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Mauryan Architecture – 300 – 400 BC

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Table of Contents hide
1 Mauryan art is classified based on initiative
2 Court Art
2.1 Pillars
2.1.1 Purpose of Pillars
2.1.2 Difference between Mauryan and Achaemanian Pillars
2.1.3 Imp Pillars
2.2 Stupas
2.2.1 Structure of Stupa
2.2.2 Imp. Stupas
3 Popular Art
3.1 Caves

Mauryan art is classified based on initiative

It represented an important transition in Indian art from use of wood and clay to stone

  1. Court Art - State Initiative
    1. Pillars
    2. Stupas
  2. Popular Art - Individual Initiative
    1. Caves
    2. Sculpture
    3. Pottery

Court Art

Pillars

  • Capital crowned by Animal Figures - Bull, Lion & Elephant
  • Different types of Abacus - Round, rectangular, square
  • Abacus - Buddhists Edicts Inscribed in Abacus and sometimes in shaft
  • Capital Base - Bell or inverted lotus shaped - Achaemenian/Persian/Iranian influence
  • Shaft/Pillar - Highly Polished - Achaemenian/Persian/Iranian Influence
  • Freestanding
  • Monolithic
  • Chunar(place in Bihar) sandstone
Sarnath Lion Capital

Purpose of Pillars

  1. Symbol of State
  2. To declare Victory
  3. To spread moral ideas

Difference between Mauryan and Achaemanian Pillars

MauryanAchaemanian
MonolithMultiple Stones
Independently ErectedErected with other structures

Imp Pillars

Sarnath Pillar - Lion Capital

  • Emblem of GOI
  • Four roaring Lion
  • Abacus - Round + 4 dharma chakra or wheels of law + alternating with Elephant, Bull, Horse, Lion

Bull Capital - Rampura (Bihar)

  • Mixture of Persian and Indian Elements
  • Abacus - Non-Indian = motifs of rosette, palmette, acanthus ornaments

Stupas

  • Structure covering the relics of Buddha and other Buddha related things
  • Concept of stupa started during Vedic period
  • After Buddha died 9 stupas were constructed - 8 over relics and 1 over the pot in which the relics where kept
  • But during Ashoka's time, the relics were dug out and further divided to construct new stupas
  • Maximum stupas were constructed by Asoka - 84,000

Structure of Stupa

  • Chhatri - 3 Chhatras - represents Triratna
    • Buddha - (enlightened)
    • Dharma - (doctrine)
    • Sangha - (order)
  • Anda - hemispherical dome
  • Vedika - Railings to pradhakshinapath
  • Medhi - circular base with the enclosed walls or Vedika
    • For Circumambulation - Pradakshinapath
  • Torana - Ornamental Gateway
  • Sculptures engraved in Torana and Medhi
  • Core of stupa - unburned bricks
  • Outer surface - burnt bricks with lime plaster
Stupa with upper & lower pradakshinapathas or circumambulatory passage
Sanchi Stupa with two pradakshinapathas or circumambulatory passage

Imp. Stupas

  1. Bodhgaya Stupa (BH) - Buddha attained enlightenment
  2. Sanchi Stupa (MP) - Depicts 4 events of Buddha - birth, enlightenment, Dharmachakrapravartana(1st sermon), Mahaparinirvan( nirvana after death ) - carving of shalabhanjika yakshi
  3. Amravati Stupa (AP) - White Marble - Jataka Stories
  4. Bharhut Stupa (MP) - carving of yaksha & yakshini
  5. Nagarjunakonda Stupa (AP) - Buddha entering womb in the form of white elephant and his birth
  6. Piprahawa Stupa (UP) - Oldest surviving stupa

Popular Art

Caves

  • Begining of rock-cut architecture - other rock-cut architectures include temples, sculptures like Dhauli or elephant ...etc
  • Features
    • Polished interior of caves
    • Ornamental Gateways
  • 7 sister Caves - earliest caves by Ashoka
    • Barabar Caves in Barabar Hills - 4 caves - older
      • karan Chaupar
      • Lomas Rishi
      • Sudama
      • Visva Zopri
    • Nagarajuni Caves - smaller and new
      • Gopi-ka-kuha
      • Vadhiti-ka-kuba
  • Vapiya-ka-kubha