Early iron ages in India, architecture

The Early Iron Age in India (traditionally c. 1500–600 BCE, with even earlier evidence in Tamil Nadu) marked a transformative era when the use of iron tools and weapons became widespread. This technological leap enabled major advancements in agriculture, settlement patterns, and warfare, leading to improved efficiency in land cultivation and clearing. Key archaeological cultures include the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) in the Gangetic plains and megalithic traditions in the south. The period saw the emergence of janapadas (clan kingdoms), the development of early state systems, and social stratification. Ironworking also fostered the growth of urban centers, regional trade, and contributed to foundational religious and cultural changes linked to later Vedic and epic traditions. Recent discoveries suggest independent, early development of iron smelting technology in the Indian subcontinent, challenging earlier views that it was imported.

1. UNIT-3

2. ▪BeginningofHinduTempleArchitectureunderthe
GuptasandChalukyas.
▪AppearanceandEvolution:
▪AiholeofexamplessuchasLadhKhan,Durga,
Maleguti
▪ExperimentsatBadami,
INDEX

3. Introduction
•TheGuptadynastywasfoundedbySrigupta.
•TimelineOfGuptaempireisabout(319-550AD).
•ThemainrulersofthisdynastywereSamudraguptaandChandragupta-Il
(Vikramaditya).
•TheGuptaeraisalsoknownasgoldenerainIndianhistory.(Art,
Architecture,Litrature,Culture)

11. 4

19. INTRODUCTION:-
•TheChalukyasweredominantpowerin
theDeccanduring6thto8thcenturyAD.
Andagainduring10thcenturyAD,they
regainedtheirpowerandruledtill12
century.
•TheChalukyaswhoruledfromBadami
weretheWesternChalukyas.Theone
whoruledfromKalyaniarereferredas
LaterWesternChalukyasandthe
ChalukyasofVengiareknowntothe
historiansastheEasternChalukyas.
•ThelegendaryhistoryoftheChalukyas
makestheiroriginverycontroversial.

20. ▪CHALUKYASclaimeddescentfromPulakesinI(reigned543-
566),whoestablishedhimselfatBadami(inBijapur)andwho
assertedtheirindependenceatthedeclineoftheSatavahana
empireandrapidlyrosetoprominenceduringthereignof
PulakesinII(reigned609–642).
▪TheEarlyChalukyasheldpowerinnorthernKarnatakafromthe
6thcenturyuntil757,andwererivalstothePallavas.Vengi(in
EastAndhraPradesh)becamethecentreoftheEasternChalukya
dynasty,whichruledtherefrom624untilthe11thcentury,
survivingthefalloftheEarlyChalukyasinBadami.
▪TheLateChalukyasgainedascendancyintheDeccanabout973,
centeredatKalyani.ThehistoryoftheKalyaniChalukya
kingdomwaslargelyoneofwarwiththeCholasanddefense
againsttheincursionsoftheTurksandArabswhowere
plunderingNorthIndia.Thekingdombrokeupin1189.
INDIAN MAP SHOWING
CHALUKYAN DYNASTY
BADAMI

21. Thearchitecturefallsintotwodistincttypes
(i)Rock-cut
(ii)Structural.
•TheChalukyanarchitecturehaditsbeginningatAIHOLEandBADAMIandtheadjacent
PATTADAKAL.
•AtAiholeitwasagroupofstonebuiltshrines,whichnowlyedecayedintheBijapur
districtofDharwarregion.Mostofthesestructureserectedduring450AD-650ADare
BrahminicalshrinesandafewconfirmtoJainbelief.
•Itmaybededucedthatthe'Hindustructuraltemplearchitecturethatflourishedinthe
centralandtheDeccanregion,atalaterdate,haditsoriginandgenesisinthesestone
builtshrinesandrockcutpillaredhallsintheneighboringtownsofBadami.

24. ARCHITECTURE ATAIHOLE
▪AIHOLE,famousas'TheCradleofIndianTempleArchitecture'hastemplesintricatelycarved
andrichindetail.TheserepresentthebestofChalukyanarchitecture.
▪ThreesignificanttemplesatAiholeare–
1)TheLadhKhanTemple,
(2)TheDurga(Fort)Templeand
(3)HucchimalligudiTemple.
▪Othertemplesthatmeritmentionare–
(1)TheRavalphadiCaveTemple,
(2)TheKontiTempleComplex,
(3)TheUmaMaheshwariTemple
(4)TheJainMegutiTemple
(5)TwostoriedBuddhistTemple.

25. STRUCTURAL TEMPLES AT AIHOLE.
▪It is the oldest structural temple in India
▪The temple stands on square plan of 15 m side with high platform.
▪It consists of an open pillared porch, leading to a large square mantapawith two square
groups of Originally Aryapura, in Kannada before Ayya-Holaluand with adding Halli
(village) it became Ayya-HolaluHalliand finally abbreviated to Aihole. It is about 27 km.
from Badami.
▪Pillars one within the other thus providing double aisle all-round. IT is a single cellular
Nandi shrine, in a square chamber measuring 50 ft side.
▪This temple has certain characteristics of rock cut chambers.
LADH KHAN TEMPLE AT AIHOLE* (5TH CENTURY).

26. •Thisisaflatroofstructurewithasupplementarystoryaddedatalaterstage.
•Thethreesideshaveawalledorastonegrilledenclosureandtheeasternfronthasan
openpillaredportico.
•ThepillarsofthisMandapaarecarvedwithGanga-Yamunamotif.Thisperhapswas
firstMandapaofitskind,whichwaslaterperfectedinthematuredDravidiantemple
architecturecenturieslater.
•Intermsofarchitecturethistempleissignificantbecauseoftwofeatures,whichwent
ontobecomeimportantcharacteristicfeaturesofthelaterChalukyantemplesand
subsequentDravidianorder_
•(1)Pilastersattheexteriorcornershaveataperingupperendoftheshaftandhasa
capitalwithaprojectingabacus,whichinturnsupportsthebracketsabove.
•(2)Thegroovedjointsofthestoneslabsprotectedandheldtogetherbylongitudinal
stonesofsmallersectionfittedintosuchgrooves.

27. LADH KHAN TEMPLE AT AIHOLE

32. ARCHITECTURE ATBADAMI
ThereisaclusterofrockcuthallsatBadamiwhichhousethreeHinduandoneJain
temples.
(A)ROCK-CUT CAVE TEMPLES AT
BADAMI.
•TheChalukyancapitalcityBadamiwasprotectedbyafort
wallsurroundedbyamoat.
•Badamiwasalsoareligiouscentre.Goddess
`Banashankari'(thedeityofvegetation)wasthepresiding
deity.Afestivalisheldannuallyinherhonouronthefull
moondayinthemonthof`Paushya‘
•Mostinterestingthingfromarchitecturalpointofviewis
aseriesoffourcavetempleshewnfromtoptobottomin
thescrapofasouthernhillcalledRanmandal(Fortof
battlefield).TheseareBrahminicalinnature,oneshaivite,
twoVishnavites,andthefourthbelongstoJains.
Fortwallsurroundedbyamoat
Dancingshivainbadami

33. ROCK-CUT CAVE TEMPLES AT BADAMI.
▪(I)CAVEI(SHAIVACAVE):-
▪Thiscaveisonthesouthernhillandcanbereachedbyclimbingabout35steps.
▪ThisisLshapedcave,andmeasures14mlongand7.5mdeepandfacestowards
north.
▪Thecaveconsistsofpillaredverandah,ahallandasmallsquarecellhewndeepinto
therock.
▪Ontheleftsideofthepillaredhall,andoutsidethecavepropersculptureof`Natraj'
witheighteenhandsiscarved.
▪TherightofNatrajthereisacompartmentcontainingtheimage
MahishasuraMardini'killingthedemon.
▪CaveI(Karnataka)withabeltofdwarfscarvedinwithher`Trishul'(aweaponof
Shiva)orthefrontfaceandaNatrajsculpturecarvedatwesternend.
▪Theceilingoftheverandahiscarvedwithhuge`Naga'withhumanformandfive
hoods.Itissurroundedbybirdsandhybridcreatures`yalis'(hippogryph).
▪Thefoursquarepillarsoftheverandahandhallareexquisitelycarvedwithanimal
figureslikelion,elephant,amakara.Thepillarshaveribbedshaftsandcapitals
containingbas-reliefofgodswithamalakatypecushions.
SHIVA IN CAVE I

34. ▪CaveII(VaishnavaCave).
▪Thecavecanbereachedbyclimbingabout65stepsfromcaveItowardseast.Likethe
first,italsofacestowardsnorth.
▪Thefourpillarsoftheverandaharecarvedwithbandsofornamentsandbracketscontain
animalsculpture.
▪Ontheeasternwalloftheverandah,isahugeimageof`Varaha'(hog)-thethird
incarnationofLordVishnuholdingthe`Prithvi'theearthonhissnouttosaveitfrom
legendaryoceanic.
▪Onthewesternwallthereisahugesculptureof`Tri-vikrama'(anincarnationofVishnu)
witheighthandsandholdsdiscus,sword,maceandbow.
▪Theceilingisfullofscenesbasedonmythologicalstories.
▪Themandapmeasuresabout10mlongand7mwidandstandsoneightmassivepillars
3.5mhighwitcapitalscontainingyalis,lions,lovingcouples,etc.

35. ROCK-CUT CAVE TEMPLES AT BADAMI.

36. ▪CaveIII(VaishmavaCave)
▪Thiscavecanbereachedbyclimbingaboutsixtystepsfrom
cavetowardseast,aftercrossingthroughadoorwhich
containsinscription.
▪Thiscaveisabout21mlongand15mdeepwithhigh
platform,thefrontfaceofwhichfilledwithdelightfuldwarfs
playingthemusicalinstruments.
▪Theartistscreatedanillusionandimpressionofmotion
effectivelyinstone.
▪Thehallissupportedbysixmassivepillarsandtwopilasters,
whichareexuberantlycarvedwidthbracketfigures.
▪Hugeimageof`Narasimha;3mhighcarvedonwestern
walloftheverandahattractsthevisitors.
▪Therearefragmentoflivelyfrescoespaintedingreenandred
colours.
Pillars in cave iii

38. ▪CaveIV(JainCave).
▪ThiscavebelongingtoJainissituatedattopofthehill.
▪ThereistheJainstempleor`basti'.Legendgoesthatthesculptorsusedthestoneassimplyasthatofwax
or`Mena'andhenceallthecavesofBadamicametobeknownas`Mena-Basti'meaningJaintemple
madeofwax.
▪Thiscaveisdedicatedto`AdinathTrithankara'.
▪Thefourpillarsoftheverandah(10mx`5m}havewidecapitalscontainingthehybridcreatures-yalis
supportingtheeaveofthecave.–
▪Thebaseofeachpillariscarvedintheformofsedentarylionssymbolingthestrength.
▪Leftwallbearstheimageof`Parshvanath'attendedbyYakshasandYakshinisBesidehimthereare
twenty-eightsculpturesofJainaTirihankars,
▪Theentrancedooroftheshrineisbeautifullycarvedandflankedbytwo`Dwarpalakas'

39. STRUCTURAL TEMPLEATBADAMI.
▪Inadditiontotherock-cutcavetemples,atBadamiChalukyansalsobuiltseveral
structuraltemplesalongtheedgeofthelakeandhilltops.
MalegittiShivalayaatBadami(740A.D.).
•Thetemplestandsonhillsonthenorthsideof
Badami.
•Itcontainsaporchassemblyhallandashrine.
Thesquareporchconsistsoflargemonolithic
pillarswithheavybracketcapitals.
•TheentranceisguardedbytwoDwarpalakas.
•SculpturesofShivaandVishnuattheback,are
carvedonthesouthandnorthwallsofthetemple
intowhicharebuiltsquareperforatedstone
windows.
VIEW

40. MALEGITTISHIVALAYAAT BADAMI (740 A.D.).
▪MalegittiShivalayaistheancienttempleofLordShiva.Thecompletebuildingofthetempleismade
outofstone.Thistemplewasbuiltduringthe7thcenturyandisrelevanttothePallavasstyleof
architecture.Itcontainsaporchassemblyhallandashrine.
▪Thesquareporchconsistsoflargemonolithicpillarswithheavybracketcapitals.Thehighplinth
containsarowoftheloinandelephantsymbollingstrength..Thefortconsistsofanunderground
secretchamber.Thepillarsandbeamsareexquisitelycarvedanddecoratedwithincidentsfrom
RamayanaandMahabharata.ThetempleischaracterisedbyRekha-Nagarshikhara,i.e.abeehive-
shapedcurvilinearsomewhatconicaltower.