Architecture During Gupta Age

Features of Art & Architecture During the Gupta Age

Gupta period is referred to as the Golden Age due to its cultural heritage which is found in the fields of art & architecture, language & literature.
Gupta period was marked by political stability and prosperity which resulted in art & architecture in India to reach its creative heights.
Gupta Art & Architecture was largely Indigenous with very limited or no foreign influence which was very clear in earlier ages.
Most of the architecture surviving from the Gupta Age is religious in character.

Shrines of Temples were of three kinds During Gupta Age:

Sandhara type: Temples without pradakshinapatha
Nirandhara type: Temples with pradakshinapatha
Sarvatobhadra type: Temples which can be accessed from sides

Temples During Gupta Times

Material used: Construction of temple was done using dry stone masonry in the desired shape & form.
Binding agent: There was no use of mortar. Tenon & groove method was used for joining the stones where one block of stone tenon was inserted in the hole in which the hole was created.
Plan of temple:
Basic plan for temples emerged which became the standard for temples in India.
This plan had a simple square cell with a flat roof fronted by a low-pillared porch or mandapa.
The square cell was the garbhagriha where the presiding deity of the temple was placed.
The garbhagriha was small (10ft by 10ft), just enough to enclose the image of the deity.
Extended porch with pillars was for the devotees standing in front of the deity.
Interiors of these temples was plain. However, there was rich decoration on doorways.

Examples of Gupta Age Stone Temples:

Temple no. 17 at Sanchi in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh
Kankali Devi Temple at Tigawa in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
Parvati Temple at Nacana-Kathura in Panna, Madhya Pradesh
Shiva Temple at Bhumara in Satna, Madya Pradesh
Dasavatara temple at Deogarh in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh

Examples of Brick Temples from Gupta Times:

Brick temple at Bhitargaon in Kanpur, UP
Brick temple at Sirpur in Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Later Gupta Temples

These temples were built on a raised plinth and had a shikhara (spire). Examples include Dashavatara temple at Deogarh and Bhitargaon temple both of which had curvilinear shikharas.

Gupta Temple at Sanchi:

Nacana Kathura Temple, Jabalpur:

Dedicated to Goddess Parvati.
This temple is built on a raised platform.
This temple has a square garbhagriha and has a flat roof.
This temple is west facing unlike most Indian temples which face the east.
The temple has a passageway along all sides known as Pradakshinapath.

Figure of Nacana Kathura Temple in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

Bhitargaon Temple, Kanpur:

This temple was constructed using bricks.
The outer walls of Bhitargaon temple are decorated using terracotta panels that depict mythological scenes.
This temple provides the earliest example of the true arch in India.

Brahmanical Rock-Cut Cave

Udayagiri Cave:

They are a group of 22 rock-cut caves in Vidisha district of MP.
Three of the caves bear inscriptions of Gupta kings. Two from Chandragupta II and one from Kumaragupta’s reign.
These caves are dedicated to Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva and Jainism.
They are oldest Hindu cave temples in India and have best preserved sculptural representation of Hindu deities.
Famous sculptures found in Udayagiri Caves
- Varaha panel: Most impressive representation in Udayagiri caves. This is colossal relief sculpture excavated on the wall of Varaha (boar avatar of Vishnu) rescuing Earth from drowning in the ocean.
- Ekamukhalingam Shiva
- Sculpture of Kartikeya.

Buddhist Religious Architecture During Gupta Times

Many Buddhist stupas, chaityas and viharas were built during the Gupta period.

Stupas During Gupta Age:

Dhamekh stupa at Sarnath was enlarged and layered with stones carved with beautiful scroll work & geometric designs.

Buddhist Rock-Cut Cave Architecture

Prominent examples of Buddhist rock-cut architecture in Gupta period at Ajanta caves and Bagh caves.
Rock cut caves during this time were excavated under the patronage of Gupta and Vakataka rulers.
Mahayana sect became the most popular Buddhist sect during the Gupta age. Thus, Mahayana monks largely occupied these caves.
Since the Mahayanists believe in image worship of Buddha, there is rich sculptural & painted representation of Buddha and Bodhisattvas in human form.

Ajanta Caves

Bagh Caves

This site has 9 rock-cut Buddhist caves belonging to 500-600 AD.
It is located 150 km north of Ajanta caves in Vindhyas in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh on the banks of Bhagini River, a tributary of Narmada River.
Although Bagh caves are similar in plan and arrangement to Ajanta caves, but in terms of ornamentation these caves are simpler and plain.
These caves were residential cells (viharas) with a large central cell
Mural paintings: Bagh caves are famous for mural paintings.