Ch 3 A Journey Through Indian Architecture Notes Class 8

Exploring Society: India and Beyond
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Social Science Textbook for
Grade 8 | Part 2

Notes
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Chapter 3

“Ch 3 A Journey Through Indian Architecture Notes” is based on the NCERT textbook for class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond.

The Beginnings …

Harappan Architecture

Key Features:
⁘ Carefully laid-out cities
⁘ Standardised urban concepts
Strong focus on:
● ● ● ● Drainage
● ● ● ● Water management
● ● ● ● Civic organisation

Building Material
⁘ Most built with Bricks
⁘ Reason: located in alluvial plains → clay was abundant

Mohenjo-daro

⁘ Location: present-day Sindh, Pakistan
⁘ Wide streets + narrow lanes, roughly aligned to cardinal directions
⁘ Bathing area
⁘ Efficient network of drains
⁘ Large house plan shows:
● ● ● ● Servants → lived downstairs
● ● ● ● Owners → lived upstairs (less dust/noise exposure)

Dholavira

⁘ Location: Rann of Kachchh
⁘ precise urban planning
⁘ Extensive use of stone (locally available)
⁘ “Castle” → city’s highest and most fortified area
● ● ● ● Smooth stone block surfaces
● ● ● ● Large sentinel room
● ● ● ● Stone pillars

Structural Stupa Architecture

Origin:
⁘ 4th–3rd century BCE
⁘ Rise of Buddhism

What is a Stupa?

⁘ Stupa → dome-shaped structure housing relics of the Buddha or revered monks
⁘ Built using bricks or stone

Features of Larger Stupas:
⁘ Became complex ritual centres
⁘ Included:
● ● ● ● Railings (Vedikā)
● ● ● ● Gateways (Toraṇa)
⁘ Carved panels (narrating episodes from Buddha’s life)

Symbolic Representation of Buddha:
⁘ Buddha not shown in human form
⁘ Represented symbolically through:
● ● ● ● Footprints
● ● ● ● Wheel of dharma
● ● ● ● The stupa itself

Important Examples

1. Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh):

⁘ By Aśhoka
⁘ Earliest religious stone architecture
⁘ Entry through toraṇas
⁘ Circumambulates stupa within vedikā

2. Bharhut (Madhya Pradesh):

⁘ Stupa worship depicted here on panels
⁘ Enclosed by carved stone railings
⁘ Bears inscriptions recording names of donors

Beyond Buddhism:
⁘ Stupas also common in Jainism
⁘ Found in diverse dimensions and shapes
⁘ Found in Indian and abroad

Rock-Cut Architecture

Meaning:
⁘ Rock-cut architecture → efficient, durable construction method for religious communities
⁘ Builders carved directly into rock
⁘ Created caves for:
● ● ● ● Worship
● ● ● ● Residence
● ● ● ● Assembly

Udayagiri–Khandagiri:
⁘ Location: near Bhubaneswar, Odisha
⁘ 2nd century BCE
⁘ Built under royal patronage
⁘ Among India’s first rock-cut cave complexes
⁘ Caves for Dwellings for Jain monks
⁘ One cave shelters Khāravela’s inscription

Maharashtra Rock-Cut Complexes:
⁘ Many rock-cut cave complexes
⁘ Notable sites: Ajanta and Ellora

Water Structures

Cause of Development

⁘ Monsoon-driven climate of India → development of structures for:
● ● ● ● Harvesting
● ● ● ● Storage
● ● ● ● Distribution of water
⁘ Tradition spans several millennia

Types of Water Structures

⁘ Range from simple → village pond
⁘ To sophisticated → Grand Anicut
⁘ Diversity due to different geological, climatic, environmental conditions

Harappan Water Structures

⁘ Dholavira → large reservoirs
⁘ Harappans invented collapse-proof wells
● ● ● ● Used trapezoid-shaped bricks that lock together
● ● ● ● Prevented inward collapse

Shringaverpur (Uttar Pradesh)

⁘ Known as Śhringaverapura in the Rāmāyaṇa
⁘ Place where Rāma, Sītā, Lakṣhmaṇa crossed the Ganga
⁘ Large interconnected reservoirs
⁘ First reservoir allowed suspended silt to settle

Wells

⁘ Constructed from: bricks, stones, or terracotta rings
⁘ Built in many sizes and shapes

Stepwells (Vāvs / Bāorīs)

⁘ Gujarat and Rajasthan
⁘ Engineering marvels + works of art
⁘ Rani ki Vav → multiple pillared levels, hundreds of magnificent statues
⁘ Functions:
● ● ● ● Harvesting & storing rainwater
● ● ● ● Social space — people could sit, cool off, exchange news

Temple Water Reservoirs (Puṣhkariṇīs)

⁘ Attached to temples
⁘ Used for:
● ● ● ● Water harvesting
● ● ● ● Water-based rituals
⁘ Often works of art with numerous stairway

Classical Temple Architecture

Types of temple architecture:
Buddhist, Jain, Hindu

Functions of Temples

Origin & Construction Principles

⁘ Classical temples origin → Gupta era
⁘ Built through:
● ● Royal patronage (evidenced by inscriptions)
● ● Endowments from donors
⁘ Construction followed śhilpaśhāstra → discipline of arts & crafts (architecture + sculpture)

Main Components | Temple Layout

➢ Main alignment: east–west
➢ Garbhagṛiha faces east

Temple Philosophy

⁘ Temple planned (horizontally + vertically) as representation of human body (Puruṣha / cosmic being)
⁘ Vertical equivalence:
● ● ● Top of śhikhara/vimāna = head
● ● ● Base platform = feet
⁘ Temple = symbol of our own being + the cosmos
⁘ Temple Worship as Journey
Outer World (before entrance) → Crossing Entrance → Inner World → Garbhagṛiha → mirrors own spiritual journey

Historical Growth of Temples

⁘ 8th–9th century → temples modest in size
⁘ 10th century onward:
⁘ Grew in scale
● ● ● ● Multiple shrines
● ● ● ● Amenities
● ● ● ● Enclosures (Prākāras)
● ● ● ● Became vast complexes
⁘ Examples : Kandāriyā Mahādeva Temple (Khajuraho), Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

Important Temples

Bṛihadīśhvara Temple (Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu)

⁘ Built by Rājarāja Chola I, around 1010 CE
⁘ Vast maṇḍapas
⁘ Huge vimāna, over 60 metres high
⁘ Massive Nandi statue
⁘ Intricate granite carvings and sculptures
⁘ Dedicated to Śhiva

Lingarāja Temple (Bhubaneswar, Odisha)

⁘ Built in 11th century
⁘ Dedicated to Śhiva
⁘ Has three large maṇḍapas
⁘ Built sandstone and laterite stone
⁘ Rich in ornate carvings

Dilwara Temples (Mount Abu, Rajasthan)

⁘ Group of five Jain temples
⁘ Built between 11th–13th centuries
⁘ Built by Solanki (Chaulukya) dynasty
⁘ Made of white marble
⁘ Delicate carvings: Jain tīrthankaras, deities, dancers, musicians, ornamental patterns

Bishnupur Terracotta Temples (West Bengal)

⁘ Built in 17th–18th centuries
⁘ Different style: brick structures
⁘ Surface decorations on square panels
⁘ Themes: Rādhā, Kṛiṣhṇa, Rāma, scenes from everyday life
⁘ Terracotta panels: hand-carved, then fired in a kiln

Construction Expertise

⁘ Required: skilled architects, engineers, craftsmen, large manpower, sculptors
⁘ Elaborate construction techniques
⁘ Recent studies show planning involved mathematics, especially advanced geometry
⁘ Comparable to :
● ● ● ● Egypt’s pyramids/temples
● ● ● ● Athens’ Parthenon
● ● ● ● Europe’s Gothic cathedrals

The Architecture of Mosques

Meaning & Purpose

⁘ Mosques → places of worship for followers of Islam, used for prayer gathering
⁘ Also serve as:
● ● ● ● Centres for religious education
● ● ● ● Community gatherings
● ● ● ● Lectures and discussions

Main Features

⁘ Prayer hall towards Mecca
⁘ Larger mosques often include:
● ● ● ● One or several domes
● ● ● ● Minarets (towers) on either side of domes
● ● ● ● Muezzin makes call to prayer from minaret

Jama Masjid

⁘ Jama = “gathering/assembly”;
⁘ Masjid = “mosque”
⁘ Large mosques holding Friday prayers = Jama Masjid

Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)

⁘ Built by Sultan Ahmed Shah I in the 15th century
⁘ Material: yellow sandstone
⁘ Blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural elements
⁘ Facade features:
● ● ● ● Elegant arches
● ● ● ● Bases of two minarets
⁘ Features:
● ● ● ● Intricate stone jālis (latticed screens)
● ● ● ● Pillars similar to temple style (undecorated)
● ● ● ● Detailed carvings
⁘ Construction help → local Hindu and Jain artisans, masons, stone carvers

Indo-Islamic Architecture

⁘ Blends Islamic building traditions with Indian craftsmanship
⁘ Common features:
● ● ● ● Domes
● ● ● ● Arches (pointed and corbelled)
● ● ● ● JālisFloral motifs
⁘ Rajasthan integration:
● ● ● ● Jharokhās (overhanging balconies)
● ● ● Chhatrīs (pavilion domes)

Jama Masjid, Delhi

⁘ India’s largest mosque
⁘ Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, mid-17th century
⁘ Built after capital moved from Agra to Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi)
⁘ Material: red sandstone with white marble decorations
⁘ Features:
● ● ● Three large entrances
● ● ● Two 40-metre tall minarets
● ● ● Three large domes
● ● ● Red-stone courtyard
● ● ● Walls/arches decorated with calligraphy (verses from the Qur’an)

Forts and Palaces

Purpose of Forts

⁘ Protected kingdom from invaders
⁘ Strategically located:
● ● ● Near important land or sea routes
● ● ● Often atop a hill → for viewing plains
⁘ Accommodated:
● ● ● Residences → ruling and military classes
● ● ● Sometimes an entire city
⁘ Some forts had royal palace → forts & palaces together

Mehrangarh Fort (Rajasthan)

⁘ Construction : mid-15th century
⁘ Expanded by Rajput rulers
⁘ Overlooks Jodhpur
⁘ Material: red sandstone
⁘ Palace within fort complex includes:
● ● ● Areas for royalty
● ● ● Separate quarters for men and women
● ● ● Staff quarters
● ● ● Stables and barracks

Agra Fort (Red Fort, Agra)

⁘ Originally made of brick
⁘ Akbar rebuilt it making Agra his capital
⁘ Designed to include:
● ● ● Palaces and gardens
● ● ● Living quarters
● ● ● Halls for public and private audiences
● ● ● Servants’ quarters
⁘ Name from red sandstone from Dholpur, Rajasthan
⁘ Shah Jahan (Akbar’s grandson):
● ● ● Fond of marble
● ● ● Replaced many sandstone buildings with marble
● ● ● Imprisoned until death by his son Aurangzeb
● ● ● Built three mosques

Orchha Fort-Palace Complex (Madhya Pradesh)

⁘ Built: mid-16th century
⁘ Built by: Bundela Rajput kings
⁘ Location: banks of river Betwa
⁘ Three main palaces:
● ● ● Raja Mahal
● ● ● Jahangir Mahal
● ● ● Rai Praveen Mahal
Jahangir Mahal:
● ● ●Built to commemorate Emperor Jahangir’s visit
● ● ●Blend of Rajput and Mughal architectural styles
● ● ●Ornate chambers, intricate stone carvings, courtyards
⁘ Complex includes chhatrīs (parasol-shaped cenotaphs) on riverbank
⁘ Connected to town’s Ram Raja Temple

Mysuru Palace (Amba Vilas Palace)

⁘ Style: Indo-Saracenic architecture
⁘ Residence of Wadiyar dynasty
⁘ Symbol of Mysuru’s royal heritage
⁘ Present structure built early 20th century (previous destroyed by fire)
⁘ Features:
● ● ● Carved wooden doors
● ● ● Ornate ceiling paintings
● ● ● Stained-glass windows
● ● ● Golden throne (Singhāsana) — displayed during Dasara festiva

Tombs and Mausoleums

Religious Background:
⁘ Islam and Christianity → dead are buried
⁘ Mausoleum → grand building housing a tomb
⁘ Often built for:
● ● ● Prominent rulers
● ● ● Royal household members
● ● ● Renowned mystics
⁘ Political statement — to show greatness of royalty/dynasty

Other Faiths:
⁘ Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism → dead generally cremated
⁘ No ancient tombs of rulers
⁘ Medieval era: cenotaphs appeared (esp. Rajasthan, central India)
● ● ● Marked places where a king/family member was cremated
● ● ● Example: seen at Mehrangarh Fort (chhatrīs)

Architectural Features

⁘ Elegant Strict symmetry (extends to surrounding gardens)
⁘ Common features:
● ● ● Arches
● ● ● Floral motifs
● ● ● Latticework
● ● ● Calligraphy (Qur’an verses)

Humayun’s Tomb (Delhi)

⁘ Delhi
⁘ Commissioned by: Bega Begum (Humayun’s wife)
⁘ Year: 1558
⁘ Designed by: Persian architects
⁘ Brought Persian aesthetics
⁘ Has tombs of several Mughals, including Dara Shikoh

Taj Mahal (Agra)

⁘ Built by: Shah Jahan
⁘ Period: mid-17th century
⁘ Purpose: mausoleum for queen Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb
⁘ Material: marble
⁘ Walls: inlay work — colourful stones + marble = floral designs
⁘ White marble change colours with sunlight

Confluence of Three Cultures

Traditional Houses

Common General Design

⁘ Houses of richer classes
⁘ Central courtyard, with rooms around
⁘ One or several storeys
⁘ Similar design → Harappan houses

Havelis of Shekhawati (Rajasthan)

⁘ Havelis = traditional mansions
⁘ Located in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region
⁘ Features:
● ● ● Central courtyard
● ● ● Decorations, painted frescoes
⁘ Homes of: nobility and rich merchant class
⁘ Present day: difficult to maintain / too large for modern families
⁘ Converted into hotels or museums

Chettinadu Houses (Tamil Nadu)

⁘ Merchant community — traded rice, spices, gems with Southeast Asia
⁘ Construction materials:
● ● ● Teakwood from Burma
● ● ● Marble from Italy
⁘ Craftsmen worked on frescoes and artistic elements
⁘ Some houses are palace-like
⁘ Adapted to local climate and environment
⁘ Central courtyard used for:
● ● ● Rituals
● ● ● Community gatherings
● ● ● Sun-drying pāpads and chillies

Churches in India

First churches built in coastal areas of Kerala

Architectural Styles

⁘ Some classic European styles
⁘ Some Local architectural traditions

Important Examples

St. Philomena’s Cathedral (Mysuru)

⁘ Style: Gothic
⁘ Period: colonial period
⁘ Foundation stone by: Maharaja Krishnarajendra Wadiyar (Mysore)

St. Thomas Orthodox Church (Mulanthuruthy, near Kochi, Kerala)

⁘ Feature: Stambha (flag post) in front
⁘ Stambha → borrowed from temple architecture

Kalloopara Church (Travancore, Kerala)

⁘ Rebuilt in the 18th century
⁘ Sloped tiled roof → typical of Kerala architecture
⁘ Interior features:
● ● ● Oil lamps
● ● ● Traditional wooden roof

Colonial Architecture

Indo-Saracenic Architecture

⁘ Colonial style
⁘ Flourished during: British Ra

Blend of Styles

⁘ Combined elements of:
● ● ● Islamic
● ● ● Hindu
● ● ● Gothic

Key Features:

⁘ Domes
⁘ Pointed arches
⁘ Minarets : Intricate decorative patterns
⁘ Inspired by Mughal and Rajput traditions

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FAQs: Ch 3 A Journey Through Indian Architecture Notes