VEDIC CIVILIZATION LECTURE Foundation of Hindu Culture VEDIC CIVILIZATION After decay of the Indus Civilization when the art of building again comes into view this no longer consists of well laid out cities of finished masonry, but takes a much more rudimentary form of village huts being constructed of reeds and leaves and hidden in the depths of forest. The culture of the people begins again. The study of Vedic Culture provides for the first efforts being made in response to a need, before any ideas of architectural effect were conceived. LECTURE The difference between the Indus valley inhabitants and those who are responsible of this culture is fairly clear as there was a wide difference in the conditions under which each of these population existed, I their mode of life, and notably in the type of building produced by the method of living. VEDIC CIVILIZATION According to some historians, Around 1,500 BC, speakers of Indo- European languages gradually infiltrated the Indian subcontinent. These people referred to themselves as Arya(Aryan). LECTURE As historians do not have much archaeological evidence for this era, they rely on the sacred book of hymns composed by these people. These scared books are known as Vedas: hence this lecture will refer to the Vedic Civilization. VEDIC CIVILIZATION VEDAS A collection, in multiple volumes, of hymns, rituals, and philosophies The vedas include stories that attempt to explain how the world was created, who the gods are, etc. Thought to be the earliest written texts Oldest one is the Rig Veda. Other vedas were eventually composed later. Rig veda – the veda of verses, is a collection of poems, hymns and invocations of deities, reflecting myths, rites, battles and insights of many kinds. Texts and procedures for rituals and rites of brahmanans are generally derived from it. Yajur veda – the veda of chants consists of verse (poetry) and prose (writing style) largely concerned with rituals. LECTURE Saama veda – the veda of sacrificial formulas on the other hand, consists mostly of parts of rigvedam set to music, and a few (less than 100) stanzas of its own. But the tune of rendering (chanting) saamavedam is totally different from that of rigvedam and yajurvedam, and is melodious. Athharwa veda – the veda of atharva priests, is somewhat similar to rigvedam, but with stress on the practical aspects, and is probably addressed to a different stratum of society. VEDIC CIVILIZATION VEDIC VILLAGE • Primary Building Material: Earth and timber, The surrounding forests provided ample building material in the form of bamboo and mud. • The aryan hut in its most basic shape was circular in plan with a thatched roof over a network of bamboo ribs. LECTURE • Cluster of these huts formed a courtyard. • To protect themselves and their property from the ravage of wild animals, they have surrounded their collection of huts with a special kind of fence or palisade. • Huts were arranged in threes and fours around the square courtyard. VEDIC CIVILIZATION • Towards the middle of first millennium BC, the social system expanded such town arose at certain imp centers and were reproduced at larger scale and more substantial form. o Strongly fortified o Surrounded by ramparts and wooden palisades o Buildings almost always of wood LECTURE • Era of Timber Construction It is not surprising, therefore, that in later ages timber construction techniques were employed even though the material of construction was radically different - i.e. stone. VEDIC CIVILIZATION VEDIC VILLAGE • Palisade encircling the village entrance were of a particular kind. LECTURE • In course of time these peculiar railing became emblem of protection, used not only to enclose the village, but o Paling around fields o Eventually anything sacred in nature. • In another form it still survives as Gopurams(cow-gate) and Buddhist archways like Toranas. VEDIC GATEWAY GOPURAM VEDIC CIVILIZATION VEDIC VILLAGE LECTURE THE STAGES OF VEDIC HOUSES… VEDIC CIVILIZATION VEDIC VILLAGE: Planning The planning of the village was organic in the way that it was planned according to the a User groups/varnas function in the Society. LECTURE Society was divided into the four varnas – • The brahmans who were the center of all knowldege, • the kshatriyas – who were the controllers of political power, • the vaishyas- who were tradesmen and farmers and the shudras – who were the artisans and the craftsmen THE CITIES OF THE VEDIC PERIOD: • • • RECTANGULAR IN PLAN DIVIDED INTO FOUR QUARTERS BY TWO MAIN THOROUGHFARES INTERSECTING AT RIGHT ANGLES, EACH LEADING TO A CITY GATE. ONE QUARTER HAD CITADEL & ROYAL APPARTMENT. VEDIC CIVILIZATION About, 450 BC the three kingdoms of Kashi, Koshala and Magadh were maneuvered and unlike Indus civilization over the course of history most of the cities of Ganges river plains of these kingdoms have been continuously inhabited and rebuilt. LECTURE Important town were: Saraswati, Champa, Rajagriha, Ayodhya, Kaushambi and Kashi. 10 VEDIC CIVILIZATION KASHI : ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST LIVING CITY (FROM 1200 – 1000 BCE) The ganges was at the center of vedic mythology. At varanasi, on the ganges , even today vestiges of vedic rituals continue. Varanasi was founded as the capital of the kashi mahajanapada but lost its political importance after being conquered by kosala and then Magadha around 600 BCE. It developed, however , into a leading religious site. When Buddha gained enlightenment, his first stop was varanasi. (Sarnath is a mere 16km away) LECTURE The city is built on a natural berm, located on the northwestern banks of the ganges at a point where the river makes a sharp right turn, flowing north and then west. The high berm (built up with karkar or lime concretion) not only ensures that the city enjoys a dramatic prospect, some 15 meters above the normal level of the water, it also ensures that the city is protected form the river’s floods, the impact of which is born by the opposite shore. VEDIC CIVILIZATION THE GHATS AND THE RIVER HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT OF ‘SHIVA AND SHAKTI’ - THE GANGES BEING ‘SHAKTI’. BENARAS BECAME THE CENTER FOR LEARNING OF ARYAN RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY., CLASSSICAL LECTURE MUSIC AND DANCE. THE CITY ALSO FLOURISHED AS AN INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC CENTER FAMOUS FOR ITS MUSLIN AND SILK FABRICS, IVORY WORKS, PERFUMERY AND SCULPTURES. THE VISHWESHWAR TEMPLE IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE PILLAR AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD – OR ‘AXIS MUNDI’ VEDIC CIVILIZATION PHILOSOPHY The pattern of traditional and royal cities of india mostly duplicates a celestial archetype , reflecting cosmo-magical powerr. Pilgrims to the city take the five sacred routes (parikrama) from the outer circle to the inner circle reaching to the highest at the inner sanctum. Each of the five journeys starts and ends at the visveshwara shiva temple situated just off the ghats of benaras. LECTURE This idea runs parallel to a shrinking world but expanding universe. It also shows parallels with shiva’s dance symbolizing cosmic cycles of creation and destruction and also the daily rhythm of life and death. VEDIC CIVILIZATION Conclusion Although an interval of two thousand years between Vedic and Mughals, both were extremely similar in planning. HOW? But whereas the pavilions of Mughals were of marble, even the royal residence of Vedics hadn’t advanced over thatched roofs. One example from the vedic era survives and shows some efforts were made to produce stone masonary. Seen in city wall of Rajgriha capital of Magadha. Height of 12 feet. Superstructure of wood & brick LECTURE Some system found at a Pelagium of Acropolis at Athens, which os probably Contemporary. VEDIC CIVILIZATION Q&A LECTURE How was Vedic city planned and what kind of architectural style developed during that period? Explain with the help of suitable examples.
