A Journey Through Indian Architecture | NCERT Class 8th | Notes | Social Science

The Beginnings

• The Indus/Harappan/Indus-Sarasvati civilisation was studied in Grade 6 in the chapter ‘The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation’, and its architecture represents the earliest known tradition of urban planning and construction in the Indian subcontinent.
• Harappan architecture was characterised by carefully laid-out cities, standardised urban concepts, and a strong emphasis on drainage, water management, and civic organisation.
• Most Harappan cities were built using bricks, because they were located in alluvial plains where clay was abundantly available.
• Mohenjo-daro, located in present-day Sindh, Pakistan, was an extensive and densely inhabited Harappan city with wide streets and narrow lanes roughly oriented to the cardinal directions.
• In Mohenjo-daro, almost every home had a bathing area, and used water was carried out of the city through an efficient network of drains, reflecting advanced sanitation and water management.
• The plan of a large house in Mohenjo-daro suggests that servants lived downstairs, while the owners probably lived upstairs, where they were less exposed to the dust and noise of the surrounding streets.
• Dholavira, situated in the Rann of Kachchh, was another large Harappan city noted for its precise urban planning.
• Unlike most other Harappan cities, Dholavira made extensive use of stone in construction because stone was locally available in the region.
• The highest and most fortified area of Dholavira was named the ‘Castle’, and it had smoothly finished blocks of stone along with a large sentinel room on the left, where guards likely screened people entering or leaving the city.
• Two highly polished segments of a stone pillar remain visible at the centre of Dholavira’s fortified area, indicating advanced craftsmanship and the use of polished stone in Harappan architecture.

Structural Stupa Architecture

• From the 4th or 3rd century BCE onwards, with the rise of Buddhism, several new architectural forms emerged in north India and gradually spread to other regions.
• Thousands of stupas—dome-shaped structures housing relics of the Buddha or revered monks—were constructed using bricks or stone.
• Larger stupas developed into complex ritual centres, featuring railings, gateways, and elaborate carved panels, often narrating episodes from the Buddha’s life.
• A panel at Bharhut depicts people worshipping the stupa there, providing clear evidence of early stupa worship.
• In the early phase of Buddhist art, the Buddha was represented symbolically rather than in human form, through objects such as footprints, the wheel of dharma, or the stupa itself.
• The main stupa at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh was originally commissioned or patronised by Aśhoka and represents the earliest phase of monumental religious stone architecture in India.
• The Sanchi stupa has massive toraṇas, or ornamental gateways, which depict many scenes of both urban and village life.
• A worshipper entering through a toraṇa would circumambulate, that is, walk around the stupa, within the enclosure formed by railings called the vedikā.
• The Bharhut stupa, also in Madhya Pradesh, was similarly enclosed by richly carved stone railings and bore numerous inscriptions recording the names of donors.
• Stupas are also common in Jainism, showing that this architectural form was not limited to Buddhism.
• With diverse dimensions and shapes, the stupa form of religious architecture spread across India and beyond, including famous monuments such as Borobudur.