VIHARAS
European monasteries Buddhist monasteries
Located the houses of their order in wild desolate places
(not to be disturbed by the human environment)
Cloister with simple lean Central open courtyard enclosed
to roof on stone pillars by lean to roof propped up by
wooden posts.
Development of Carrells Form of cells leading out of the
or study rooms central court
A fish pond A tank for water supply.
All the viharas are unique and took variety of forms. At the
same time Hinayana viharas may be distinguished from
that of the Mahayana type by several well defined
characteristics:
• Central open yard – un interrupted
• Cells – 9 ft2 and always contain couches or beds
made of stone or rock.
• A small recess for use as a locker cut in some
convenient positions.
• Doorway not in the centre but one side of the outer
wall.
Examples:
1. Buddhist settlement at Ajantha
Totally 5 excavations out of which,
• No:9 & No:10 – chaitya halls
• No:8, No:12 & No:13 are viharas of Hinayana type
• No:11 viharas of Mahayana type
2. Vihara attached to the Chaitya hall at Kondane
3. Series of 3 examples at Nasik
VIHARAS AT NASIK
• Single storeyed type Hinayana Vihara
• Decorative in its exterior
• Judged by the style of their design and workmanship,
they appear to have been executed in 1st century AD.
• According to inscriptional evidences, they are:
1. Gautamiputra (No:3)
2. Nahapana (No:8)
3. Sriyajna (No:15)
All have
• Columned porticos
• Central hall without pillars
• Cells with stone beds.
Porticos of three viharas are alike but there are variation in
the details, particularly in the design of pillars
NAHAPANA FACADE
• Series of four pillars with a half pillar at each end derived
from the portico pillars at Bedsha.
• Lotus base on the stepped pedestal below to the animal
groups on the abacus above
GAUTAMIPUTRA
Similar scheme with some elaborations.
A dwarf wall in front of the range of pillars.
Row of giant figures appearing to carry the entire structures
by means of projecting beam
Above the portico is the broad architrave supported on the
super structure of the pillars-each of which consists of
either a pair of elephants, bulls, gryphone or other beasts.
Entrance doorway –square headed opening – surrounded
by an elaborate ornamental composition.
SRIYANJNA
Last one to be executed
Similar to the other two viharas in its form
Mahayana priests – altered much of the interior.
Viharas -Orissa
Contemporary with the monasteries excavated in the
W.Ghats, another group of rock cut halls and cells was
being produced on the eastern side of the country, near
Cuttack in Orissa which was ruled by a Jaina ruler.
They are not Buddhist but Jains.
Ajivika hermits – having lost the protection of Asoka on the
death of their monarch, migrated to Orissa not only to be
under a Jaina Ruler but also to continue their system of
living in cells cut in the rock.
The two tree-clad hills in which the rock-cut chambers are
situated are together locally known as khandragiri and
northern elevated plane is Udaigiri.
Separated by a defile between them located the pilgrim’s
sacred way to Bhubaneshwar, where it is likely there stood,
in early days, a stupa – the pilgrim’s goal.
CHARACTERISTICS
The chambers and cells are cut out the course sandstone
of which the hills are composed.
There are totally 35 excavations large and small, but only
half of them are of any significance. 16 are in Udaigini hill 1
in Khandragiri hill.
The local generic name for these, orissan monasteries is
‘Gumpha’ meaning a cave, and each is distinguished by a
picturesque or appropriate prefix.
• Hathi Gumpha
• Ganesh Gumpha (Elephant cave)
• Bagh Gumpha (Tiger cave)
• Rani Gumpha (Queen’s cave)
• Manchapuri Gumpha
• Ananta Gumpha
Laid out on no regular plan, they were evidently cut in any
convenient places and connected by paths.
2 Nos. consists of single cells
3 or 4 Nos. combine several cells having a portico with
the remains of a courtyard in front
4 Nos. were the largest and most elaborate composed of
galleries of chambers in double stories and overlooking a
quadrangle.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF THE ORISSAN
MONASTERIES
Facades of pillared verandahs and the cells leading out of
them.
Pillars have simple square shafts
with bracket capitals some of the
bracket forms being of a very
special character.
Instead of being of the horse shoe variety, the arches of
the orissan monastery arcades are almost semicircular-
supported on pilasters.
Another feature was the podium or ledge carved like a
continuous berth around certain of the compartments.
Asana – a stone seat with a sloping backrest is seen in
some of the viharas.
Plan of the cells – not square but oblong and some are
long chambers entered by several doors, in shape more
like dormitories than single rooms.
In place of the stone beds, the floor itself sloped so as to
form a couch .
The height of the cell is only four feet, mainly meant for
sleeping.
It has already remarked
that there are no chaitya
halls in this monastic
retreat , but the example
which more nearly
corresponds to a temple
is the RaniGumpha
(150 BC).
Double storied – with its cells ranged around three sides of
an open courtyard, the fourth side comprising the frontal
approach.
A broad terrace, projected from the upper storey, was
supported on structural pillars either of wood or stone and
these formed the verandah of the ground floor.
A stairway cut in the rock at the side gave access to their
upper terrace, on one face of which, there is a spacious
throne, with arms and footrest, the seat of honour of the
abbot or other high dignitary.
General arrangement of the cells - accommodation for
monks and several supplementary chambers and recesses
devised for special purposes connected with the ritual,
either as robbing or for the preparation of offerings. In
addition, there are rooms for storing the sacred vessels
and vestments, with a place for custodian or sacristan.
The open courtyard and its overlooking terrace were
specially designed for some spectacular kind of
ceremonial.
Long frieze consisting on figures
engaged in a series of connected
episodes of a distinctly dramatic
character were seen on the walls
of the upper storey.
It is inferred from this, that , this
arrangement of courtyard and
terraces forming the Rani Gumpha
constituted an open air theatre in
which the scenes depicted here
will be performed as a live play –
during festive occations.
Architectural characters:
Two different traditions are represented in the design of
pillars supporting the verandahs and the pilasters of the
mural arcading:
• Indigenous origin derived from their wooden prototype.
(derived from Persepolitan order)
• Extraordinary ornamentation throughout the structure.
