STUPA ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA
Stupa Architecture article covers the meaning of stupa and its related terms, different features of stupa architecture design with image, evolution of stupas, main stupas in Mauryan Art and other stupas.
Stupa Architecture Design and its Related Terms:
- Earthened burial mound
- Anda -large hemispherical dome where a casket containing buddha relics(dhatu) was placed in small central chamber
- Inner wall - unburnt brick, outer wall - burnt brick
- Harmika - square pavilion on the flattened summit of the dome
- Chatra - umbrella built on the top of the dome
- Pradakshinapatha - path for clockwise circumambulation surrounded by a fence built encircling the stupa
- Stone balustrade(wooden fence) consisted of thabas(octagonal upright posts) capped by uhnisa(continuous caping stone)
- These posts connected by 3 horizontal rails called suchis
- 3 main stupas on this design - sanchi, bharhut and amaravathi
- Sanchi stupa - enlarged by sungas
- Torana - gateways having sculptures depicting Jataka tale
- Sarnath stupa - made of brick
- Nalanda stupa - enlarged 7 times
- Kanishka - massive stupa seen by fahien and Hieun tsang at peshawar(shahji-ki-dheri)
- Concept of stupa - vedic period
- After death of buddha - 9 stupas
- 8 stupas - buddha's relics and ashes
- 9th over vessels - relics originally deposited
- Max no. of stupas - Ashoka - 84000 - reached climax
Evolution of Stupa Architecture
- Mauryan - Ashoka - Sanchi stupa
- Post Mauryan - more enlarged stupas, toranas- beautifully carved
- Gupta - less no. of stupas - dhamekh stupa near sarnath
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