Gupta Architecture

This article deals with topic titled ‘Gupta Architecture .’ This is part of our series on ‘Culture’  . For more articles , you can click here

Introduction

• In Gupta age ,  Rock cut architecture was at its  zenith &  also marks the starting of free standing temples.
• Many art historians prefer to call Gupta period Art as Religious Art
  • Utilitarian Art during Harappan Civilization
  • Court Art during Mauryan Period
  • Religious Art during Gupta Period.
• Art and architecture becomes complex. The earlier designs displaying simple pleasures of life gave way to contemplative & spiritual vision.
• Large scale temple construction took place.
• For the first time , a clear & distinctive development between Sculpture, Architecture & Painting can be seen.
• Major centers of Gupta art were
  • Sarnath
  • Mathura
  • Nalanda

Free Standing Temples

1 . Dashawatara temple

• Location : Deograh near Jhansi of UP
• Discovered by Captain Charles Strahan & named by Sir  Alexander Cunningham
• Made of sandstone.
• Panchayatana style ie main shrine built on rectangular plinth with four smaller subsidiary shrines at four corners
  • Panch = 5
  • Yatana = Square

• Temple depicts Vishnu in various forms and named so because of this
• Due to this, it is assumed that four subsidiary shrines must have housed Vishnu’s avatars but not known to whom four shrines were originally dedicated
• Temple is west facing (all other modern temples east facing)

Sculpture at Dashawatara temple

There are three main reliefs of Vishnu on the temple walls: Sheshnag on the south, Nara- Narayan on the east and Gajendramoksha on the west.

Sheshnag   Vishnu	– Headgear, ornamentation of Vishnu are important to notice
Nara Narayana Vishnu	– Shows the discussion between the human soul and the eternal divine.
Gajendramoksha	– Is the story of achieving moksha, symbolically communicated by Vishnu’s suppression of an asura who had taken the form of an elephant

2. Bhitargaon temple

• Situated in Kanpur, UP
• One of the Oldest remaining Hindu temple & built by Guptas

Stupa Architecture

• Although they favoured Brahmanism with Vishnu as their principle deity, but they continued to patronage Buddhism as well.
• Three famous stupas of their age were
  • Sarnath (UP)
  • Ratnagiri (Odisha)
  • Mirpur Khas (Sind)
• Older idea of hemi spherical shape changed to new shapes
• Large use of brick and less use of stone (bricks are not in Harappan posture and smaller than Harappan Period)

1 . Dhamekh Stupa

• Location Sarnarth at Deer Park where Budha gave first sermon

• Inscription dated 1026 says its older name is Dhammachakra Stupa
• Beneath this another stupa having Mauryan bricks is found
• Dhamek Stupa was built in 500 CE to  replace an earlier structure commissioned by the great Mauryan king Ashoka in 249 BCE

2. Ratnagiri Stupa

• In Odisha
• Is in ruins
• Large number of votive stupas in stone are also found here from where shape of main stupa can be easily judged
• Shape of Gateway was also different than those of Sanchi
• Several Giant head structures of Buddha are also found here