The Great Indian Architecture - Frontline +

CCRT exclusive

rohit1681 March 13

Guys,
Needless to say that culture and environment has been a bane for Prelims
examination. Most of us tend to take the highway route on culture and let it
go. Last year (IAS 2014), we had some very whacky architecture (temples, shrines, holy
places) based questions which sent most of us looking for a cover!
Frontline's March issue has a very nice story done on Indian Architecture by
Binoy K. Behl. He is a film-maker, art historian and photographer from India,
who lives in New Delhi. I am trying to make it a bit more palatable to our senses so
that we may find something interesting about these grand old heritage point and
remember when we face the UPSC monster!
But first, a few last years' (CSAT 2014) questions which begged us to take
notice Q1. Match the Famous shrine & Location
1. Tabo monastery and temple complex - Spiti Valley?
2. Lhotsava Lhakhang temple, Nako - Zanskar Valley?
3. Alchi temple complex - Ladakh?
Hint - There is no way in hell we could have remembered this! But there was an article
in Frontline where it said that Lhotsava Lhakhang, Nako is in Himachal Pradesh. Zanskar
Valley is in Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore #2 is wrong pair.
Link - http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2921/stories/20121102292106100.htm

Q2. With reference to the cultural history of India, the term Panchayatan
refers to

1. an assembly of village elders

2. a religious sect
3. a style of temple construction
4. an administrative functionary
Hint - http://ccrtindia.gov.in/templearchitecture.php
Panchayatana a temple that has a central shrine surrounded by four other shrines.
I hope if we can generate a wee bit of interest towards these might structure
or places by knowing stories around, it will stay with us for long! I am
planning to pour in juicy bits from Frontline... Let me know if someone can
take up CCRT as well.
The aim is to make it as "less boring" as we can
Let's start with Buddha and related places - This is UPSC's favorite.
Mahabodhi temple, Bodhgaya Bihar

1. This temple was built in mid 5th century AD at the site where Buddha gained
enlightenment. It is the OLDEST standing GRAND structure in India.
2. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-hien recorded that the site contained several statues and
monuments. (Just in case they ask which Chinese banda had visited the place?)

3. In 2002, UNESCO declared the Mahabodhi Temple a World Heritage Site.

4. This is one of the 4 holiest places for Buddhists.
The other 3 are Lumbini : Nepal
Sarnath : Uttar Pradesh, India
Kushinagar : Uttar Pradesh, India
What's so big about Kushinagar? We have the Mahaparinirvana Temple at this
place.
In Buddhism, the term parinirvana is commonly used to refer to nirvana-after-death,
which occurs upon the death of the body of someone who has attained nirvana during
their lifetime.
Buddha's death is called Mahaparinirvana.
Speaking of Kushinagar, here is the temple's pic (The gilded statue). See how the
mighty Buddha relaxes like a boss.

Did you know? Kushinagar finds mention in epic Ramayan as the city of Kusha the son
of Ram, the famous king of Ayodhya.
Anyway, moving on. Let's discuss a hybrid temple - The Apsidal Durga Temple

1. The early Chalukya kings built the temples during the fifth and eighth centuries.

2. Geographically, this region (Aihole in Karnataka) is a gateway between north and

southern regions of India & so ideas from different parts of the country were
simultaneously used.
So how did it affect the shape and architecture?
1. The Durga temple is an apsidal temple.
2. Apse is a part of a building, usually the rear that is semicircular in plan.
3. This shape is also called gajaprastha meaning a shape that resembles the back
of an elephant.
4. Some historians think that apsidal form is of a Buddhist origin. But this is disputed.
I have an older article saying that it was a pre-existing pan indian style of architecture
BUT Binoy Behl mentions that it is inspired from Buddhist culture.
5. The vimana or tower over the sanctum is of the north Indian style.
PS - Interestingly, the name Durga is misleading. The temple is not dedicated to
Goddess Durga but to Surya.

Speaking of Kushinagar, here is the temple's pic (The gilded statue). See how the
mighty Buddha relaxes like a boss.

Did you know? Kushinagar finds mention in epic Ramayan as the city of Kusha the son
of Ram, the famous king of Ayodhya.

The gilded statue is of Parinirvana. It is the completed nirvana, usually understood to

be within reach only upon the death of the body of someone who has attained complete
awakening ( bodhi ). It is the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice. No re-birth after this ,
free from the cycle of re-incarnation.

An incessant toska :|

rohit1681 March 13

^ Okay. That makes sense. Also The parinirvana of the Buddha is described in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. Because of
its attention to detail, thisTheravada sutta, though first committed to writing
hundreds of years after his death, has been resorted to as the principal
source of reference in most standard studies of the Buddha's life.
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rohit1681 March 13

Moving on to Sanchi - the oldest extant Buddhist sanctuary. Although it is said

that Buddha never visited the site during any of his former lives or during his earthly
existence.

1. It would be safe to assume that we all know about the Great Stupa that is located at
Sanchi Town in Raisen District of M.P. - It is the oldest STONE structure + was
commissioned by Emperor ASHOKA.
2. Stupa 1 = Great Stupa (erected by Ashoka's queen)
3. After Ashokan times - more structure was added by Sunga and AndhraSatvahanas
4. From the second to fourth century AD Sanchi and Vidisha came under the Kushanas
and Kshatrapas and subsequently passed on to the hands of the Guptas.
The Gupta kings built some temples as well & so Sanchi displays harmonious coexistence of Hindu and Buddhist faiths.
Fun fact - When it was discovered in 1818 by General Taylor, Sanchi had lain
abandoned for 600 years - was overrun with vegetation! Excavations began in

somewhat disorganized fashion until the Archaeological Survey of India stepped in and
took control.
PS - The Archaeological Survey of India was eventually formed in 1861 by a statute
passed into law by Lord Canning with Alexander Cunningham as the first
Director-General.
Links http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_sanchi.asp
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/524
Let's turn to a temple which was in news just about a day ago @ The Hindu.
The Virupaksha Temple in Hampi

1. This temple is located on the south bank of the river Tungabadra. Its an important
pilgrimage centre for the worshipers of Lord Shiva (virupaksha)
2. The Ministry of Culture has chosen Hampi and 24 other monuments in the
country to be granted Adarsha Smaraks tag.
3. Adarsh Smarak tag is given to the monuments which have highest number of
tourists visiting besides giving them special attention in order to boost international
tourism.
4. Virupaksha is part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, designated a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Few words on the temple's architecture 1. The progressively diminishing superstructure is made with brick and mortar.
2. Krishnadevaraya, one of the famous kings of the Vijayanagara Empire was a
major patron of this temple.
3. The central pillared hall is believed to be his addition to this temple.

Link - http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/vittala-virupaksha-templesmay-get-adarsh-smarak-tag/article6986291.ece
The grandeur of Pallavas - Shore temple & Kailasanatha Temple
Shore Temple, Mamallapuram, TN

1. Shore Temple comprises three shrines, mainly dedicated to Lord Vishnu and
Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu resting on the Sheshnaga!
2. The Shore Temple overlooks the Bay of Bengal (Mamallapuram was the port city of
Kanchipuram, the Pallava capital).
3. Shore Temple is also acknowledged for being the first stone structure made by
Pallavas.
4. Before this, the monuments used to be carved out of the rocks or stones.
PS - The temple was designed to grasp the first rays of the rising sun and to spotlight
the waters after sunset. In the words of Percy Brown, Shore Temple served as "a
landmark by day and a beacon by night".

Picking up on the Kailasanatha temple.

You would be reasonably awed to know that this famous temple was built for personal

worship of Narsimha Varman || (Pallava ruler). The same ruler who built the Shore
temple.

Reminds me of "She sells sea shells on the sea shore ". We can associate Shore and
Kailasanatha with Pallava by a mnemonic now
1. The structure contains 58 small shrines which are dedicated to various forms of
Shiva (Gangadhar Shiva - Ganga bearing Shova)
2. The temple was built at Kancheepuram - The pallava capital city.
3. The temple has a circumambulatory passage. It is believed that making the
circumambulation round the various deities would usher the same blessings as visiting
paradise. rohit1681 March 14
The Monolothic temples of Mahabalipuram

1. Also called the Pancha Ratha (but that's more like a misnomer).
2. The naming of these ratha, after Pandavas and their wife, the heroes of epic
Mahabharata, is simply a local tradition.
3. They are the unique contribution of the Pallavas to Indian Art.
At this point, since we have studied about Pallava architecture in this thread, let's
pause over the richness of their architectural prowess On the basis of their architecture, temples can be classified into three broad types cave
temples, monolithic temples carved out of a single rock, and structural stone temples.

Most of the temples found in Mamallapuram were built by Rajasimha. We learnt

about the Shore temple (Vishnu and Shiva) & Kailasanatha Temple (Gangadhar Shiv).
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rohit1681 March 14
Kashmir chalo! While we are on Lord Shiva, let's quickly go up north Siva Temple, Pandrethan (near Srinagar)

1. Pandrethan - located 5 km from the present Srinagar. It was the ancient Srinagari
established by Asoka Maurya in the 3rd century BC. Asoka was a Hindu then
and had not embraced Buddhism then.
2. The arches seen here were derived from Gandhara & the triangular gables
are reminiscent of Byzantine & Syrian buildings.
3. It is a square temple with a pyramidal roof. There are some sculptures, one
representing Lakulisa with a Lakuda (Shaft) in hand. This tells that its a Shiva temple.
PS - The temple is now under an Army cantonment. It is being protected by the Indian
Army due to its historical significance and they maintain it.
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Moving ahead with the temple business... While we are still around Kashmir, Binoy
Behl helps us explore another marvelous piece of history!

The majestic Martand Sun temple

Let's get started with a masala fact first. Remember the movie Haider?
A committee of displaced Kashmiri Pandits has sought a ban on the film. WHY? The
song Bismil has portrayed the ancient Martand Temple (Sun Temple) of Kashmir as the
den of devil.
1. The Sun Temple, build in 370 AD, has historic and religious significance for the Hindu
community as it is one of the only two Sun Temples in India, with the other one in
Konark in Odisha.
2. The Sun Temple in Kashmir is facing West which attains greater significance in the
Hindu scriptures.
3. It can be said it was an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture, which had
blended the Gandharan, Gupta, Chinese, Roman, Syrian-Byzantine and Greek
forms of architecture.
PS - The temple appears in the list of centrally protected monuments as Kartanda.

Ref - http://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kashmiri-pandits-seekban-on-film-haider-for-misrepresenting-ancient-temple/
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rohit1681 March 15
The temples of Kashmir have a remarkable architectural style of their own, quite
unlike the Nagara and Dravida styles of northern and southern India
respectively. Late Hellenistic and Central Asian influences are seen in the triangular
pediments, enclosing a trefoil arch.

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rohit1681 March 15

Rock Cut temple, Masrur (Himachal)

1. The grand Siva temple of Masrur, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh.

2. This is one of the grandest temples of North India and is the only vast rock-cut temple
of the region.
3. According to the art historian Michael Meister, the temple was the conceptual model
for the vast "temple mountains" of Cambodia.

PS - When we say temple mountains of Cambodia, remember Angkor Wat.

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rohit1681 March 16
Lest this thread becomes boring, this is to remind us to plod on!

If youre going to try, go all the way. Otherwise dont even start. This could mean losing
girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs. And maybe your mind. It could mean not eating for
three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could
mean derision. It could mean mockery, isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a
test of your endurance. Of how much you really want to do it. And youll do it, despite
rejection in the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can
imagine. from Factotum

HERITAGE

A SACRED PLAN FOR PEACE WITHIN

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENOY K. BEHL
The ecstasy of aesthetic experience lies at the heart of the Buddhism that came to
Tibet and the Indian trans-Himalayas. In these vast and bleak desert lands, the
Buddhist temples are like an oasis of colour.

Colossal Maitreya relief, Kartse, circa 7th century.The earliest colossal Buddhas
were seen in the Kanheri and Ajanta caves, in the 5th-6th centuries. This is a
tradition that became very popular in the Himalayan regions and in Central
Asiaand China.
Vajrayana Buddhism was born out of centuries of dynamic intellectual search at the great
universities of eastern India and Kashmir. It is believed to have the clarity and indestructible
nature of a diamond as well as the striking nature of a thunderbolt. Its purpose is to free us
and to dispel the veils of ignorance with the force of a clap of thunder.
By the 4th century, in the Buddhist centres of Kashmir the Yogachara school of thought had
developed. It believed that the most effective method to attain the Truth was meditation or

Yoga. The different aspects of the wisdom of the Buddha were personified as the five Dhyani
(meditation) Buddhas: Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi and
Vairocana. Mandalas were also conceived in Buddhist practice and are seen from the 5th
century. The path to enlightenment was visualised as a movement through various levels of
spiritual growthfrom the outer spheres towards the illumined centre and the moment of
the realisation of the Truth or Buddhahood.
In the 10th century, Abhinavagupta in Kashmir took the Indian philosophy of aesthetics to
rare heights of development. This was in a climate deeply imbued with the thoughts of
Kashmir Shaivism, which saw the beauty of the world as a reflection of the glory of the
divine. The experience of beauty, the ecstasy of the aesthetic experience, was considered to
be akin to the final bliss of salvation itself.
This experience of aesthetics and of joy lies at the heart of the Buddhism that came to Tibet
and the Indian trans-Himalayas. In these vast and bleak desert lands, the Buddhist temples
are like an oasis of colour. The architecture, the sculpture and the paintings are all a part of
a unified, sacred plan. Their purpose is to move us and to transport us, far from the cares
and confusions of the material world: to the peace to be found within.

COLOSSAL BUDDHA, 8TH-9TH CENTURY, MULBEK, LADAKH. Many "brhad", or

colossal, Buddhas were made by Kashmiri artists in the 8th and 9th centuries in
Ladakh. The best known are at Mulbek, on the road from Leh to Kargil. These are
all about 30 feet (nine metres) high and display the characteristics of Kashmiri art.
This relief at Mulbek is that of the Chamba, or Maitreya, Buddha, who is yet to
come.
The Cham dance of the Lamas signifies the victory of knowledge over ignorance. In Buddhist
thought the greatest evil is the ego. It is that sense of the self that is the greatest illusion
that we must lose in order to gain true knowledge.
The masks are very important. For, on the sacred ground it is not the individual Lamas who
are supposed to dance. They have to forget themselves; they have to obliterate their own

personalities to become the deity, who will then dance. The masks present qualities of the
deities within them. There are peaceful masks and those with wrathful expressions. Finally,
both symbolise the emptiness of the ultimate nature of all appearances.
Benoy K. Behl is a film-maker, art historian and photographer who is known for his prolific
output of work over the past 34 years. He has taken over 35,000 photographs of Asian
monuments and art heritage and made over a hundred documentaries on art history. This
series carries photographs from his photographic exhibition on Buddhist Heritage of the
World, which is currently on display in Nara in Japan and in the French Reunion Island. It
was also displayed earlier this year in London, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Leh, New Delhi and
at the International Buddhist Conclave in Varanasi. The series has photographs taken in 19
countries/regions across Asia and in one part of Europe which has a 300-year-old Buddhist
heritage.

BUDDHAS CARVED AT PADUM, ZANSKAR, LADAKH. In ancient times, Zanskar was a

thriving centre of Buddhism. Carvings on a massive boulder next to the Lungnak
river in Padum display the artistic style of Kashmir.

PHUGTAL MONASTERY, ZANSKAR. It is in a very remote part of the beautiful

Zanskar valley. Until recently, there was no motorable road and it was a wonderful
two-day journey on horseback, up and down craggy mountains. This is among the
monasteries known to have been founded by the Lotsawa, or Great Translator, of
Zanskar, in the 11th and 12th centuries.

SUMTSEK, ALCHI, LADAKH, CIRCA 12TH CENTURY. Sumtsek means three-storeyed

temple. This was one of the principal Kashmiri architectural forms followed in the
monasteries of the Second Diffusion. This sumtsek has some of the best paintings
of the Alchi complex.

SHRINE, DUKHANG, ALCHI, 11TH CENTURY. The dukhang, or assembly hall, has a
beautiful shrine for Vairochana, with numerous deities and joyous figures made
around him. From the 8th-9th century until around the 12th century, the system of
yoga tantra was predominant in Buddhism in eastern India and Kashmir. It then
spread to Nepal, Tibet, Korea, Japan and Indonesia. The texts of the yoga tantras
were translated by Rinchen Zangpo, who took them from Kashmir to Ladakh and
Tibet. These texts formed the basis of the sculptural programme and paintings in
many monasteries, including this dukhang.

CLAY SCULPTURES, TSUGLAKHANG, TABO, SPITI, HIMACHAL PRADESH, LATE

10TH-EARLY 11TH CENTURY. The Tabo monastery is situated in a village of the
same name at an altitude of about 10,850 feet (3,307 metres). In the main
temple, called the Tsuglakhang, the assembly hall is an architectonic Vajradhatu
Mandala with sculptures and paintings representing the many deities of the
mandala.

VAJRALASYA, CLAY SCULPTURE, TABO, 11TH CENTURY. This deity expresses the
quality of grace, which is at the heart of all that there is in the world. The art
strips away the veils of illusion to present this inherent quality. As we perceive the
gentle graciousness of the deity, we awaken that same quality within us.

MAITREYA, BASGO, LADAKH, 16TH-17TH CENTURY. This is a gilded, two-storeyed,

45-foot (13.7 metres)-high statue the Maitreya-the Buddha who is yet to come-in
the temple of Basgo. This beautiful statue is known to have inspired many
generations of sculptors in Ladakh.

VAJRARAKSHA, CLAY SCULPTURE, TABO, 11TH CENTURY. On the walls of the

dukhang (assembly hall) are many deities who surround us. Coming into this
assembly hall signifies entering the Vajradhatu Mandala itself. The purpose of this
wonderfully peaceful and benign deity is to awaken within us the qualities he
represents.

MANDALA DEITY, MURAL, NAKO, KINNAUR, HIMACHAL PRADESH, 11TH-12TH

CENTURY. Mandalas are painted on the walls of the Lotsawa Lhakhang
(Translator's Temple) of the Nako monastery. They include finely painted small
figures such as these, made in roundels of about six inches (15.24 centimetres)
diameter. A sense of dynamic movement is blended with joyousness in this
exquisite representation.

RIDERS ON MYTHICAL CREATURE, MURAL, SUMTSEK, ALCHI, 12TH CENTURY. Such

mythical creatures with riders, trampling upon fierce animals, are a constant motif
in the medieval art of all Indic faiths. They represent the courage within us, with
which we must face the demons of ignorance and confusion.

DETAIL, MURAL, SUMTSEK, ALCHI, 12TH CENTURY. The painters from Kashmir
have left us many images of the life and culture of the valley. This one appears to
be a Kashmiri prince on a hunt with his retinue. The colourfully designed textiles
point to the fact that this region was on an artery of the Silk Route.

DETAIL OF MANDALA, MURAL, NAKO, 11TH-12TH CENTURY. Nako village, Kinnaur

district, Himachal Pradesh, lies at an altitude of 12,000 feet (3,657.6 metres) high
above the Spiti river valley. Paintings of the early monasteries of the transHimalayas show the exquisite lines and grace of the art of their Kashmiri painters.

CHAM, MASKED MONASTIC DANCE OF THE LAMAS, LADAKH. Guru Padmasambhava

is known to have performed a dance to scare away evil spirits from the land and to
establish Buddhism in the trans-Himalayan areas. The Cham dance is performed
even today to keep the land free of evil.

CHAM DANCE, HEMIS MONASTERY, LADAKH. The Cham is one of the most
important forms of meditation of the Lamas. They perform puja for many days
before the event so as to awaken within themselves the deity they wish to become
on the day of the Cham. The wrathful deities represent the vigour within us, with
which we face the demons of ignorance.

PADMASAMBHAVA, CHAM DANCE, HEMIS MONASTERY. Guru Padmasambhava was

from Nalanda University. He swept across Ladakh, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Tibet and
Arunachal Pradesh in the 8th century and established Vajrayana Buddhism in this
region. He is still worshipped across the trans-Himalayas as the Second Buddha.

RUMTEK MONASTERY, SIKKIM. Located near Gangtok in Sikkim, this monastery is

an important centre of the Kagyupa sect, which traces its Buddhist teachings to
Tilopa (988-1089), the great teacher from the eastern plains of India.

GORSEN CHORTEN (STUPA), TAWANG DISTRICT, ARUNACHAL PRADESH, 16TH

CENTURY. The mountains of Arunachal Pradesh represent the eastern frontiers of
the lands transformed by Guru Padmasambhava. Eyes are painted on all four sides
of this chorten in a style similar to the chortens in Nepal and Bhutan. They watch
out for the evil of ignorance.