Editing Architecture of India (section)

==600 BCE—250 CE==
{{Further|Ancient Indian architecture|Buddhist architecture|Indian rock-cut architecture}}
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| image1 = Conjectural_reconstruction_of_the_main_gate_of_Kusinagara_circa_500_BCE_adapted_from_a_relief_at_Sanchi.jpg
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| caption1 = Conjectural reconstruction of the main gate of [[Kushinagar]] circa 500 BCE adapted from a relief at Sanchi
| image2 = City of Kushinagar in the 5th century BCE according to a 1st century BCE frieze in Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern Gate.jpg
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| caption2 = City of Kushinagar in the 5th century BCE according to a 1st century BCE frieze in Sanchi Stupa 1 Southern Gate
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Indian architecture after the Indus Valley Civilization around the [[Maurya Empire]], from 322 to 185 BCE, most likely used wood or recycled brick. Much of the remains discovered from this period onwards are of [[Indian rock-cut architecture]], predominantly Buddhist.

The construction of Buddhist monastic buildings began before the death of the [[Buddha]], around 400 BCE.<ref>Though a variety of dates are proposed, some 80 of so years earlier.</ref> This first generation of monasteries only survive in floor-plans, notably the [[Jivakarama vihara]] in [[Bihar]].

Important features of the period's architecture include, walled and moated cities with large gates and multi-storied buildings, wooden [[chaitya]] arches for roofs, and further structures above solid storeys. The reliefs of [[Sanchi]], dated to the 1st centuries BCE-CE, denote places such as [[Kushinagar]] or [[Rajagriha]] as splendid walled cities, as in the [[:File:Royal cortege leaving Rajagriha.jpg|''Royal cortege leaving Rajagriha'']] or [[:File:War over the Buddha's Relics, South Gate, Stupa no. 1, Sanchi.jpg|''War over the Buddha's relics'']]. These views of ancient Indian cities are relied on for the understanding of ancient Indian urban architecture.<ref>Rowland, 60</ref>

In the case of the Mauryan capital [[Pataliputra]] (near [[Patna]]), we have Greek accounts, and that of [[Faxian]]; [[Megasthenes]] (a visitor around 300 BCE) mentions 564 towers and 64 gates in the city walls. Modern excavations have uncovered a "massive palisade of teak beams held together with iron [[dowel]]s".<ref>Rowland, 60–63 60 quoted</ref> A huge ''[[apadana]]''-like hall with eighty sandstone columns shows clear influence from contemporary [[Achaemenid]] Persia.<ref>Rowland, 63–65</ref> The single massive sandstone [[Pataliputra capital]] shows clear [[Hellenistic]] features, reaching India via Persia.<ref>Rowland, 72; Harle 22–24</ref> The famous [[Ashoka column]]s show great sophistication, and a variety of influences in their details. In both these cases a now-vanished Indian predecessor tradition in wood is likely.<ref>Rowland, 65–72; Harle 24</ref>

{{multiple image
| title    = Post-Maha-Janapadas Architecture
| align    = right
| image1   = Sanchi2.jpg
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| caption1 = The Great Stupa at [[Sanchi]] (4th–1st century BCE). The dome-shaped stupa was used in India as a commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics.
| image2   = 028 Temple built by Asoka at Bodh-Gaya (33796704621).jpg
| caption2 = The [[Mahabodhi Temple]] built by Asoka at [[Bodh Gaya]]. Relief from [[Sanchi]], 1st century CE
}}
Such a tradition is extremely clear in the case of the earliest-known examples of [[Indian rock-cut architecture|rock-cut architecture]], the state-sponsored [[Barabar caves]] in [[Bihar]], personally dedicated by [[Ashoka]] circa 250 BCE. The entrance of the [[Lomas Rishi Cave]] there has a sculpted doorway that clearly copies a wooden style in stone, which is a recurrent feature of rock-cut caves for some time. These artificial caves exhibit an amazing level of technical proficiency, the extremely hard [[granite]] rock being cut in geometrical fashion and given the [[Mauryan polish]], also found on sculpture.<ref>Harle, 24; Rowland, 64–65</ref><ref name="BA97">Buddhist Architecture, Le Huu Phuoc, Grafikol 2009, pp. 97–99</ref> Later rock-cut [[vihara]]s, occupied by monastic communities, survive, mostly in Western India, and in [[Bengal]] the floor-plans of brick-built equivalents survive. The elaborately decorated facades and "chaitya halls" of many rock-cut sites are believed to reflect vanished free-standing buildings elsewhere.

The Buddhist [[stupa]], a dome shaped monument, was used in India as a commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics.<ref name=Ency>Encyclopædia Britannica (2008), ''Pagoda''.</ref> The stupa architecture was adopted in [[Southeast Asia|Southeast]] and [[East Asia]], where it became prominent as a [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] monument used for enshrining sacred relics.<ref name=Ency/> [[Guard rail]]s—consisting of posts, crossbars, and a coping—became a feature of safety surrounding a stupa.<ref name=Chandra>Chandra (2008)</ref> Temples—build on elliptical, circular, quadrilateral, or apsidal plans—were constructed using brick and timber.<ref name=Chandra/> The Indian gateway arches, the ''[[torana]]'', reached East Asia with the spread of Buddhism.<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica (2008), ''torii''</ref> Some scholars hold that ''[[torii]]'' derives from the torana gates at the Buddhist historic site of [[Sanchi]] (3rd century BCE – 11th century CE).<ref name=Jaanus>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/|title=:: JAANUS :: Terminology of Japanese Architecture & Art History|website=Aisf.or.jp|access-date=3 December 2021|archive-date=5 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905033355/http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Rock-cut [[stepwell]]s in India date from 200 to 400 CE.<ref name=L&B/> Subsequently, the construction of wells at Dhank (550–625 CE) and stepped ponds at [[Bhinmal]] (850–950 CE) took place.<ref name=L&B>Livingston & Beach, xxiii</ref> Cave temples became prominent throughout western India, incorporating various unique features to give rise to cave architecture in places such as the caves at [[Ajanta caves|Ajanta]] and [[Ellora Caves|Ellora]].<ref name=Chandra/>

A very important development, the emergence of the [[shikara]] or temple tower, is today best evidenced by the Buddhist [[Mahabodhi Temple]]. This was already several centuries old when the first very vertical structure replaced an Ashokan original, apparently around 150–200 CE. The current brick-built tower, probably a good deal larger, dates to the [[Gupta]] period, in the 5th or 6th centuries.<ref>Huu, 242</ref>