The Vedic AgeThe Vedic Age B.C. 1500 – 800

Class – II

B.Arch III sem

History of Architecture - I

The Vedic culture – End of II millenniumThe Vedic culture – End of II millennium

The The Aryans did not settleAryans did not settle into the well-planned into the well-planned

cities of the Harappan culture.cities of the Harappan culture.

Preferred Preferred to clear forests around the riverbanks of to clear forests around the riverbanks of

the Gangetic plain and settlethe Gangetic plain and settle in small villages. in small villages.

Due to the inherent dislike of a pastoral people to Due to the inherent dislike of a pastoral people to

settle in settle in one place for very longone place for very long, and thus , and thus their their

innate suspicion of any hint of permanenceinnate suspicion of any hint of permanence. .

They preferred to stick They preferred to stick with the tried and testedwith the tried and tested..

what is the importance of this period?what is the importance of this period?

No architectural No architectural examples of this examples of this

period are survivingperiod are surviving..

Early Early Aryan architectural forms Aryan architectural forms

were translated into the were translated into the

architecture of India for architecture of India for

thousands of yearsthousands of years..

The The caves of Ajanta and Ellora, caves of Ajanta and Ellora,

much of Buddhist architecturemuch of Buddhist architecture, ,

were directly influenced were directly influenced by the by the

simple village structures of the simple village structures of the

Aryan villagesAryan villages. . 

what are the sources….? what are the sources….?

These These ancient texts (Vedas) were ancient texts (Vedas) were

composed by the Aryan seers and composed by the Aryan seers and

handed down through generations handed down through generations

orally.orally.

The great epics - The great epics - the Mahabharata the Mahabharata

and the Ramayanaand the Ramayana -picture village -picture village

and town life during Aryavrata, or and town life during Aryavrata, or

the Aryan age.the Aryan age.

Carvings on the Stupas at Barhut Carvings on the Stupas at Barhut

and Sanchi - and Sanchi - depict Aryan village depict Aryan village

life vividly. life vividly. 

The Aryan VillageThe Aryan Village

Aryan invaders – Aryan invaders – familiar with the use of familiar with the use of

timber and able to adapt their carpentry timber and able to adapt their carpentry

skills easily to wooden structures.skills easily to wooden structures.

Simpler and easier to maintain , Simpler and easier to maintain , or to or to

rebuild in case of floods and rains.rebuild in case of floods and rains.

Brick structures – Brick structures – symbolic to the people symbolic to the people

whom they have conquered.whom they have conquered.

The early Aryan village – The early Aryan village – conglomerate of conglomerate of

timber and thatch huts of different types.timber and thatch huts of different types.

coming to Indiacoming to India The settlers The settlers gave up their gave up their

totally nomadic existence totally nomadic existence

and became part-and became part-

agriculturalistsagriculturalists

This This provided the impetus provided the impetus

to build villages, the basic to build villages, the basic

unit of which was the hutunit of which was the hut

For building material, For building material, the the

abundant forest provided abundant forest provided

ample raw stock. ample raw stock.

Aryans Residential unitAryans Residential unit

The Aryan hut - The Aryan hut - basic basic

shape - circular in plan - shape - circular in plan -

with a thatched roof over a with a thatched roof over a

bamboo network of ribs. bamboo network of ribs.

Later elongated to become Later elongated to become

rectangular in plan, with rectangular in plan, with

roofing of bamboo - curved roofing of bamboo - curved

in the shape of a barrel. in the shape of a barrel.

The roof made in The roof made in bent bamboos – bent bamboos –

conical or domical shape, made water conical or domical shape, made water

tight with overlapping thatch or grass.tight with overlapping thatch or grass.

Two or three groups of hutsTwo or three groups of huts were were

arranged around open courtyard.arranged around open courtyard.

A A conglomerate of such unitsconglomerate of such units – typical – typical

Aryan villageAryan village

The three stages of Vedic houseThe three stages of Vedic house ………………

Clusters of these huts(grama) Clusters of these huts(grama)

formed a courtyard – formed a courtyard – resembles resembles

huts in Indian villages even today.huts in Indian villages even today.

The better-off citizens roofed The better-off citizens roofed

them with them with planks of wood or tiles, planks of wood or tiles,

and used unbaked bricks for the and used unbaked bricks for the

wallswalls

To maintain the barrel shape of To maintain the barrel shape of

the roof, the roof, a thong or string, a thong or string,

perhaps of animal hide, was perhaps of animal hide, was

stretched across the end of the stretched across the end of the

bamboo.bamboo.  

For protection against For protection against

wild animals - wild animals - a palisade a palisade

fence of wood and fence of wood and

bamboo surrounded the bamboo surrounded the

whole settlement.whole settlement.

This fence was made of This fence was made of

upright posts(thabha) of upright posts(thabha) of

bamboo with horizontal bamboo with horizontal

members(suchi) members(suchi)

threaded into holes in threaded into holes in

posts.posts.

Controlled entry – Controlled entry – cattle cattle

to pass to and fro of to pass to and fro of

pasturage.pasturage.

City of Kasingara near City of Kasingara near Magadha , in BiharMagadha , in Bihar

At one point, At one point, the fence the fence

was extended forward was extended forward

to form a sort of gate – to form a sort of gate –

GramadwaraGramadwara

These forms - the barrel These forms - the barrel

vaulted roof, the tie-vaulted roof, the tie-

cord, and the palisade cord, and the palisade

fence and railing, fence and railing,

formed important formed important

motifs for future Indian motifs for future Indian

Architecture. Architecture. Eg:Torana

– archway.archway.

Huts in modern Huts in modern

Orissa -one of the Orissa -one of the

poorest Indian states poorest Indian states

- - carrying traces of carrying traces of

this influence, with this influence, with

symbolism dating symbolism dating

back to Vedic times.back to Vedic times.

With the conversion of the early Vedic With the conversion of the early Vedic

people into agriculturalists, people into agriculturalists, a growing a growing

rivalry for precious fertile land was rivalry for precious fertile land was

inevitable. inevitable.

Groups of small villages banded Groups of small villages banded

together, and together, and small 'cities' began to small 'cities' began to

take shape take shape

Material and Construction …..Material and Construction …..

A A palisade wall inevitably protected the cities and palisade wall inevitably protected the cities and

the buildings withinthe buildings within made entirely of wood. made entirely of wood.

The Vedic carpenters developed The Vedic carpenters developed skill in timber skill in timber

construction of a very high standardconstruction of a very high standard..

In later ages In later ages timber construction techniques were timber construction techniques were

employed even though the material of construction employed even though the material of construction

was radically different - i.e. stone. was radically different - i.e. stone. 

Layout of ideal Vedic Village - ArthashastraLayout of ideal Vedic Village - Arthashastra

The cities of the Vedic period - The cities of the Vedic period -

rectangular in plan.rectangular in plan. Divided into Divided into

four quarters by two main four quarters by two main

thoroughfares intersecting at right thoroughfares intersecting at right

angles, each leading to a city gateangles, each leading to a city gate. .

One of these One of these quarters contained quarters contained

the citadel and another housed the the citadel and another housed the

residential area. residential area.

A third quarter was reserved for A third quarter was reserved for

the merchants, and the last for the merchants, and the last for

tradesmen who could display their tradesmen who could display their

wares. wares. 

citadel

merchants

residential

tradesmen

End of Vedic Age….End of Vedic Age…. An ideal town was laid out An ideal town was laid out as square with grid as square with grid

iron pattern.iron pattern.

The main streets – The main streets – north south north south

directions,remaining three east west directions,remaining three east west

directions.directions.

A A number of the living cities of today are built number of the living cities of today are built

over ancient sites.over ancient sites.

From these modest beginnings, From these modest beginnings, early Hindu early Hindu

architecture gradually metamorphosed into architecture gradually metamorphosed into

the magnificent Buddhist stupas and the rock-the magnificent Buddhist stupas and the rock-

cut caves at Ajanta.cut caves at Ajanta.