ARCHITECTURE OF INDIA

Among a number of architectural styles and traditions, the contrasting “Hindu temple architecture” and “indo-islamic architecture” are the best known historical styles. The architecture of India has rooted in its history,culture and religion. An early example of town planning was the Harappan architecture of the Indus valley civilisation.

Hindu temple architecture is mainly divided into dravidian and nagara styles. Dravidian architecture flourished during the rule of the Hoysala, Chola, Chera and pandiyan empires as well as Vjayanagara Empire.

During the British colonical period, European styles including neoclasses, gothic revival and baroque became prevalent across India. After independence, modernist ideas spread among Indian architects as a way of progressing from the colonial culture.

Most of the gupta period represented a hiatus in Indian rock-cut architecture, with the first wave of construction finishing before the empire assembled and the second wave beginning in the late 5th century, after it ended. This is the case, for example, at the Ajanta caves with an early group made by 220 CE at the latest and a later one probably all after about 460. Most of the famous monuments in a broadly gupta style, the caves at Ajanta, Elephanta and Ellora were in fact produced under other dynasties in Central India.

The Jain temple architecture is generally close to Hindu temple architecure and in ancient times Buddhist religious architecture. The basic layout of a Hindu and most Jain temples has consisted of a small garbhagriha or sanctuary for the main murti or cult images over which the high superstructure rise, then one or more larger mandapa halls. The earliest survivals of Jain architecture are part of the Indian rock-cut architecture tadition, initially shared with buddhism and by the end of the classical period with Hinduism. Jain temples and monasteries share a site with those of the other religions, as at Udayagiri, Bava Pyara, badami and Kalugumalai. There is considerable similarity between the styles of the different religions, but often the Jains placed large figures of one or more of the 24 tirthankaras in the open air rather than inside the shrine.

The Mughal architecture and painting influenced indigenous Rajput styles of art and architecture. Rajput architecture represents different types of bulidings which may broadly be classed as either secular or religious. The secular buildings are of various scales. It also continued well into the 20th and 21th centuries as the rulers of the princely states of British India commissioned vast palaces and other buildings like Umaid Bhawan palace.

Similarly, The Maratha rule from 17th to 19th centuries, emerged during decline of Mughal empire, Prominent buildings such as Shaniwar wada, Lal Mahal in pune are few examples.