Architecture of North India
The architecture of India is rooted in its history, culture and religion. Indian
architecture progressed with time and assimilated the many influences that came
as a result of India's global discourse with other regions of the world throughout
its millennia-old past. The architectural methods practiced in India are a result of
examination and implementation of its established building traditions and outside
cultural interactions.
INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION (3300 BCE – 1700 BCE)
The Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BCE - 1700 BCE) covered a large area around
the Indus River basin and beyond. In its mature phase, from about 2600 to 1900
BCE, it produced several cities marked by great uniformity within and between
sites, including Harappa, Lothal, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mohenjodaro.
There are granaries, drains, water-courses and tanks, but neither palaces nor
temples have been identified, though cities have a central raised and fortified
"citadel". Mohenjo-daro has wells which may be the predecessors of the stepwell.
As many as 700 wells have been discovered in just one section of the city, leading
scholars to believe that 'cylindrical brick lined wells' were invented by the Indus
Valley Civilization.
The architectural decoration is extremely minimal, though there are "narrow
pointed niches" inside some buildings. Most of the art found is in miniature forms
like seals, and mainly in terracotta, but there are a very few larger sculptures of
figures. In most sites fired mud-brick (not sun-baked as in Mesopotamia) is used
exclusively as the building material, but a few such as Dholavira are in stone. Most
houses have two stories, and very uniform sizes and plans. The large cities
declined relatively quickly, for unknown reasons, leaving a less sophisticated
village culture behind.
Features of Indus Valley architecture:
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Grid pattern of cities
Advanced drainage system
Streets oriented from east to west
City walls: city surrounded by massive walls and gateways to control trade
and to prevent flooding.
 Each part of the city was made up of walled sections.
A city was divided into two parts:
 Acropolis: The important buildings, such as assembly halls, religious
structures, granaries and the great bath.
 Lower section: Housing for inhabitants and broad roads at right angles.
New cities such as Delhi have developed the grid pattern from the Indus Valley
civilization.
VEDIC AGE (1500 BCE - 500 BCE)
After the collapse of the Harappan civilization about 2000 BC, for hundreds of
years there were no more cities in India. The people of the Vedic Age were forest
dwellers.
 People lived in small villages with wooden palisade fences around them.
 Fences kept the sheep in and excluded wild animals.
 Most structures were rudimentary, made of seeds and bamboo thatched
with leaves. These materials were usually cut out from the primeval forest
 Houses were one-room cottages built out of plastered sticks and mud, with
thatched roofs in a barrel vault.
Richer people often had more than one house. They arranged small houses in a
circle or square to make a courtyard in the center. Sometimes rich people made
their houses out of mud-brick, and roofed them with wood shingles or clay tiles.
Gradually these villages grew into new cities. The government divided these new
cities into four parts. One quarter of the city had the government buildings. One
had the houses where people lived, and two of the quarters were for businesses.
The houses of indigenous groups of India have been influenced by that of the
Vedic Age. Some of the cultivators at the present time in India, notably in parts of
Bengal, still carve their homesteads out of the bamboo jungle.
The early immigrants or Vedic people want to protect themselves and their
property from the ravages of wild animals, and so they surrounded their little
collection of huts (grama) with a special kind of fence or palisade. This fence took
the form of a bamboo railing the upright posts (thabha) of which supported three
horizontal bars called suchi or needles, as they were threaded through holes in
the up rights. In the course of time this peculiar type of railing became the
emblem of protection and universally used, not only to enclose the villages, but as
a paling around fields, and eventually to preserve anything of a special or sacred
nature. In the palisade encircling the village, entrances also of a particular kind
were devised. These were formed by projecting a section of the bamboo fence at
right angles and placing a gateway in advance of it. From this bamboo gate way
derived the Buddhist archway known as the torana.
Indo-Islamic Architecture
The most famous Indo-Islamic style is Mughal architecture. Its most prominent
examples are the series of imperial mausolea, which started with the pivotal
Tomb of Humayun, but is best known for the Taj Mahal. The Red Fort at Agra
(1565–74) and the walled city of Fatehpur Sikri (1569–74) are among the
architectural achievements of this time—as is the Taj Mahal, built as a tomb for
Queen Mumtaz Mahal by Shah Jahan (1628–58). Employing the double dome, the
recessed archway, the depiction of any animal or human—an essential part of the
Indian tradition—was forbidden in places of worship under Islam. The Taj Mahal
does contain tilework of plant ornaments. The architecture during the Mughal
Period, with its rulers being of Turco-Mongol origin, has shown a notable blend of
Indian style combined with the Islamic. Taj Mahal in Agra, India is one of the
wonders of the world.
The Deccan sultanates in the Southern regions of the Indian subcontinent
developed the Indo-Islamic Deccani architectural styles like Charminar, Mecca
Masjid, Qutb Shahi Tombs and Gol Gumbaz.
Maratha Architecture
The Marathas ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the mid-17th to
the early 19th centuries. Their religious activity took full shape and soon the
skylines of Maharashtrian towns were dominated by rising temple spires. Old
forms returned with this 'renewal' of Hindu architecture, infused by the Sultanate
and later the Mughal traditions. The architecture of Maratha period was planned
with courtyards suited to tropical climates. The Maratha Architecture is known for
its simplicity, visible logic and austere aesthetic, made rich by beautiful detailing,
rhythm, and repetition. The aisles and arcades, punctured by delicate niches,
doors, and windows create space in which the articulation of open, semi-open
and covered areas is effortless and enchanting. The materials used during those
times for construction were –
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Thin bricks
Lime mortar
Lime plaster
Wooden columns
Stone bases
Basalt stone flooring
Brick pavements
Maharashtra is famous for its caves and rock-cut architectures. It is said that the
varieties found in Maharashtra are wider than the caves and rock-cut
architectures found in the rock-cut areas of Egypt, Assyria, Persia, and Greece.
The Buddhist monks first started these caves in the 2nd century BC, in search of
serene and peaceful environment for meditation, and they found these caves on
the hillsides.
After Independence
In recent times there has been a movement of population from rural areas to
urban centres of industry, leading to price rise in property in various cities of
India. Urban housing in India balances space constrictions and is aimed to serve
the working class. Growing awareness of ecology has influenced architecture in
India during modern times.
Climate responsive architecture has long been a feature of India's architecture but
has been losing its significance as of late. Indian architecture reflects its various
socio-cultural sensibilities which vary from region to region. Certain areas are
traditionally held to be belonging to women. Villages in India have features such
as courtyards, loggias, terraces and balconies. Calico, chintz, and palampore—of
Indian origin—highlight the assimilation of Indian textiles in global interior design.
Roshandans, which are skylights-cum-ventilators, are a common feature in Indian
homes, especially in North India.
British Colonial Era:
The British arrived in 1615 and over the centuries, gradually overthrew the
Maratha and Sikh empires and other small independent kingdoms. Britain was
present in India for over three hundred years and their legacy still remains
through some building and infrastructure that exist in their former colonies. The
major cities colonized during this period were Madras, Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi,
Agra, Bankipore, Karachi, Nagpur, Bhopal and Hyderabad, which saw the rise of
Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture.
St Andrews Kirk, Madras is known for its colonial architecture. The building is
circular in form and is sided by two rectangular sections one is the entrance
porch. The entrance is lined with twelve colonnades and two British lions and
motto of East India Company engraved on them. The interior holds sixteen
columns and the dome is painted blue with decorated with gold stars.
Black Town described in 1855 as "the minor streets, occupied by the natives are
numerous, irregular and of various dimensions. Many of them are extremely
narrow and ill-ventilated ... a hallow square, the rooms opening into a courtyard
in the centre."
Garden houses were originally used as weekend houses for recreational use by
the upper class British. Nonetheless, the garden house became ideal a full-time
dwelling, deserting the fort in the 19th Century.
Calcutta – Madras and Calcutta were similarly bordered by water and division of
Indian in the north and British in the south. An Englishwoman noted in 1750 "the
banks of the river are as one may say absolutely studded with elegant mansions
called here as at Madras, garden houses." Esplanade-row is fronts the fort with
lined palaces.
Indian villages in these areas consisted of clay and straw houses which later
transformed into the metropolis of brick and stone.
The Victoria Memorial in Calcutta is the most effective symbolism of British
Empire, built as a monument in tribute to Queen Victoria’s reign. The plan of the
building consists of one large central part covered with a larger dome. Colonnades
separate the two chambers. Each corner holds a smaller dome and is floored with
marble plinth. The memorial stands on 26 hectares of garden surrounded by
reflective pools.
A Brief Summary on Architecture Types
Colonial Architecture
Like all other aspects, colonization of India also had an impact on architecture
style. With colonization, a new chapter in Indian architecture began. The Dutch,
Portuguese and the French made their presence felt through their buildings but it
was the English who had a lasting impact on architecture.
Indo Islamic Architecture
The medieval period saw great developments in the field of architecture. With the
coming of Muslims to India, many new features came to be introduced in
buildings. The development of Muslim Style of Architecture of this period can be
called the Indo-Islamic Architecture or the Indian Architecture influenced by
Islamic Art. The Indo-Islamic style was neither strictly Islamic nor strictly Hindu.
Ancient Architecture
Indian architecture is as old as the history of the civilization. The earliest remains
of recognizable building activity in the India dates back to the Indus Valley cities.
Among India's ancient architectural remains, the most characteristic are the
temples, Chaityas, Viharas, Stupas and other religious structures.
Cave Architecture
The cave architecture in India is believed to have begun in the third century BC.
These caves were used by Buddhist and Jain monks as places of worship and
residence. Initially the caves were excavated in the western India. Some examples
of this type of cave structure are Chaityas and Viharas of Buddhists.
Rock Cut
The Rock-cut structures present the most spectacular piece of ancient Indian art
specimen. Most of the rock-cut structures were related to various religious
communities. In the beginning, remarkable Buddhist and Jain monuments were
produced in areas such as Bihar in the east and Maharashtra in the west.
Temple Architecture
In ancient India, temple architecture of high standard developed in almost all
regions. The distinct architectural style of temple construction in different parts
was a result of geographical, climatic, ethnic, racial, historical and linguistic
diversities. Ancient Indian temples are classified in three broad types. This
classification is based on different architectural styles, employed in the
construction of the temples.
Indian Architecture – Is it losing its Real Essence?
India is a country of rich history and culture and this reflects more in different
forms of artistic building structures. But urbanization is thought to steal the real
essence of Indian architecture. We cannot deny the fact that our country is
transforming rapidly, and during this process, our cities are totally losing the very
essence that once made them unique.
There is a big debate about where this ‘development’ would lead India to. In the
quest to become “modern”, will India lose its real soul and uniqueness?
Architecture in any country reflects the phase of development it is going through.
However, there is this huge need to find sustainability in construction, to make it
more capable of coping up with the distress that any building structure is exposed
to. The heritage structures and styles of Indian architecture are strong examples
of sustainable building and every developer should learn from it.