Editing Architecture of India (section)

== European colonial architecture ==
As with the Mughals, under European colonial rule, architecture became an emblem of power, designed to endorse the occupying power. Numerous European countries invaded India and created architectural styles reflective of their ancestral and adopted homes. The European colonizers created architecture that symbolized their mission of conquest, dedicated to the state or religion.{{sfn|Thapar|2004|p=122}}

The British, French, Dutch and the Portuguese were the main European powers that established [[Colonial India|colonies in India]].{{sfn|Nilsson|1968|p=9}}<ref name="Asian Trade">{{cite web|title=(Brief) History of European – Asian trade|url=http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~vaucher/Genealogy/Documents/Asia/EuropeanExploration.html#england|work=European Exploration|access-date=14 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017155402/http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~vaucher/Genealogy/Documents/Asia/EuropeanExploration.html#england|archive-date=17 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== British Colonial Era: 1757–1947 ===
==== Indo-Saracenic ====
{{Further|Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture}}
{{multiple image
| header = [[Lutyens' Delhi]]
| image1 = Rashtrapati Bhavan flank perspective1.jpg
| caption1 = The Viceroy's House (now [[Rashtrapati Bhavan]]) was built for the [[Viceroy of India]]. It now serves as the official residence of the [[President of India]].
| image2 = India Gate in New Delhi 03-2016.jpg
| caption2 = The War Memorial Arch (now [[India Gate]]) is a memorial to 70,000 soldiers of the [[British Indian Army]] who died in the First World War.
| image3 = Indian Ministry of Defence-1.jpg
| caption3 = The [[Secretariat Building, New Delhi|Secretariat Building]] is located in the North Block.
| align =
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| caption_align = center
| header_align = center
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| footer = [[Lutyens' Delhi]], designed by [[Edwin Lutyens]], houses all key government buildings of India.
| image4 = New Delhi government block 03-2016 img3.jpg
| caption4 = The Council House, built for the [[Imperial Legislative Council]], is now [[Sansad Bhawan]], and houses the [[Parliament of India]].
}}

Britain's legacy and heritage in the [[Indian subcontinent]] remains among others in buildings and infrastructure. The major cities during the period of British rule were [[Madras (Chennai)]], [[Calcutta]], [[Bombay (Mumbai)]], [[New Delhi]], Agra, [[Bangalore]], Bankipore, Karachi, Nagpur, Bhopal& [[Hyderabad]],{{sfn|Tadgell|1990|p=14}}<ref name="Asian Trade" /> which saw the rise of [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture]].

{{multiple image
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| header = [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture]]
| alt4 =
| image4 = Victoria Memorial Kolkata at night.jpg
| caption4 = The [[Victoria Memorial, Kolkata|Victoria Memorial]] in Calcutta is the most effective symbolism of British Empire.
| alt3 =
| image3 = Chhatrapati_Shivaji_Terminus_%28Victoria_Terminus%29.jpg
| caption3 = The [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus]] (previously Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai, 1878–88, is a mixture of [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], Gothic and Indian elements.
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| image2 = Rashtrapati Niwas, Shimla.jpg
| caption2 = The Viceregal Lodge, now [[Rashtrapati Niwas]], in [[Shimla]] designed by [[Henry Irwin]] in the [[Jacobethan]] style and built in the late 19th century.
| alt1 =
| image1 = Chennai_High_Court.jpg
| caption1 = [[Madras High Court]] buildings are a prime example of [[Indo-Saracenic architecture]], designed by JW Brassington under guidance of British architect [[Henry Irwin]].
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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&nbsp;... a hallow square, the rooms opening into a courtyard in the centre."{{sfn|Evenson|1989|p=2}} 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.{{sfn|Evenson|1989|p=6}}

[[Mumbai (Bombay)]] has some of the most prominent examples of British colonial architecture. This included the [[Gothic Revival architecture|gothic revival]] ([[Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station|Victoria terminus]], [[University of Bombay]], [[Rajabai Clock Tower]], [[Bombay High Court]], [[Municipal Corporation Building, Mumbai|BMC Building]]), [[Indo-Saracenic architecture|Indo-Saracenic]] ([[Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya|Prince of Wales Museum]], [[Gateway of India]], [[The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel|Taj Mahal Palace Hotel]]) and [[Art Deco]] ([[Eros Cinema]], [[New India Assurance Building]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1480/|title=Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828023451/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1480/|archive-date=2018-08-28|url-status=live|access-date=2019-01-02}}</ref>

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.{{sfn|Evenson|1989|p=20}}<ref name="Dutta">{{cite journal|last=Dutta|first=Arindam|title=Representing Calcutta: Modernity, Nationalism and the Colonial Uncanny|journal=Journal of Architectural Education|date=29 March 2010|volume=63|issue=2|pages=167–169|doi=10.1111/j.1531-314X.2010.01082.x|s2cid=143881493}}</ref> Indian villages in these areas consisted of clay and straw houses which later transformed into the metropolis of brick and stone.{{sfn|Nilsson|1968|pp=66–67}}The [[Chepauk Palace]] in the city, designed by [[Paul Benfield]], is said to be the first Indo-Saracenic building in India. Since then, many of the colonial-era buildings in the city were designed in this style of architecture, which is most apparent around the [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St George]] built in 1640. Most of these were designed by English architects Robert Fellowes Chisholm and Henry Irwin. The best examples of this style include the Madras High Court (built in 1892), Southern Railway headquarters, Ripon Building, Government Museum, Senate House of the University of Madras, Amir Mahal, Bharat Insurance Building, Victoria Public Hall and the College of Engineering. The Triumph of Labour, also known as the Labour statue, at the Marina Beach is an important landmark of Madras.[[File:Gaine Castle at Dhanyakuria.jpg|thumb|Gaine Castle at Dhanyakuria, West Bengal|220x220px]] [[Indo-Saracenic architecture]] evolved by combining Indian architectural features with European styles. [[Vincent Esch]] and [[George Wittet]] were pioneers in this style. The [[Victoria Memorial, Kolkata|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.{{sfn|Thapar|2004|p=129}}

The period of British rule saw wealthy Bengali families (especially [[Zamindars of Bengal|zamindar estates]]) employing European firms to design houses and palaces. The Indo-Saracenic movement was strongly prevalent in the region. While most rural estates featured an elegant country house, the cities of Calcutta had widespread 19th and early 20th century urban architecture, comparable to London, Sydney or Auckland. Art deco influences began in Calcutta in the 1930s.

==== Romanesque-Italianate ====
The Italianate architectural style was popularised in early Victorian Britain and subsequently became an attractive form [[:Category:Italianate architecture in India|adopted in India]] in the later parts of the 19th century. The main characteristics of this style include imposing cornice structures, prominent cornice and corbels, Roman arches, arch headed or pedimented windows, flat or ‘hip’ roof, and windows with distinctive moulded caps. The one outstanding building in this class was the East Indian Railway Head Offices at Calcutta built in 1884.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Monuments of Modern India: The first half century of railways architecture – Heritage Directorate, Indian Railways|url=https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/monuments-of-modern-india-the-first-half-century-of-railways-architecture/QgLCjuErJgqXLw|access-date=2021-03-31|website=Google Arts & Culture|language=en|archive-date=22 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122124303/https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/monuments-of-modern-india-the-first-half-century-of-railways-architecture/QgLCjuErJgqXLw|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Neoclassical ====
Neoclassical buildings are characterized by their magnificence of scale, the prominent use of columns, the use of geometric forms and symmetry, predominantly blank walls and the triangular pediment. Some large private houses were built in and around [[Kolkata]] by wealthy merchants. Examples of [[Neoclassical architecture]] in Indian public buildings include the [[British Residency, Hyderabad]] (1798) and [[Falaknuma Palace]] (1893) in Hyderabad, [[St Andrew's Church, Chennai|St Andrews Church]] in Madras (1821),{{sfn|Thapar|2004|p=125}} [[Raj Bhavan, Kolkata|Raj Bhawan]] (1803) and [[Metcalfe Hall]] (1844) in Kolkata, and [[Bangalore Town Hall]] (1935) in Bangalore.

{{multiple image
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| image1 = Samriddhi Bhavan - River Hooghly 2012-10-23 1265.JPG
| caption1 = Samriddhi Bhavan, [[Calcutta High Court|High Court]](right), Secretariat(left) on River Hooghly
| alt2 =
| image2 = National Library, Calcutta 2007.jpg
| caption2 = [[National Library of India|National library of India, Kolkata]]
| alt3 =
| image3 = Falaknuma Palace (23256520932).jpg
| caption3 = [[Falaknuma Palace]], Hyderabad
| alt4 =
| caption4 = Mumbai University
| image4 = Mumbai 03-2016 37 University.jpg
| header = Neoclassicism
| footer_align = center
}}

=== Art Deco ===
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| image1 = Esplanade-Mansion-side-view-Kolkata.jpg
| caption1 = [[Esplanade Mansions, Kolkata]]
| alt2 =
| image2 = Eros Cinema (6676751065).jpg
| caption2 = [[Eros Cinema|Eros Cinema, Mumbai]]
| alt3 =
| image3 = Mumbai_03-2016_44_Marine_Drive.jpg
| caption3 = Art Deco style apartments in Marine Drive, Mumbai
| alt4 =
| alt5 =
| caption5 = Parrys Corner, Chennai
| image5 = Parrys Corner, Chennai, India.jpg
| header = Art Deco
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The [[Art Deco]] movement of the early 20th century quickly spread to large parts of the world. The [[Indian Institute of Architects]], founded in Bombay in 1929, played a prominent role in propagating the movement. Guided by their desire to emulate the west, the Indian architects were fascinated by the industrial modernity that Art Deco offered. The western elites were the first to experiment with the technologically advanced facets of Art Deco, and architects began the process of transformation by the early 1930s.

Mumbai has the world's second-largest collection of Art Deco structures, after Miami.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chandrashekhar|first=Vaishnavi|date=2019-10-21|title=Discovering Mumbai's Art Deco Treasures|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/travel/mumbai-art-deco.html|access-date=2021-03-31|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=24 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124024408/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/travel/mumbai-art-deco.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[New India Assurance Building]], [[Eros Cinema]] and buildings along the [[Marine Drive, Mumbai|Marine Drive]] in Mumbai are prime examples.<ref name=":0" />

In Kolkata, the sole example of the [[Art Nouveau|Art Nouveau style]], which preceded Art Deco, is the Esplanade Mansions opposite the Raj Bhavan, built in 1910.

=== Assam-type ===

Assam-type architecture is found in [[Assam]] and [[Sylhet region]]. The houses constructed using this style are generally termed as ''Assam-type'' houses, consisting usually one or more [[storey]]s. The houses are built to be [[Earthquake-resistant structures|earthquake proof]], and are made from materials ranging from [[wood]] and bamboo to steel and concrete.

Assam Type houses are a type of designs developed by the colonial British administration in Assam after the massive [[1897 Assam earthquake|earthquake of 1897]]. British engineers modified the traditional Assamese houses made from mud-plastered [[bamboo]] walls and thatched roofs to make Assam Type houses with wood, reed, mud plaster and hay after studying the climate and topography of the entire region.

Buildings are constructed on both flat and sloped [[terrain]]s. On flat grounds, the buildings are typically rectangular or ''L or C'' layout. On other surfaces, such as [[highland]]s, they are usually rectangular in shape, accessed via the hillside. The roof is typically erected by high [[gable]]s to overcome heavy rainfall in the region, where [[wall]]s are usually [[Timber framing|timber-framed]], [[plaster]]ed with [[cement]]. With high [[ceiling]]s and [[Ventilation (architecture)|well-ventilated]] [[room]]s, the floorings are either wooden or concrete with [[Ceramic tiles|tiled]], [[mosaic]] or [[Marble|stone]] surfacing with [[Stilt house|stilts]].

=== Other Colonial Powers ===
Among the other European colonies were [[Portuguese Goa and Damaon]] and [[Portuguese Bombay and Bassein]]. The [[Madh Island|Madh Fort]], [[St. John the Baptist Church, Mumbai|St. John the Baptist Church]] & [[Castella de Aguada]] in Bombay are remnants of Portuguese colonial rule. The [[Churches and convents of Goa]], an ensemble of seven churches built by the Portuguese in Goa are a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/234/|title=Churches and Convents of Goa|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104191222/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/234|archive-date=2019-01-04|url-status=live|access-date=2019-01-02}}</ref>

The Portuguese were among the first European traders to discover the sea route to India as early as 1498. The first Portuguese encounter with the subcontinent was on 20 May 1498 AD, when [[Vasco da Gama]] reached [[Calicut]] on the coast of the [[Malabar region]].

The settlements along the [[Hooghly River|Hooghly river]] — a branch of the Ganges — attracted maritime traders from as many European nations, turning that part of Bengal into a little Europe. The Portuguese set up post at [[Bandel]], the Danish at [[Serampore]], the Dutch at [[Hugli-Chuchura|Chinsurah]] and the French at [[Chandannagar|Chandernagore]]. A British military base came up in Barrackpore. Thus influencing neighbouring regions' architecture to create a distinct indo-colonial architecture.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Fort Feringhee|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/fort-feringhee/cid/1723256|access-date=2021-03-31|work=The Telegraph|archive-date=7 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307220408/https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/fort-feringhee/cid/1723256|url-status=live}}</ref>

The history of Pondicherry is recorded only after the arrival of Dutch, Portuguese, British and French traders. In 1674 the [[Louis XIV's East India Company|French East India Company]] set up a trading centre at Pondicherry and this outpost eventually became the administrative centre of [[French India|French settlements in India]]. The city has many colonial buildings, churches, temples and statues which, combined with the town planning and French style avenues in the old part of town, still preserve much of the colonial ambiance.

<gallery widths="180" heights="160">
File:The Chandannagar Strand Ghat.jpg|The Chandannagar Strand Ghat, reminiscences of a [[French India|French colony]], [[Chandannagar|Chandannagar, West Bengal]]
File:Fort Dansborg.JPG|[[Fort Dansborg]], built by the 17th century Danish admiral [[Ove Gjedde]], reminiscences of [[Danish India]], [[Tharangambadi]], Tamil Nadu
File:Tomb of susanna anna maria2.jpg|Tomb of Susanna Anna Maria, reminiscences of [[Dutch India]], [[Hugli-Chuchura|Chinsurah]], West Bengal
File:St. Francis Church at Velha Goa.jpg|Church Of St Francis Of Assisi, reminiscent of [[Portuguese India]], [[Goa]]
File:French Quarter, Pondicherry (16) (37466068276).jpg|French Quarter, Pondicherry. The city became the chief [[French India|French settlement in India]].
</gallery>