Medieval architecture is a unique and long historical legacy of Indian architecture
India is famous worldwide for its rich cultural heritage of art and architecture. Starting from ancient times, stupas and pillar inscriptions were built in various regions during various periods during the Mauryan era, forms in the Gandhara and Mathura styles during the Anumauryan era, palaces, stupas, pillars. Viharas, Bhavans and temples were built during the Gupta period.
During the Middle Ages, the Pala, Pratihara, Rashtrakutas, Rajputs, Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire built a large number of structures at various places, including canals, ponds, temples and mosques. Various regions of India have developed the architectural art inherited in their own way. Sculpture is the art of carving the feelings awakened in the mind of the sculptor on stone, wood and metal using chisels and chisels.
Architecture : The word 'Shilpashastra' is also used for architecture. The simple meaning of architecture is construction. The construction of houses, cities, wells, forts, minarets, temples, mosques, tombs, vavs etc. is called architecture. A person skilled in architecture is called 'Sthapaty'. The architecture of India was Rajput from 700 AD to 1200 AD. In Rajput era architecture, the Nagar style of temple became popular in North India. The temples of Khajuraho, Lingaraj Temple of Puri and Gopa Temple of Saurashtra are included.
During the Delhi Sultanate period, a new architectural style associated with Islam is seen. In which the Arab style is dominant in the beginning. In this architecture, three main structures are mosque, mausoleum and roja. Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, Hoje-i-Khas, Alai Darwaza, Siri Fort are the main ones among the Delhi structures. The mosques and canals built by Firoz Tughlaq are special. The Muslim rulers of Gujarat, Bengal and Malwa had many structures built during this period, of which the Bhadra Fort and Jam Masjid of Ahmedabad, the Sona Masjid of Bengal are important. Among the Hindu structures during this period, the Kumbhalgarh Fort built by Rana Kumbha and the Kirtistambh or Vijaystambh of Chittor are important.
The 13th-century Konark Sun Temple and the Haushaleshwar Temple in Karnataka are the most distinctive types of architecture. The Konark Sun Temple is located near the Bay of Bengal in the Puri district of Odisha state. This temple was built in the 13th century during the reign of King Narasimhavarman I of the Ganga dynasty. This chariot temple is built like the sun's chariot pulled by seven axes. It has 12 huge wheels. Since this temple is made of black stones, it is also known as the 'Black Pagoda'.
Temples in North India are characterized by their round peaks and pillarless storeys. In South India, the temples are characterized by their conical shape (mostly in Madi Bampa), and the Gopuram (entrance gate of the temple) is a feature of the temples in South India. The temples have a village hall, antaral, mandap, and a decorative hall. The front mandap is a hop. The temple has a circumambulation path. Some of the important temples of this period include the Pallava chariot temples of Kakshi and the Rajarajeyar temple of Tanjore. The Rajarajeshwar temple of Sajir was considered the tallest temple of that time.
The original architecture was unique. A special example of Mughal independence is seen in the tomb of Sudhayu. Later, the fort of Asa and the fort of Naipur Sikki were built. The tomb of Sher Shah at Samsaram is an important monument of this period. The Mughals started a whole tradition of Pag Agicha. This includes the Nishat Bhag of Kashmir, the Shalimar Bhag of Lahore and the Arambagh of Agra.
The highest peak of Mughal architecture is seen in the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal, located on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a proud symbol of India's architectural heritage and continues to be a center of attraction for tourists from home and abroad.
Apart from this, the Red Fort in Delhi was built by Shah Jahan. This fort, made of red stones, had beautiful buildings like Diwan-e-Aam, Diwan-e-Khas, Rang Mahal built in it. Its decoration has a wonderful combination of gold, silver, and precious stones. Shah Jahan had the artistic Mayurasana built in this fort.
At this time, the finest architecture of the Sikh sect, the Golden Temple, was built in Amritsar. Architecture of Gujarat Gujarat was built during the Solanki rule and Salantapurna. The Molki era includes the Kondrak of the Bhimdev Hara Somnath temple in the 11th century and the Sun Temple of Modhera. Somnath Temple Somnath Temple is located in Prabhaspatan near Veraval in Uparkot, Junagadh Gir Somnath district. Somnath is a very ancient, prosperous and important center of Shaivism. Today, only the site of the old temple is visible. This new temple was finally built in 1951. Somnath is one of the 12 most sacred Jyotilingas in India.
There is a fort of Uparkot in the city of Junagadh. The original name of Uparkot was Giridurg. Ra'khengar had provided water facilities by building a continuous vav and a new well in it. There is a saying that, 'He who does not see a continuous vav and a new well is a living dead.' The Sun Temple at Motesh in Mehsana district of Gujarat was built during the reign of the Solanki king Bhimdev I. The entrance of this temple facing east was designed in such a way that the first ray of the sun reached the sanctum sanctorum deep inside the temple and fell on the Ela Mani in the middle of the crown of the Sun statue, illuminating the entire temple with light. As a result, divinity was evident in the entire atmosphere. Twelve different idols of the Sun can be seen engraved in this temple even today.
There are a total of 108 small temples around the water tank outside the temple, which create a picturesque scene due to the garlands of lamps lit in different sizes and times.
Sudhamandir of Modhera - Chani's Vav The Rani's Vav, established by Rani Udayamati, the predecessor of Bhimdev, is a model of a world-famous Vav. The seven-storey Rani's Vav, a unique and marvelous example of sculpture and architecture, is still in Patan, the ancient capital of Gujarat.
King Bhimdev's queen Udaymati had it built after his death. UNESCO has given this Vav the status of a Varna Merit Site. The Rudramahalaya of Siddhpur, established by Siddhraj Jaisingh, is considered a unique architectural masterpiece of Gujarat. Being a Shaivite himself, Siddhraj associated the name of his palace with Rudra. According to some historians, it should have been a seven-storey palace associated with a jharukha, although the one-storey Rudramahalaya is still extant. It includes the architecture of pillars and arches.
On the orders of Siddharaj's mother Minaldevi, Malav Lake in Polka and Munsar Lake in Viramgam were built. Sahaslinga Lake was built in Patan during the reign of Siddharaj Jaisingh. Apart from this, Kirtitoran and Sharmishtha Lake in Vadnagar are the structures built during this period. Ahmedabad city was founded by Ahmed Shah in AD 1411. During the Sultanate period, the capital was shifted to Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The prominent structures in Ahmedabad are Ahmedabad Fort, Bhadrakali Fort and Jama Masjid. The fort is included in the World Heritage Sites. Rudramahalaya Jama Masjid and Champaner Fort in Champaner and Rani Ruda Devi's Vav of Adalaj are famous structures.
Among other monuments of Gujarat, Hoje-Qutub i.e. Kankaria Lake and Naginawadi, Dabhoi Fort, Khambhat and Dholka Mosques can be considered as the main monuments. Among the unique monuments of Ahmedabad, Sidi Syed's Jali is the world famous Sidi Syed's Jali of Vadnagar. Special types of jali carvings are seen in its windows. The extremely fine carvings have been prepared by carving in stone, which is considered a model of the world's finest architecture.
Sultan Qutub Shah of Ahmedabad had a lake named 'Hoje-Qutub' built, which later became known as 'Kankaria Lake', and a garden was also built in the middle of the lake, which is known as 'Naginawadi'.
A Jain sage named Padaliptasuri built Jain temples on the Shatrunjay hill in Palitana. Pawapuri and Palitana are the places with the highest number of temples on a hill in the world at one place. Twenty-four Tirthankaras reside here. Like Pawapuri and Samet Shikhar, Palitana is also a great pilgrimage site for Jains.
Paliya Paliya is a unique architectural form in Gujarat. Some heroic stories are associated with Paliya. Mostly, such paliyas are built at the place of death or at the place of their death. These paliyas are worshipped according to their date of the year. The best examples of paliyas in Gujarat include Bhuchar Mauryno Suraj Kunvarbano paliya near Jamnagar and Hamirji Gohil paliya near the Somnath temple.
Comments
Post a Comment