Introduction to Indian Architecture. Bindia Thapar

is located in the heart of the city, in a pleasant park surrounded by high-rise buildings. Built in 1724 and made of red brick and plaster, on a smaller scale than the Jaipur observatory, the structure is popular with tourists.

      The Rashivalaya Yantra, made up of twelve pieces, each facing a different constellation, was used by astrologers to make horoscopes.

      The Ram Yantra was one of two identical structures used to calculate the celestial arc from horizon to zenith, as well as the altitude of the sun.

      Also in the Jaipur observatory, the Unnatansha Yantra was used to determine the position of the celestial bodies at any time of the day or night.

      Architecture and Water

      Indian cosmology perceives water as a purifying and regenerative element, and it is an essential part of prayer and consecration. Water is also held in reverence because of its scarcity in many parts of the country. India depends on the monsoon rains to replenish its water sources and for irrigation. Failure of the monsoon means death and famine to many, while its timely arrival is an occasion for rejoicing.

      Adalaj Vav, built in 1499 by Rudabai, the wife of a local chieftain, is covered with sculptures of dancing maidens, erotica and images of Shiva. It comprises a series of platforms and galleries raised on pillars on the sides of the stepwell.

      The sacredness of water finds acknowledgment throughout the subcontinent through extraordinary and monumental architecture that displays the acme of engineering achievement.

      Stepwells or Vav

      The concept of the vav, or stepwell, was a response to the harsh climate of Gujarat and Rajasthan in the west of India and the acute shortage of water. Since wells access ground-water, they are the most reliable source of a continuous water supply. The best examples of the vav in Gujarat are those created by the Solanki kings in the 12th and 13th centuries. Later, the Muslim rulers of the state carried on this architectural tradition.

      The vav came to be associated with more than just a water source. The architecture around the original well was designed in such a way that the vav came to be a subterranean retreat. The vav consists of two elements. The well itself is a vertical shaft with a thick surrounding wall to maximize water retention. A series of imposing flights of steps, built over an inclined passage, broken at various regular levels by landings, leads from the ground level to the water level deep below.

      Rani-ki-vav at Patan, Gujarat's largest stepwell, was built in 1050 in the Solanki period and extensively restored in the 1980s.

      The flights of steps, built between two massive retaining walls, are covered at various levels, as are the series of pillared galleries and chambers that open out from each landing. The Rani-ki-Vav at Patan, which descends to seven stories beneath the ground level and measures 36 meters by 4 meters, gives an idea of the scale. Pillars, capitals, railings and walls, all made of local stone, are sumptuously carved, with a mixture of decorative motifs and iconography, creating a unique architecture.

      Reservoirs and Tanks (Kunds)

      A combination of practical water storage with pleasure and palaces on the one hand, and with temples and rituals on the other, is common in Indian water architecture. The balance of sacred and royal aspects is different at every site. In Rajasthan, the temple tank or kund takes the form of a deep storage basin with long and narrow flights of stairs leading down to deep reservoirs. The design of these tanks combines the cooling features of wells with those of a water basin conducive to purification rituals.

      Ghats

      The ghat, meaning "riverbank" or "steps leading to water," is a common feature of many temples situated on the banks of rivers. In Hinduism, every river is representative of the Ganges, believed to flow out of the hair of the god Shiva, and whose waters are therefore considered to be most sacred.

      Hindus believe that death in this life is but a stage in the journey of the soul. Hence the ashes of those who are cremated are immersed in the waters of sacred rivers, to mark the beginning of this onward journey. The ghat provides the physical place to commemorate this, and some of India's most colorful architecture has developed along the banks of sacred rivers, in joyous but respectful celebration of the journey of the soul.

      A section of the ghats at Benaras.

      The kund adjoining Moosi Rani ki Chhattri, a cenotaph behind the City Palace at Alwar. The monument is the cenotaph of Raja Bakhtawar Singh (1790-1815) and was named after his mistress who performed sati here when he died. The kund is a reservoir with steps leading down, replicating typical ghat architecture, associated with sacred rituals

      A commemorative cenotaph by a lake, most probably built where the ashes of the dead were immersed.

      A well encompassed by four minaret-like towers on a raised platform in Shekhawat, north of Jaipur.

      The ghats at Varanasi (Benares) are the most sacred. The city derives its name from the two ghats that mark its extremes. The Varana Ghat is located at one end of the nearly 4-kilometer stretch that ends at the Asi Ghat. The riverfront is bordered by steps that lead down to the river, interspersed with temples, chhattris and shrines, palaces, dharamshalas or pilgrim shelters, and other buildings. These ghats were built over many hundreds of years by royal and noble patrons. Amongst the nearly 80 ghats that constitute the architecture of the Varanasi riverfront, the Manikarnika Ghat is specially devoted to cremation rites.

      Water Palaces and Pavilions

      In the hot, arid climate of the northern plains, the onset of the monsoon is associated with intense pleasure and is a time of celebration. This joy and exuberance has found expression in music, art, literature and, of course, architecture. In many palaces and forts, specially designed pavilions and terraces were created with the express purpose of enjoying the rain and cool moisture-laden breeze.

      The bathing pool at the northern end of the Jahaz Mahal at Mandu.

      The Water Palace, Deeg

      Perhaps the most extravagant tribute to the magic of the monsoon is the Water Palace built by Raja Suraj Mal of Bharatpur in the late 18th century. The palace is located at Deeg, where the Bharatpur kings had their summer capital, and is an elaborate complex of marble and sandstone pavilions, a large tank, pools, fountains, waterways and gardens.

      The complex is built within a charbagh (paradise garden) comprising a central octagonal pool with fountains, from which four paved pathways lead to the various pavilions and palaces. Two tanks flank the complex. A huge reservoir, that originally took two days to fill, feeds the elaborate network of water channels that form part of the cooling system of the palace complex. The various palaces and pavilions contain many ingenious ways to experience the rain and to simulate the monsoon.

      The Deeg Water Palace, once a romantic summer retreat for the Jat kings of Bharatpur. It is a fine example of the skill with which an elaborate