ANCIENT INDIAN

ARCHITECTURE

SUOBIRON, RENELYN M.

GEOGRAPHY India a three-cornered

country occupies an area

fifteen times greater than

Great Britain.

Bounded on The north by

the himalayas

on the north-west by the

Suleiman mountains

and on the east by the

heights of southern assam

The remaining portion is

bounded by the sea.

CLIMATE In the south there was a tropical climate.

In the south there was a tropical climate.

The weather is mostly rainy and warm.

The land is diverse and fertile.

It is very grassy and varied around the season.

RELIGION

India is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions

Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Islam (13.4%)

Christianity (2.3%),

Sikhism (1.9%),

Buddhism (0.8%) and

Jainism (0.4%)

GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI

Sanchi Stupa is located at Sanchi Town in RaisEn District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal.

is the oldest stone structure in India

was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE.

Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter

The Taj Mahal

A white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

Reported by: Shena Mae R. Bugas

Materials:

Agate Onyx Blood Stone Jade Turquoise

Black Slate Corals Red Sandstone Yellow Sandstone White Marble

Building Elements:

Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.

the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone,

Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones, and buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement

Taj Mahal site plan: 1.The Moonlight Garden to the north of the Yamuna 2. Terrace area: Tomb and Mosque 3.Charbagh (gardens). 4.Gateway, attendant accommodations, and other tombs. 5. Taj Ganji (bazaar)

The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal.

consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial.

The minarets, which are

each more than 40 metres (130 ft) tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry.

The main chamber

houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.

THANJAVUR TEMPLE o Brihadeshwara at Thanjavur in the Indian state

of Tamil Nadu, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is an important example of Tamil architecture achieved during the Chola dynasty. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola

Temples.

o This is one of the largest temples in India and one of India's most prized architectural sites. Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed

in 1010 AD,Peruvudaiyaar Temple, also popularly known as the 'Big Temple', turned 1000 years old in 2010.

Hannah N. Tagura

MATERIALS

o Only granite was used to make the entire temple structure. It is believed that about 130,000 tons of granite was used to construct the Brihadeeswara Temple.

o The temple is said to be made up of about 60,000 tons of sandstone and granite.

ELEMENTS

o pyramid shaped towers

o constructed of sandstone

o soapstone or granite.

SHAPE

o Pyramid

KANDARIYA MAHADEVA TEMPLE

Ariana Corpuz

KANDARIYA MAHADEVA TEMPLE

is the largest and most ornate Hindu temple in

the medieval temple group.

found at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, India.

It is considered one of the best examples of

temples preserved from the medieval period in

India.

built by king Dhangadeva.

KONARK SUN TEMPLE

- Is a 13th-century Sun

Temple (also known as the

Black Pagoda), at Konark,

in Odisha, India.

- The name Konark

derives from the

combination of the

Sanskrit words, Kona

(corner) and Arka (sun), in

reference to the temple

which was dedicated to

the Sun god Surya.

Edison B. Cuasito

- It has been built in the

shape of a gigantic chariot

with elaborately carved

stone wheels, pillars and

walls.

The 'Kalasha' was made of copper, most probably gilded, and the 'Amla' of stone. The 'Kalasha' was removed at the beginning of the 17th century by the Muslims, who thought it was gold and wanted to melt it down. The Amla underneath it was made of several massive blocks of stone, clamped together by iron dowels.

The very weight of the stone served to keep the corbeled walls of the spire in position by counteracting their tendency to fall inward.

But when the Kalasha was removed, the plaster covering the dowels was damaged and exposed and, over time, washed away.

The iron underneath now began to erode, disintegrate, and finally fell apart.