Art and Architecture of Ancient India Science of Ancient India

The Science of Architecture and Civil Construction was known in Ancient Bharat as Sthapatya-Shastra. The word Sthapatya is derived from the root word Sthapana i.e. 'to plant'. The technique of architecture was both a scientific discipline and an art, hence it is also known as Sthapatya-kala, the give-and-take Kala means an art.

From very early times the structure of temples, palaces, residuum houses and other civil construction was undertaken by professional architects known every bit Sthapati. Fifty-fifty during the Vedic times, in that location existed professionals who specialized in the technique of constructing chariots and other heavy instruments of war. These professionals have been referred to in the Rig Veda equally Rathakara which literally means 'chariot maker'.

The excavations of the ruins at Mohenjodaro and Harappa (today in Pakistan) proved the existence of a developed Urban civilization in Bharat. The Indus valley civilisation is dated around 3000 B.C. Thus since the last 5000 years. India has had an urban civilisation. The existence of an urban civilization presumes the being of well adult techniques of architecture and construction.

These techniques would no doubt have had been systematically stated in tape books for transmitting them to the later on generations also for being used as reference media for bodily construction. Unfortunately, as far as the Indus Valley civilization goes no such records have been preserved either every bit rock edicts, manuscripts, etc., or in folk tales and legends.

"The Indian way of life provides the vision of the natural, real mode of life. We veil ourselves with unnatural masks. On the face of Republic of india are the tender expressions  which carry the mark of the Creators hand. " – George Bernard Shaw, Famous British Author

Just the fact that cities on the scale of Mohenjodaro had been constructed deport testimony to the existence of a systematized and highly developed technique of architecture 5000 years ago.

Merely in the afterward ages, from nearly the 7th century B.C., we have both literature references besides as archaeological evidences to bear witness the existence of large urban civilizations in the Ganges Valley. Like in most other sciences, even remotely continued with religion, in compages also the scientific ideas and techniques have been integrated with philosophy and theology. This was then as the majority of the large constructions were temples. Every bit the structure of Hindu temples rarely used mortar but used a technique where the stones could be affixed to one another with the force of gravity. The technique followed in doing this was similar to the one used in the Roman Aqueducts. The exquisite carvings were engraved subsequently the stones had been fixed in their places. Thus the carving of figurines right upward to the top of a temples roof must have been a enervating task.

Such carvings are especially seen in the Gopurams i.e. roofs over the south Indian temples and on the tall doorways to the temples. The Raj-Gopurams or chief roofs of such temples rise to a top of nearly 90 to 100 ft. and are fully carved with various figurines depicting gods and goddesses from the Hindu pantheon.

INDIAN ARCHITECTURAL TRADITION OVERSEAS

Indian techniques of art and architecture spread both westwards and eastwards. During the reign of Ashoka; Afghanistan, Baluchistan and Seistan were parts of the Mauryan empire. Buddhist Stupas were constructed in these Mauryan provinces. Unfortunately, very few of them have survived till today.

However the huge Boddhisattvas (statues of Buddha destroyed past Talibans) that were cut out of rock faces covering unabridged mountain faces and cliffs, had survived human and natural ravages. During Kushana times, Central Asia was a office of the Kushana empire. Indian art blended with Greek and Kushana styles, and spread into key Asia.

Thus India'due south cultural frontiers at one time extended upwardly to Balkh (referred to every bit Vahalika in Vedic texts) on the river Oxus (Akshu) and beyond, and played an important office in shaping the art traditions which flourished between the 1st and the 8th centuries in Key Asia.

The Gandhara school of art of Afghanistan and Central Asia was actually derived from Indian fine art styles. In fact fifty-fifty the portrait art of the Oxus region claimed by some scholars to have been an independent school is actually an extension of Indian art forms.

As well Central Asia, the whole of Southeast Asia received most its art and architectural traditions from India. Along with Buddhism, Indian art and architecture as well traveled to countries similar Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma as besides to China, Korea and Japan. Sri Lanka existence on our back door was heavily influenced by Indian art and compages.

The Stupas in Sri Lanka which vest to the menstruation betwixt the 3rd Century B.C. to 4th century A.D. follow the Indian pattern of a hemispherical Stupa shaped similar an egg and called Anda, equally referred to earlier in the chapter.

The Dome of the Mosques in Islamic Architecture is derived from the Stupa

The hemispherical structure of the stupas also seems to have influenced Byzantine architecture perchance through Pre-Islamic, Sassanian Persia. The famous Sophia mosque at Istanbul overlooking the Bosphorus Straits has domes which closely resemble the Buddhist Stupa. In fact thursday minarets in the mosque were erected late when the Ottoman Turks captured Istanbul (and so called Constantinople) from the Byzantine Empire in the 15th century.

I can imagine that without the minarets, the mosque, which was originally a Christian Cathedral must have looked very much like a Stupa. In fact this mode of architecture as well influenced Islamic architecture. The dome mosques in all Muslim countries perhaps have borrowed the manner of having dome from the Anda of the Buddhist Stupa. Indian influences have also felt in Europe Christian Basilicas accept similarities with the Buddhist Stupas. Their mosaics seem have borrowed ideas from, the Buddhist chaityas. Indian motifs can as well be traced in Gothic sculpture in the carvings in the cathedrals of Bayeux, Achen and Trier. Though this influence has been indirect and slight, its existence cannot exist denied. But the more pervading influence of Indian fine art and architecture through Buddhism was in countries of south-east asia.

Bernard Groslier the author of the section on 'Indochina' in the 'Art of the World Series' has made the following observations about the influence of Indian Art.

"It was one of the most important civilizing movements of the ancient times, worthy to compare with the Hellenization of the Mediterranean world. And Bharat can justly be proud to have spread the light of her understanding over such distant lands, which without her might have remained in darkness". The regions to which Bernard Groslier is referring to are the countries of due south-east Asia. Many architectural and art forms in these countries display a clear Indian influence.

One instance is the famous 108 metre loftier statue of Buddha at Dong Duong which closely resembles the Amravati sculptures. The presence of curly hair especially, indicates Indian origin in a land where people take straight hair. In the Bali islands in Indonesia many idols of Ganesha have been found. The people of Bali phone call themselves Hindus.

~ Sudheer

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Source: https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/history/sthapatya-kala-ancient-indian-science-architecture/

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