Buddhist Architectural Development

Buddhist Structures The country of India

Buddhist architecture, which is deeply rooted in Indian soil, is the very birthplace of Buddha’s teachings. This architectural style began with the development of various symbols representing various aspects of Lord Buddha’s life. The Indian Emperor Ashoka was the one who made Buddhism the state religion (Magadh Empire). He also built various architectural monuments to spread Buddhism throughout the country.

Buddhist architecture is primarily represented by three distinct types of structures:

• Chaitya Hall (Place Of Worship)
• The Vihara’s (Monastery)
• The Stupa (Hemispherical Worship/Memory Mound)

Distinctive Buddhist architectural structures and sculptures such as Stupas, Pagodas, caves, and monasteries have been mere observers of different eras of the Buddhist era and have spoken about the various phases. As Buddhist spiritual symbols, these structures serve not only as monastic or holy places, but also as a sacred land with the power to purify one’s soul.

Structure and Design

While they may differ visually, all stupas share a few characteristics. Every stupa has a treasury that is filled with various objects—small offerings, or Tsa-Tsas, take up the majority of the treasury, while jewellery and other valuable objects are also kept there. The more objects placed in the treasury, the stronger the stupa’s energy is thought to be.

The Tree of Life, a wooden pole adorned with gems and mantras, is an essential component of every stupa. During an initiation ceremony, it is placed in the stupa’s central channel, where participants’ most powerful wishes are stored.

Stupas are classified into five types:

• Stupas containing the relics of Buddha and other religious figures
• Object stupas, in which Buddha’s or his disciples’ possessions are buried
• Stupas were constructed to commemorate events in the lives of Buddha and his disciples
• Stupas are built to represent various aspects of Buddhist theology
• Stupas built to commemorate visits or to gain spiritual benefits

A stupa is thought to bring enlightenment to the person who builds and owns it in the Buddhist religion. Furthermore, the stupa is regarded as a place of worship, and many Buddhists make pilgrimages to significant stupas.

Buddhist Developments

From the fifth to the fourteenth century, Buddhist and Jain architectural developments were vibrant and often went hand in glove with the Hindu ones.

• Ellora has Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain monuments
• Badami, Khajuraho and Kannauj have two religious monuments right next to each other

Buddhist Architectural Development

• Bodhgaya: It is a pre-eminent Buddhist site
• It is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site since Siddhartha achieved enlightenment here and became Gautama Buddha
• While the Bodhi tree is of immense importance to Buddhists, the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya is an important reminder of the brickwork of that time
• It is neither Dravida nor Nagara. It is narrow like a nagara temple, but it rises without curving, like a Dravidaseventh-century
• Nalanda: It was primarily a Buddhist University but all religious philosophies were taught here. The monastic university of Nalanda is a Mahavihara as it houses several monasteries of various sizes. Most of the information about Nalanda is based on the records of Xuan Zang (previously spelt as ‘Hsuan-tsang’) which states that the foundation of a monastery was laid by Kumargupta I in the fifth century CE
• All three Buddhist doctrines – Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana – were taught
• Monks made their way to Nalanda and its neighbouring sites of Bodhgaya and Kurkihar from various parts of Asia:
• North Asia: China, Tibet, and Central Asia in the north
• South-east Asia: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, and various other countries.
• Characteristic features of Nalanda Architecture:
• High quality of workmanship.
• Precisely executed sculptures.
• Ordered appearance with little effect of crowding. 
• Sculptures are depicted in three-dimensional forms.
• The back slabs of the sculptures are detailed, and the ornamentations are delicate.
• The Nalanda bronzes-

• Dated from between the seventh and eighth centuries to approximately the twelfth century.
• Outnumbered the metal images from all other sites of eastern India and constituted a large body of Pala Period metal sculptures. 
• Like their stone counterparts, the bronzes initially relied heavily on Sarnath and Mathura Gupta traditions.

• Themes:
  • Initially, the Nalanda sculptures depicted Buddhist deities of the Mahayana pantheon such as standing Buddhas, bodhisattvas such as Manjusri Kumara, Avalokiteshvara seated on a lotus and Naga-Nagarjuna. 
  • Later, Nalanda emerged as an important tantric centre and the repertoire came to be dominated by Vajrayana deities such as Vajrasharada (a form of Saraswati) Khasarpana, Avalokiteshvara, etc.
  • Depictions of crowned Buddhas occur commonly only after the tenth century.

• Sirpur (Chhattisgarh): It is an early-Odisha style site belonging to the period between 550 and 800, with both Hindu and Buddhist shrines. In many ways, Buddhist sculptures here are like Nalanda.

Madhya Pradesh’s Sanchi

This architectural site, also known as Sanci, is a Buddhist complex best known for its Great Stupa. The Sanchi Stupa is situated on a hilltop in Sanchi, Raisen District, Madhya Pradesh. The Great Stupa is one of the oldest stone structures and a significant monument on the list of Indian architectural wonders.

The Stupa is built over Buddha relics and contains some of the most beautiful carvings on its gates and entrances.

Shravasti (Uttar Pradesh)

During Lord Buddha’s time, this beautiful ancient city on the banks of the River Rapti was one of the sixth largest cities in the world. Shravasti is a well-known tourist destination as well as a Buddhist pilgrimage site. The city is named after Mahabharatha’s King Shravasta, and Lord Buddha is said to have spent 24 vasant (rainy season) in a monastery built by his disciple, Anathapindika.

Because it is uncrowded and full of beautiful Buddhist and Jain relics, the city is serene. Aside from the monastery where Buddha spent much of his life, popular Stupas such as “Kachhi Kuti” and “Pakki Kuti” can be found here.

Bihar’s Bodh Gaya

It would not be incorrect to say that Bodh Gaya is the spiritual heart of India. This religious site and pilgrimage site is linked to the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya, Bihar. One of the major reasons for this location’s incredible popularity is that it is where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment (Pali: bodhi) under the most famous Bodhi Tree. In 2002, the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Since ancient times, this Buddhist architectural marvel has been a site of pilgrimage and veneration for both Buddhists and Hindus.

Other Monasteries:

• Odisha: Lalitagiri, Vajragiri and Ratnagiri are famous Buddhist monasteries.
• Nagapattinam: This port-town was a major Buddhist centre until the Chola Period. 

• It was an important trade centre with Sri Lanka.
• Bronze and Stone sculptures in Chola style are found at Nagapattinam and date back to the tenth century.

In Conclusion

The practise of carving a structure out of solid natural rock is known as rock-cut architecture. The term cave is frequently used in India to refer to rock-cut architecture; however, it must be distinguished from naturally occurring caves, as rock-cut architecture is a highly engineered and elaborately decorated structure.In India, there are over 1,500 rock-cut temples, the majority of which are religious in nature and are adorned with decorative paintings and exquisite stone carvings that demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship.

Buddhist rock-cut temples and monasteries were frequently located near trade routes, and these locations served as stopovers and lodging houses for traders. The interiors of rock-cut temples became more elaborate and decorated as their endowments grew.While many temples, monasteries, and stupas have been destroyed, cave temples have been better preserved due to their hidden locations and the fact that they are made of stone, which is far more durable than wood, clay, or metal.