BUDDHIST ARCHITECTURE(STUPAS)

Introduction To Buddhism

• Buddhism(Pali/Sanskrit:Bauddha Dharma) —

religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha “the awakened one”.

• Buddhism began as an offspring of Hinduism in the country of India. The founder was Siddhartha Gautama.

• Siddhartha Gautama was born in approximately 560 B.C. in northern India

Introduction To Buddhism

• The Buddha's threefold training is similar to the threefold grouping of the Noble Eightfold Path.

• VIRTUE – Right Speech

Right Action

Right Livelihood MIND - Right Effort

Right Mindfulness

Right Concentration

WISDOM - Right View

Right Intention

Buddhist Architecture

• Principal place of early Buddhist worship is the stupa.

Mound shaped shrine with no interior.

• A stupa is a reliquary and worshipers gain spiritual

merit through being in close proximity to its contents.

• Buddhists pray while walking around stupa in an

easterly direction (direction of sun’s course).

• Central mast at top of stupa with 3 umbrella shapes

(Chatras). Symbolizes three jewels of Buddhism

(Buddha, Law, and the community of monks).

• The Buddhist architecture has its root deeply implanted in the Indian soil- the birthplace of the Buddha's teachings.

• The Buddhist architecture began with the development of various symbols, representing aspects of the Buddha's life (563 BCE - 483 BCE).

• Indian emperor Ashoka, not only established Buddhism as the state religion of his large Magadh empire, but also opted for the architectural monuments to spread Buddhism in different places.

• The major features of this style are

Stupas

stambhas

chaitayas

viharas

• these have been mere spectators of different eras quietly speaks about the phases of the Buddhist stages.

Sanchi Stupa

Sanchi Stupa

Chaitya Hall

Bamayan Buddhas

STUPA

• A stupa is a mound-like structure containing buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship.

• These stupas are the circular tumuli built of earth, covered with stone or brick, the plan, elevation, section and the total form of which were all derived from circle.

Stupa become a cosmic symbol in response to a major human condition: death. With the enlightenment of the Buddha, stupa became a particularly buddhist symbol.

SANCHI STUPA

• there are mainly three main stupas on the top of the sanchi hill which rise about 100m above the plain.

• Of the three stupa the biggest one is known as the great stupa.

THE GREAT STUPA, SANCHI

•The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and 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 symbolizing high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics. •It has four profusely carved ornamental gateways and a balustrade encircling the whole structure.

•DOME- is a solid brick-work 32.32m in diameter and 12.8m high.•The dome has a slight ‘crushed’ profile at top and was surmounted by HARMIKA with a central triple UMBRELLA.•The facing of the dome consists of dry masonry composed of hammer dressed stones laid in even courses.•The terrace 4.87m high from ground was added thus creating a separate and upper AMBULATORY passage 1.8m wide access to which was provided by a double staircase with high BALUSTRADE, on the south side

Plan and elevation

•There are four gateways known as ‘TORANAS’ at the cardinal points to the compass and are slightly staggered from the railing enclosing stupa.•The ambulatory or pradakshina path is fenced by railing 3.35m high all around the stupa.•Outside the railing there once stood the famous ashoka pillar, the fragments of which are noticed now to the right of southern torana

Axonometric drawing

Diff b/w a temple and stupa

TORANA

•Toranas, the entrance to the ambulatory were accepted as the traditional type of ceremonial potals and excel the array of architectural embellishment.•Torana consists of two square uprite columns with capital of lion or elephant heads denoting strength.•These columns support three separate horizontal panels between each of which is a row of ornamental balusters.•These panels are supported by atlantean figures, a group of dwarfs, lions and elephant.•The total height of this erection is somewhat 10.36m with a width of 3m

•The authentic examples of these pillars are those which king Ashoka set up to bear inscriptions conveying to his subjects the leading doctrines of the new faith he had adopted, Buddhism. These are sturdy, finely proportional and properly balanced religious sign posts

ASHOKA PILLARS

•The pillar at sarnath more than 15m high has a group of four addoresed lions with flowing manes, surmounting the capital.•These lions originally supported a massive metal wheel with 24 spokes called ‘wheels of the law’.•The capital more than 2m high resembles the shape of a inverted bell or lotus bub with series of fluted petals.•Above the capital is the abacus which is circular, having broad edge carves with ornamental borders, containing four figure of animals alternate with the four small wheels

RAILING OR VEDICA

•The vedica or railing consists of upright octagonal plan 45cm in diameter spaced at 60 to 90cm from each other and connected by three lens shaped horizontals called ‘suchi’ or needles 60cm deep being threaded through the holes of the upright.•The top horizontal bar is provided with coping to drain out rain water.

Dhamek Stupa,Sarnath(500BCE)

Tibetan Stupa(Chorten)

8 Types of Tibetan Stupas

STUPA OF HEAPED LOTUSES

Commemorates the Buddha’s birth at Lumbini, where he

took seven steps in each of the four directions, from

which lotuses spang

STUPA OF ENLIGHTENMENT

Commemorates his Enlightenment under the bodhi

tree at Bodhgaya.

STUPA OF MANY DOORS OR GATES

Commemorates the Buddha’s first turning of the

Wheel of Dharma in the Deer Park at Sarnath near

Varanasi.

STUPA OF MIRACLES

Commemorates the Buddha’s miraculous defeat of

the non-Buddhists (tirthika)in the Jetvana Grove at

Shravasti.

STUPA OF DESCENT FROM THE GOD

REALM

Commemorates the summer retreat that the Buddha

spent teaching the reincarnation of his mother in the

heavenly realm of Tushita, and his descent from

this realm at the city of Sankasya.

STUPA OF RECONCILIATION

Commemorates the Buddha’s reconciliation of

the disputing factions within the Sangha at

Veluvana bamboo grove at Rajagriha.

STUPA OF PARINIRVANA

Commemorates the Buddha’s passing away

beyond sorrow between two sal trees at the city

of Kushinigara.

STUPA OF COMPLETE VICTORY

Commemorates the Buddha’s prolonging of his

life by three months at the city of Vaisali, when

he was 80 years of age.

THANK YOU

PRESENTED BY

ABHISHEK

ABHINAV

SAGAR