art and architecture of india

Art and Architecture of IndiaBy: Khushi Verma

India, thanks to the numerous invasions since early ages, has witnessed some of the most brilliant and

sprawling empires in the history of the world. Because of this, we are left with numerous

archeological wonders to discover.

Ajanta and Ellora CavesMaharashtra

Ajanta and Ellora CavesThe Ajanta and Ellora caves are one of the most

bewildering archaeological places in India.

They are located in Maharashtra. They have also been designated as a World Heritage

Site by UNESCO. These caves are not natural but man-made, built by

cutting huge granite hillside. It is said that caves were built by Buddhist, Hindu and

Jain monks, who worshiped and meditated in the caves.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

There are separate places in the caves believed to be as a meditation rooms.

The caves were discovered by a British army officer in 1819.

These are 34 in numbers and carved into sides of basaltic hill.

There are 12 caves that are dedicated to Buddhism , 17 dedicated to Hinduism and 5 dedicated to Jainism.

Caves 6 and 10 are especially unique as it house both the images of Buddhist and Hindu faith.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

The most illustrated structure of Ellora caves is the Kailasha temple, it is the largest monolithic construction in the world. It is in the cave 16 and considered one of

the greatest excavated architectural wonder of the world.

Iron PillarDelhi

Iron PillarFor 1600 years, this rustless wonder called the Iron Pillar

of India, near the Qutub Minar at Mehrauli in Delhi, continues to baffle contemporary scientists, who cannot determine the method of manufacture, which prevented

the iron from rusting for these last 16 centuries. The pillar has been brought here evidently from

somewhere else, as no other relics of the fourth century are found at the site.

According to the inscription on it, the pillar was erected at its original venue by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya and according to archaeologists, the column was originally located at a place called Vishnupadagiri (meaning "hill with footprint of Lord Vishnu").

Vishnupadagiri is located on the Tropic of Cancer and, therefore, was a centre of astronomical studies during the Gupta period. The Iron Pillar served as a sundial, when it was originally at Vishnupadagiri.

Gol GumbazKarnataka

Gol GumbazGol Gumbaz is the second largest dome in the world. The Gol Gumbaz is second in size only to St. Peter's

Basilica, Rome.

The architecture of Gol Gumbaz is unique in the sense that the four minarets themselves are the staircases, leading to the top dome. 

Gol Gumbaz is truly an amazing architectural wonder as the dome stands unsupported by pillars.

The most fascinating and remarkable feature of the Gol Gumbaz is its acoustical system. Even the faintest whisper around the dome echoes several times. 

 The Gol Gumbaz was built by Muhammad Adil Shah in the year 1656.

The dome contains tombs of Muhammad Adil Shah, his two wives, his mistress, his daughter and grandson.

Mettanchery SynagogueKerala

Mettanchery SynagogueThe Mettanchery or Paradesi Synagogue is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations.

A synagogue is the Jewish equivalent of a church, In 1568, the Jews of Kerala constructed the Paradesi

Synagogue adjacent to Mattancherry Palace, Cochin. The Paradesi Synagogue has the Scrolls of the Law,

several gold crowns received as gifts, many Belgian glass chandeliers, and a brass-railed pulpit. The floor of the synagogue is composed of hundreds of Chinese, 18th-century, hand-painted porcelain tiles, each of which is unique.

Kamakhya TempleAssam

Story of Kamakhya TempleOnce Sati fought with her husband Shiva to attend her father's great yagna. At the grand yagna, Sati's father Daksha insulted her husband. Sati was angered and in her shame, she jumped into the fire and killed herself. When Shiva came to know that his beloved wife had committed suicide, he went insane with rage.To calm him down, Vishnu cut the dead body with his chakra. The 108 places where Sati's body parts fell are called Shakti peeths. Kamakhya temple is special because Sati's womb and vagina fell here.Kamakhya devi is famous as the bleeding goddess. The mythical womb and vagina of Shakti are supposedly installed in the 'Garvagriha' or sanctum of the temple. In the month of Ashaad (June), the goddess bleeds or menstruates. At this time, the Brahmaputra river near Kamakhya turns red. The temple then remains closed for 3 days and holy water is distributed among the devotees of Kamakhya devi. There is no scientific proof that the blood actually turns the river red. Some people say that the priests pour vermilion into the waters. But symbolically, menstruation is the symbol of a woman's creativity and power to give birth. So, the deity and temple of Kamakhya celebrates this 'shakti' or power within every woman.

St. Thomas BasilicaChennai

St. Thomas BasilicaSt Thomas, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, arrived in Southern India - Tamilakam - in the

present day Indian state of Tamil Nadu from Judea in 52 A.D. and preached between 52 A.D. and 72 A.D.,

when he was martyred on St. Thomas Mount.It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese

 explorers, over the tomb of St Thomas

Tower of SilenceMaharashtra

Tower of SilenceTowers of silence, or dakhmas, are squat circular walled stone structures, inside which bodies of the deceased are exposed to birds who eat the flesh. The bones that remain after the flesh is consumed, are dried and bleached by the sun. The dried bones are collected and placed in a central, where in dry climates, they naturally disintegrate to a powder. The disintegration is so complete, one well has only five feet of accumulated powder after forty years. The towers are built on hill tops and are often surrounded by lush gardens. 

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