Early Buddhist Rock Cut Architecture

7/28/2019 Early Buddhist Rock Cut Architecture

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EARLY BUDDHIST ROCKCUT ARCHITECTURE

ANURDDHA BADARAWANNINAYAKE

MA ARHCAEOLOGY


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INTRODUCTON The early rock cut caves of India excavated in to

the hills and valleys of western ghats, are allBuddhist monasteries. each sites consists of oneor more chaityas- chapels for congregational

worship and several viharas which wereresidential halls for the monks. Rock cutarchitecture developed in the India during theperiod of Maurya in Bihar( 250 BC).Number ofBuddhist complexes were excavated in this

period onward(2nd

C.BC). The main centre for the early rock cut caves

monuments were clustered in westernIndia(Maharashtra) in the numerical and stylisticbasis.


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CHRONOLOGYOn the basis of inscriptions , architectural style, style of sculpture these caves were put

in particular chronological period and these are as follows:

Kondivte100 C BC

Nansur...70 C BC

Bhaja..90 to 70 C BC

Kondane90 to 70 C BC

Pitalkhora III 90 to 70 C BC

Ajanta X ..90 to 70 C BC

Ajanta IX .70 to 50 C BC

Aurangabad IV 70 to 50 C BC

Nasik..70 to 45 C BC

Bedsa .50 to 30 C BC

Karla 50 to 70 C AD

Kuda 140 to 150 C ADJunnar(Tuljaleni) ....100 to 125 C AD

Junnar (Buddhaleni)50 to 70 C AD

Lenyadri90 to 100 C AD

Bhimasankar110 to 150 C AD

Kanheri150 to 180 C AD

Shivaneri.110 to 150 C AD


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DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY BUDDHIST ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE

WESTERN INDIAN

ARCHITECTURE OF ROCKCUT CAVES ARE

INFLUENCED BY LOMAS RISI

AND SUDAMA CAVES PLANS

WHICH WAS EXCAVATED

AROUND 250 C.BC. INBARABARA HILLS IN BIHAR

DURING MAURYAN PERIOD.

THIS ROCK CUT CAITYA

CONSIST OF A

RECTANGULAR CHAMBERAND SMALLER CIRCULAR

ROOM BEYOND WITH A

DOMED ROOF. THE INNER

CHAMBER HAVING STHUPA

FOR WORSHIP. AT THE

ENTARENCE SEMI CIRCULAR

SUDAMA CAVE

PLAN

LOMAS RISI CAVE PLA


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FAADE OF LOMAS

RISI CAVE TEMPLE

SUDAMA AND LOMAS RISI CAVES ATBARABAR BIHAR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CunninghamMauryan.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sudama_and_Lomas_Rishi_Caves_at_Barabar,_Bihar,_1870.jpg


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2ND CENTURY B.C.COMMON ARCHITECTURAL AND STYLISTIC FEATURES

Kondivte Bhaja

Pitalkhora

Kondane

Ajanta cave NO.IX

Ajanta cave NO.X

Used minimal sculptural and decoration, typical of these

Buddhist architecture.

The caitya hall is apsidal in the plan. Faade is wooden.

Apsidal hall is consisted with vaulted roof with wooden ribs onroof.

Hall is dividing by slanted pillars the most dominant element of

the rock cut faade is horse shoe shaped caitya arch.

Pillars are plain octagonal without capital.

The raw of pillars divided hall into central hall and side aisles.


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KondivteAjanta no. X

Ajanta IX

Pitalkhora


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BHAJA In western India early

Buddhist caves foundat Bhaja, which istypical early phase ofBuddhist architectureand it provides the

closest copy ofwooden prototype inthe detailing of thefacade and interior.The chitya hall is

apsidal in the plane.Same plane found atAjanta cave No. 10,Pitalkhora this apsidalhall is consisted with

vaulted roof with


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HALL IS DIVIDED BY SLANTEDPILLARS THE MOST DOMINANTELEMENT OF THE ROCK CUTFACADE IS HORSE SHOESHAPED CHAITYA ARCH.THE FACADE IS CARVEDMAINLY WITH SIMPLE MOTIF OFA RAILING, PLAIN CUT OUTBRACKETS, YAKSHI AND ACOUPLE. FACADE IS WOODEN.THE NUMEROUS PINHALES INTHE FRONT PORTION OF THECAVE INDICATES A LAND OFWOODEN ADDITION.THE PILLARS ARE PLAINOCTAGONAL WITHOUT CAPITAL.THE STUPA IS CONSISTED ASIMPLE DRUM AND ANDA.


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FIRST CENYURY B.C Kondane At Kondane chaitya caves

have same plane of earlycaves as apsidal hall atBhaja. Only difference

found in the faade. Belowthe chaitya arch sculpture isdepicted, which indicatescharacteristic of 1st C BC. Itis a figure of yaksha , alsohave the panels of dancing

men and women. Gracefullfigures reveal the artistsmastery over his craft andemphasis on the essentialplan of the body suggest a

phase as advance as theSanchi gate ways. Chaitya
http://images.vam.ac.uk/item/O175905/photograph-kondane-caves/


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BEDSA

Two large caves

Both caves has apsidal plans

One is caitya hall and other

one is vihara griha Caitya hall has been

elaborated by the addition of

the verandah and cells.

Verandah is wider than the

interior of the cave.

The pillar retain octagonal,

topped by bell shaped

capitals with animal horse,

bull, elephant with human

riders. The upper half consist of a

large horse shoe shaped

caitya arch.

The two side walls of the

verandah are carved with


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1ST CENTURY A.D.

Karla cave

Around start of 1st

century A.D.subsequent development found

at Karla.

The cave itself is one of the

largest Buddhist excavation.

Here a stone screen is added toenclosed verandah with lion

capital pillar as carved as

Mauryan.

Verandah is parallel to the

Bedsa. But greater symmetryfound here than Bedsa.

In Karla there are three doors in

verandah. Bedsa walls un

sculptured but at Karla large

mithun couples flank thedoorways.


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In contrast to the Bedsa verandah a row of approximately

life size elephant is carved as it supporting the entire super

structure on the two end walls in a manner reminiscent of

the elephant plinth at Pitalkhora.

The sculptures of highly advanced characters and some of

the finest examples of the sculptures craft.

pillars have base with three tier pedestal and octagonal

shaft capped bell with amalaka within a square frame

above. The top most carries the capital.

The top most carries the capital. The capital is two pare of

elephant with male and female riders on them.In these

figures there is an amazing sense of propotion.

The stupa has a drum in two terraces both crowned by arailing. Over the stupa is seen an original wooden

umbrella(chatra).


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2nd 3rd CENTURY A.D.Next important phase of development is plan of caitya is

that the flat roof rectangular quadrangular caitya hall. This

became most prominent and standared designed in periodof 2nd -3rd C.A.D. According to the Dr. Dhavalikars

interpretation this is development phase of late hinayana

period.

Th l t d i ibl d i th i d f th


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The general trend visible during the period of theearly Buddhist caves is a development from shallowrelief sculpture with an emphasis on surfacedecoration to a truly sculptural style of deeper relief

with simplified details. These rock cut caitya cavesdeveloped from simple architectural style tocompound or complicated and decorative largevihara complex. Developed from apsidal caitya hall

with slanting pillars, wooden ribs and woodenfaade; to the apsidal hall with verandah and stonefaade; to the quadrangular flat roof caitya hall. Intime space 500 to 600 years i.e. IInd century B.C. to

II

nd

-III

rd

centuries A.D.

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Early Buddhist Rock Cut Architecture