Introduction to Indian Architecture. Bindia Thapar

The Temples of Kerala 56 Temple Towns of the South 58 The Nagara Style 60 The Sun Temple at Konarak 62 The Nagara Style of Central India 64 Solanki Architecture 66 Hoysala Architecture 68 The Terracotta Temples of Bengal 70 Sacred Jain Architecture 72 The Jain Temples of Mount Abu 74 Sacred Islamic Architecture 76 The Evolution of Islamic Styles 78 The Sultanate Style 80 The Quwwat ul Islam Mosque 82 The Mughal Style 84 The Taj Mahal 90 Later Mughal Architecture 96 Provincial Styles 98 Sacred Sikh Architecture 102 Secular Spaces: The Fort 104 Secular Spaces: The Palace 106 The Rajput Fort and Palace 108 The Gwalior Fort and Palace 112 The Red Fort at Delhi 114 Palaces of South India 116 Fatehpur Sikri 118 Colonial Architecture 122 The Colonial Church 124 The Colonial Fort 126 Commemorative Architecture 128 Civic Buildings 130 Colonial Bungalows 132 Indo-Colonial Architecture 134 Lutyens' Delhi 136 Modern Architecture and Le Corbusier 138 Architecture in India Today 140 Glossary 143 Bibliography 144

      The ancient hill fort of Gwalior, gateway to central India, which stretches 3 kilometers across a 100-meter-high rocky plateau. Its long and eventful history led to an interesting amalgam of Hindu, Jain and Islamic architectural features. The fort encompasses a number of palaces, temples and tanks.

      Introduction

      The unique geography of India has contributed greatly to its historical and cultural developments. The Himalayas ring the north, while the river basins, desert wastelands and Deccan plateau cover much of the peninsula which is encircled by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Indian Ocean to the south. Landscape, climate and history have all shaped the architecture of India.

      One of the most notable of the small steatite seals discovered at Mohenjodaro is the image of the Indian humped bull with its pronounced muscularity and a heavy dewlap. Despite its diminutive size, it still conveys an impression of immense strength and power. Other animals commonly depicted on these seals include the elephant, the bison and the crocodile.

      The Vedic (or fire) altar was the first formal place of worship, built more than 3,000 years ago of brick. It represented the cosmic worlds of celestial space, the terrestrial world and the world of air.

      The history of the country has its beginnings in the valley of the Indus River, where 5,000 years ago, around 3000 BC, a remarkable civilisation flourished. Whole cities have been excavated, and a range of artefacts found, but much of the civilisation still remains a mystery because its script has not yet been deciphered. However, the statuettes, seals and other implements found tell of an agrarian society which worshipped, amongst other things, the concept of fertility. This civilisation had trade and other links with contemporary civilisations of the west, contacts being maintained by caravans traveling through mountain passes of the Himalayas.

      The Indusvalley civilisation declined about 2000 BC. The causes are not known, but could include drought, floods or drying up of trade.

      The Arrival of Hinduism

      About