Nationalist Movement

-Started in mid 19th century

-Result of English education making itself felt amongst the wealthier class of I
ndian on the one hand, and the efforts of indigenous reformers on the other, who
felt that
Indian traditional culture and customs were in danger of being wiped out by Euro
pean culture
-First group: increasing modernity and appropriation of the industrial, financia
l and governmental institutions of the West as a way for India to catch up with
the developed world
-Second group: militate for a return to traditional values and culture systems a
s the path for India to recover her lost glory
-Known as the Modernist Movement and Swadeshi/Revivalist Movement
Shantiniketan, Rabindranath Tagore s school of art
-The school buildings have eclectic origins, ranging from Buddhist gateways and
columns to Mughal and Rajput style window openings, even though the floor plan d
esigns themselves remain far
more functional
Sabarmati Ashram, Gandhi
-The Sabarmati Ashram at Ahmedabad is a very representative example.
-Here, the buildings emulate those in a simple village, with mud and brick const
ruction, low thatched roofs and sometimes even straw mats for doors and windows.
-Open spaces between the huts and buildings continue the metaphor of village lif
e, as did Gandhi s insistence on self-sufficiency and dignity of labor.
Sris Chandra Chatterjee
-a pastiche of traditional symbology and elements stuck on the facades of fairly
functional structures
-buildings contained visibly identifiable symbols from the past
-In 1940, Chatterjee was one of the patrons of the All India League of Indian Arc
hitecture , which had strong ideological roots in the architectural styles of Shan
tiniketan and Sabarmati Ashram.
-earch for a specifically Indian Architecture and among its aims were to write tex
tbooks and manuals to further hone the skills of people who already had a backgr
ound in
construction or the arts (for example architects, engineers and painters)
Laxmi Narayan Temple
-three-storied temple
-built in the northern or Nagara style of Hindu temple architecture
-entire temple is adorned with carvings depicting the scenes from Hindu theology
-The highest shikhara of the temple above the sanctum sanctorum is about 160 fee
t high.
-The temple faces the east and is situated on a high plinth.
-The shrine is adorned with fresco paintings depicting his life and work.
-The icons of the temple are in marble brought from Jaipur.
-Kota stone from Makarana, Agra, Kota and Jaisalmer were used in the constructio
n of the temple premises.
-Artificial landscape and cascading waterfalls add to the beauty of the temple
Arya Dharma Sangha Dharamsala at Sarnath
Benares Hindu University
-Based on Vedic Principles

-The campus layout approximates a semicircle, with intersecting roads laid out a
long the radii or in arcs.
-Buildings built in the first half of the 20th century are fine examples of Indo
-Gothic architecture.
-The most prominent landmark is the Shri Vishwanath Mandir, located in the centr
e of the campus.