lightness of
peristylar verandahs.

 The liwan consists of 300 slender tall pillars, rising through two tiers of flanking balconies.
 Mandapas were roofed by pyramidical corbelled domes held up over a string of columns, this unit was
multiplied to constitute hypostyle halls necessary for the liwan of the mosque.
 Fusion of vocabulary – introduction of the pointed arch and elimination of figurative sculpture
 The balconies provided a zenana, the domed roof added an Islamic quality, the volume with jaalis
provided light and ventilation in the hot dry climate.

 This central columned area is roofed by a large corbelled dome, resting over an octagonal ring of
columns, each of the eight faces being filled in with panels of jaalis.
 The domes are carried on 260 columns, which divide the space into fifteen bays or, three rows of five
square bays, each with a dome and decorated mihrab along a the qibla wall.
 The central nave rises up to three stories in height and is overlooked by balconies from the central
gallery enclosed by perforated screens. The inscription on the central mihrab commemorates the
mosque's completion on January 4, 1424, ascribing it to Sultan Ahmad Shah I.

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SARKHEJ ROZA, NEAR AHMEDABAD

 Like many monuments built during that period, the Sarkhej Roza fused both Muslim and Hindu principles
of architecture.
 While the ringed domes, the profusion of pillars and brackets follow the Islamic genre, much of the
ornamentation and motifs have Hindu designs.
 Most of the buildings do not have arches and depend on pierced stone trellises for stability.
 In its architecture, Sarkhej Roza is an example of the early Islamic architectural culture of the region,
which fused Islamic stylistic influences from Persia with indigenous Hindu and Jain features to form a
composite “Indo-Saracenic” architectural style.
 The mosque, with its courtyard, creates a religious milieu; the royal connection is made through the
tombs and palaces; the great tank, platforms and pavilions were used by the common man.
 Sarkhej Roza is a mosque and tomb complex located in the village of Makarba, 7 km south-west
of Ahmedabad.
 The complex is known as "Acropolis of Ahmedabad", due to 20th century architect Le Corbusier's famous
comparison of this mosque's design to the Acropolis of Athens.
 Although there are many rozas across Gujarat, the Sarkhej Roza is the most revered.

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 Sarkhej was once a prominent centre of Sufi culture, where influential Sufi saint Shaikh Ahmed Ganj Baksh
lived.
 It was on the saint's suggestion that Sultan Ahmed Shah set up his capital on the banks of the Sabarmati,
a few miles away from Sarkhej.
 Shaikh Ahmed, retired to Sarkhej in his later life and died here in 1445. In his honour a tomb, begun in
1445 by Muhammad Shah II, was fininshed in 1451, by his son Qutbuddin Ahmed Shah II.
 The next Sultan Mahmud Begada was fond of the place and expanded the complex greatly. He dug a
large Sarkhej lake, surrounded it with cut stone steps, built on its south-west corner a splendid palace,
and finally, opposite to the Ganj Baksh's tomb, raised a mausoleum for himself and his family, where he,
his son Muzaffar II and his queen Rajbai are buried.
 Across the courtyard on the left are two mausoleums with a connecting porch, the east mausoleum
containing the tombs of Mahmud Begada, and of his son Saltan Muzaffar ll, and the west, the tomb of
Rajbai, Muzaffar's queen.
 Beyond the Ganj Bakhsh mausoleum is a courtyard, covering more than an acre of ground, surrounded
by cloisters, with a mosque only slightly smaller than the Jama mosque.
 The Sarkhej lake covers 17 acres. Oblong in shape, it is surrounded by flights of stone steps, and has a
most richly decorated supply sluice.
 In the 17th century Sarkhej was so famous for its indigo that in 1620 the Dutch established a factory in the
village.

Vavs/ Stepwells/ Boalis

VAV/ BAWDI/ BAOLI/ BAWRI/ BAVADI = STEP WELLS
Gujarati and marwari: Vav, Hindi: Bawdi/ Baoli/ Bawri/ Bavadi
 Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian
subcontinent, and have been constructed since the 3000 BC.
 They evolved over time from what was basically a pit in sandy soil towards elaborate multi-storey works of
art and architecture
 They may be covered and protected or open to sky
 It can be multi-level/ multi storied and its prominently seen that water wheels were used to raise water in
the well to the upper levels
 Mainly seen in western regions of India (climatologically they were drier regions and scarcity of water
affected them the most especially during summers where the water levels receded and could not be
accessed in a typical open well ie to cope with the seasonal fluctuations in water availability)
 Stepwells mainly relate to a type of structure mainly constructed fro storage of water and as irrigation
tanks
 Main difference between a stepwell and water tank/well is that step wells made it easier for people to
reach the ground water and to maintain and manage the well
 Certain stepwells namely Johara wells used ramps to take cattle until the water level
 Stepwells originally were built for leisure as well as providing water
 It also provided relief from daytime heat as it was cooler down the well
 Stepwells exist in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya pradesh, Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka
 Stepwells can also be seen as a part of temple architecture as kalyanis and temple kunds

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VAVS OF GUJARAT

Adalaj Ni Vav, Near Ahmedabad

 A muslim ruler Mohd. Begda killed Rana Veer Singh in Adalaj area. He wanted to marry the slain ruler’s
wife. The widow put up a condition saying if the ruler constructed a 5-stroied vav she would marry him
 Adalaj Vav was completed apart from the dome. The queen inspected the completed vav and flung
herself into the stepwell and drowned
 The area had acute shortage of water and this vav supplied water all through out the year. It acted as
a resting place during summers
 The Adalaj well is on the northern side while its entrance is on the southern side.
 The total length of the step well is 73.15m. It has 3 entrances with 3 separate gates. It’s a five storied
structure. The entire platform of the well rests on 16 pillars
 Four shrines are built at the four corners of the well. It has 344 steps in all
 The level of water inside the well can vary based on the seasons and rains
 When you reach the lowest level an echo is formed
 Material used is sandstone
 The architecture is seen as an influence from solanki rules of Gujarat
 Islamic ornamentation co-exists with Hindu motifs. Buddhist and Jain influences are also seen on
certain columns and walls
 Opening on the ceiling enable light to reach only the landings. However direct sunlight never reaches
the steps .
 It is believed that the temperature difference between inside and outside is said to be 6 degrees

Rani Ni Vav, Patan, Gujarat

 Rani-ki-Vav, on the banks of the Saraswati River, was initially built as a memorial to a king by his queen in
the 11th century AD.
 In 11th century King Bimadeva I, the founder of the Solanki dynasty, died in about 1063, his wife,
Udayamati, intended to construct a huge stepwell as a philanthropic work in order to praise the
administrative achievement of the deceased.
 That is why it is referred to as Ranki Vav, or Queen’s Stepwell, which is the abbreviated form of Rani-ki-
Vav (Rani means Queen), and it is also called Rani Vav
 Rani-ki-Vav was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara
architectural style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and great beauty of detail and
proportions.

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 Designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, Rani-ki-Vav is a single-component,
water management system divided into seven levels of stairs and sculptural panels of high artistic and
aesthetic quality.

 It is oriented in an east-west direction and combines all of the principle components of a stepwell,
including a stepped corridor beginning at ground level, a series of four pavilions with an increasing
amount of storeys towards the west, the tank, and the well in tunnel shaft form.
 20m in width, 70m in length, and 28m in depth. The fourth level is the deepest and leads into a
rectangular tank 9.5 m by 9.4 m, at a depth of 23 m. The well is located at the westernmost end of the
property and consists of a shaft 10 m in diameter and 30 m deep.
 The Ranki Vav is overall disposed on an east-west axis, and gets the morning light on the equinox, which
falls upon the statue of Vishnu at the innermost wall of the well-shaft through the entrance Torana Arch.
 There are four pavilions with three lines of columns of seven spans, with each subsequent pavilion built in
more tiers in depth, providing cool rest floors to avoid the heat on the ground
 The arms from the circumference of the well-shaft are the cantilevered stone brackets from which to
hang the ropes of buckets
 Incidentally, the Ranki Vav is not composed in the way of Adalaj or Ahmadabad in a straight line of steps
but in a complicated manner; repeating one step forward and then several steps on the right and left.
 Therefore, the total length of the stepwell is rather short despite its large depth, almost the same 70m as
at Adalaj and Ahmadabad. This wide composition of steps recalls that of the great Kunda of Abaneri.
The Ranki Vav is fundamentally a stepwell but its composition of steps is rather more like a Kunda
(stepped cistern)

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BIJAPUR:
The main architectural influence for the builders in the south was from abroad. They were influenced by the
overseas Islamic countries across the Arabian Sea. Muslim cities like Bijapur, Bidar, Golconda were not built
around Hindu culture for political reasons and thus these cities were built afresh in new locations. Thus spoils
in the form of readymade Hindu building materials were not abundantly available. Foreign blooded Muslim
rulers of south did not want a repetition of Hindu oriented Islamic architecture of Gujarat. Workers from as far
as Persia and Turkey traveled by sea, to serve the Muslim regions in South India. It was alien, virile
architectural style injected into conservative Southern Hindu style. In 16 th cent AD, Adil Shahis of Bijapur ruled
over the south. Prior to the city of Bijapur, cities like Bidar and Gulbarga were built in 14 th Cent AD.

JAMI MASJID, BIJAPUR:

 The mosque is considered one of the finest architectural examples of the Adil Shahi period of Bijapur
(1490-1686) which became one of the local sultanates after 1518 when the Deccan based Bahmanids
were dissolved into five local sultanates.
 Construction of the mosque began in the city's eastern quarter, in 1576 under Ali Adil Shah I.
 It is the largest mosque of Bijapur. The main entrance gate is from the east, though the north gate is used
more frequently. The ground plan is a large rectangular structure measuring 150 x 80m with a square
courtyard of 50m.
 The mosque was never fully completed, its eastern wall and entrance gateway and minarets at the
corners being left unfinished.
 A passage from the eastern gate leads into the courtyard, which has fountains and a large reservoir in
the center.
 The arches of the gallery facing the courtyard have fine proportions and simple lines. The perimeter walls
are articulated on the exterior by two orders of superimposed arches. The lower ones are ornamental
while the upper ones form a continuous open gallery that runs along three sides of the mosque and
courtyard.
 The prayer hall on the west side has a façade of seven bays, each bay having an arched opening. The
arches are equal in size, while the central arch is delineated through delicate arabesque patterns in
stucco.

 The prayer hall is crowned by an elegant, well-proportioned dome. It has a diameter of 17.4m and rises
to 36.6m from the ground. The dome is given even greater vertical prominence by its small ornamental
balustrade at the base.
 The dome is capped by a metal terminal upholding the symbolic crescent that proclaimed the Adil
Shahi's dynasty Turkish origin.
 The interior of the mosque has refined clean lines with minimal decorative elements. The plan of the
prayer hall is a large and is divided into five bay that are parallel to the qibla wall. The roof is supported
by massive square piers.
 The exterior had arches at two levels, upper being the one to allow air and ventilation while the lower
being blind.
 The central bay is a square space of 25m. The mosque can accommodate 4,000 worshippers at a time.
The floor was divided, on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb, into 2,250 rectangular inlays that mimic
prayer rugs.
 When the mosque was built, it was conspicuous for its austerity of decoration. Ali Adil Shah I (r.1558-1580)
was Shi'ite and the sect preferred not to decorate in their places of worship. Muhammad Adil Shah
(r.1627-1656) was a Sunni and it was probably during his reign that the mihrab was also gilded and
decorated in black and gold.
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IBRAHIM RAUZA, BIJAPUR
 The Ibrahim-Rauza, built by Ibrahim 'Adil Shah II (1580-1627), consists of his tomb and mosque within a
square compound, both rising face to face from a common raised terrace, with a tank and fountain
between them.
 The complex consists of an area enclosed within a tall wall and entered via a monumental gateway
flanked by twin minarets.
 The mosque has a rectangular prayer-chamber, with a facade of five arches, shaded by the chhajja
and a slender minaret at each corner. Enclosed within a square fenestration rises the bulbous dome with
a row of tall petals at its base.

 The square tomb with double aisles around it, the inner one pillared, has similar features but is finer in
proportions. On the interior, each wall has three arches, all panelled and embellished with floral,
arabesque or inscriptional traceries.
 Persian architect Malik Sandal designed the rauza.
 Mosque and tomb – 35m side, square structures
 110 x 46m plinth, located in a 137m square, enclosing cloisters
 Tomb – 12m side enclosure with 2 concentric arcaded verandas
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 Stately arches similar to that of the Jami masjid
 Deep chajjas, ornamental parapet, bulbous dome – layered in embellished tiers and pinned with the
corner minarets rhythmic with the arches below.
 The 12m diameter dome rises over the sculptured base on a square stylobate of the inner chamber and
is set within a ring of large petal shaped merlons.
 In order to raise the dome to a satisfactory height, without creating a deep well of darkness in the
interior, the 12m square chamber is roofed at an intermediate level by an ingeniously crafted ceiling,
which is supported on 2m deep brackets.
 The whole complex is decorated with painted, inlaid and carved ornament in the form of flowers and
Arabic calligraphy.

GOL GUMBAZ, BIJAPUR

 The Gol Gumbaz is the mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah (r. 1627-1656) of the Adil Shahi dynasty of
Bijapur.
 ‘A square hall enclosed by four lofty walls, buttressed by octagonal towers at the corner , and the whole
surmounted by a hemispherical dome’
 It is simple Square tomb with the Interior side of square measuring 41.5m and the Exterior side of square
measuring 62.5m

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 The four walls are 3m thick and 33.5m high, the Octagonal buttress – 7.6m diameter & 45.7m high
 Hemispherical dome measures 44m diameter outside and 38m diameter inside
 The height of the building from the Apex to the ground level is 60.9m
 It is one of the biggest single chamber structures in the world and covers an area of 1,693 sqm
 In the center of the tomb chamber is a platform with the cenotaphs of Muhammad Adil, his youngest
wife Arus Bibi, his favorite daughter and a grandson.
 The main cenotaph is marked by an elaborate wooden baldachin. The real tombs are located below in
the basement and are accessed by a staircase under the western entrance.

Method of Intersecting Arches

 Smaller dome over larger cubical volume was sheer structural necessity.
 Geometric resolution
 There was no use of pendentives or quinches. Inscribing within the large square, two smaller overlapping
squares, by dividing each side of the large square into three equal divisions and joining together
alternate points of division.

x/3 x/3 x/3

 Eight points of intersection of the two smaller squares produced an octagon within the larger square of a
smaller size than the octagon produced merely by chamfering the corners of the square. The octagon
approximates the required circular plan of the dome.
 The location of the eight corners of the octagon in space was determined by erecting tall arches along
each of the sides of the intersecting squares.
 The points at which the arches intersected in the volume above the large square became the corners of
the octagonal platform over which a circular ring of masonry acting as the drum for the dome could be
erected.

Dome:
 Layers of brick masonry and a mixture of ballast and rich lime mortar.
 No scaffolding was used except for the section near the crown.
 Whispering gallery at the balcony level at the apex of the intersecting arches due to the circumference
of the dome being appropriate for a double echo.
 At the base of the dome elegant carved petals cover the drum
 Built of plastered rubble masonry, each exterior face of the cube displays three great blind arches.
 The central arch is wider than the others and is dressed with wooden panels with small rectangular
entrance and three rows of arched windows punched through.
 The cornice and parapet of the cube is the most articulated feature of the façade. The cornice rests on
highly carved stone corbels that project about 3m from the wall. The cornice supports the parapet which
has a row of arched openings and leaf-shaped merlons.
 The corner towers are incongruous with the rest of the mausoleum composition. They are divided into
seven floors with a projecting cornice and a row of arched openings marking each level. Each tower is
then capped by a majestic hemispheric dome with a ring of carved leaves around the base.
 Outer surfaces are of arches filled in with dull basalt and decorated plaster.

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TAJ BAULI, BIJAPUR
 There is a difference between an ordinary well and a bavadi. The essential difference is in the style of
construction. A bavadi is generally square-shaped and a passage runs along the entrance with halting
rooms at its left, right and in the front.
 In the smaller bavadis, there is no passage and no halting rooms, though some have steps on the side.
The parapet walls opposite the entrance are decorated with carved arches. In spite of these common
features, each bavadi differs from the other and is architecturally significant.
 Taj Bawdi or Taj Bauli is a water tank built by Ibrahim II in 1620 in the memory of his wife Taj Sultana. It is
located in the city of Bijapur.

 The well is 223 feet (68 m) in square and 52 feet (16 m) deep.
 The well has a 35 feet span majestic arch and is flanked by two octagonal towers. The eastern and
western wings of the tower formed rest houses for the travellers.
 A small platform from the archway leads you to the well. Flights of stairs on either sides of the platform
lead you to the water. There is a narrow gallery on the inner side of the four walls covered by arch
surfaces. The gallery passes through large rooms with lancet-shaped windows on all the three sides
except the front. The rooms were meant for the use of travellers
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 The parapet walls opposite to the entrance of the bawadi are decorated with carved arches
 It was considered as the primary source of water during Adil Shahi Dynasty. It is said that the Adil Shahis
had great indepth knowledge about rain water harvesting
 The water is supplied to the inner parts of the cities through tunnels to Bawadis by collecting the water
from the hills outside Bijapur city

MEHTAR MAHAL, BIJAPUR

 Mehtar Mahal is dated to 1620
 It is a three storey structure
 It has two slender minarets that are covered with delicately carved birds and rows of swans.
 The carvings are in Hindu architectural style, in the form of brackets supporting the balconies and stone
trellis work
 The building has a flat roof and minarets have a dome top.

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