Architecture of South Asia : Lecture, readings, projects

1. Melissa Hebert-Johnson, Black Hawk College INFUSING SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES INTO THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM Architecture of South Asia: Lecture, readings, projects

2. Project scope • Survey of Indian architecture • emphasis on temple and monumental structures) through Mughal/Rajput period • 2-3 session unit for Survey of Non-Western Art • 1-2 session unit for History of Art

3. Desired outcomes of project • Expand number and variety of structures for use in survey • Incorporate Indian architectural theory into discussion of structures • Utilize sanskrit or other local terms for architectural elements • Expand discussion of temple usage, rituals • Create new discussion questions and essay assignments

4. Types of structures • Stupas • Jaina temples • Hindu temples • Mosques • Tombs • Forts • Dwellings

5. Representative Monuments • Mohenjo-Daro, 2600-1750 BCE • Mahastupa, Sanchi, begun 3rd century BCE, rebuilt 150 BCE • Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath, 500 CE • Chaitya Hall, Karli, 1st century BCE-1st century CE • Vishnu Temple, Deogarh, ca 530 CE • Cave-Temple of Shiva, Elephanta, c 550 • Lakshmana Temple, Khajuraho, c 950 CE • Kandariyā Mahādevā Temple, Khajuraho, c 1000 CE • Konark Sun Temple (Black Pagoda), 13th century • Parsavanath Temple, Khajuraho, c 14th-15th century CE • Jain Temple of Ranakpur, Rajasthan, early 15th century • Buland Darwazaand Jami Masjid complex, FatehpurSikri, 1572 • Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi,1562  • Red Fort, Delhi, 17th century • Mînakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Madurai, ca 1600 • Taj Mahal, Agra, 1653 • Jama Masjid, Delhi, 1656 CE

6. Fundamentals of South Asian architecture • Vāstu śāstra • Vāstu puruṣa mandala • Invocations (Lord Vishvakarma) • architectural principles • orientation • ratio/measurement • elements common to temples: • mandala • mandapas • vimāna/śikhara • gharba griha

7. Some Themes and Points for Comparison • Geometry: circle and square • Astrology • Numerology • Axis mundi • Divine architect

8. Projects • Short essay: Analyze the adherence of a modern Indian temple (or Hindu/Buddhist temple in the west) for its adherence to ancient architectural principles. • Short essay: There is a contemporary movement in dwelling architecture to build according to architectural theory of the vāstuśāstra/vidya. Do you think this movement fulfills a more traditional implementation of the principles of the vāstuśāstra? Or would you characterize it as a “new age” reinterpretation? • Short essay: Choose a monument (Jaina, Buddhist, Hindu) and retroactively apply what you know of the vāstuśāstra principles to the structure. • Longer paper: Compare the theoretical architectural principles of Indian architecture with another Western architectural tradition. Are there parallels in the theoretical ideas of these two traditions? What about in their formal principles?

9. Primary Sources (in translation) • Vāstu Shastra/Vidya • Rig Veda • Mayamata • Manasara • Samarangana Sutradhara • Rajavallabha • Vishvakarmaprakasha • Aparajitaprccha

10. Secondary Sources • Chakrabarti, Vibhuti, Indian architectural theory: contemporary uses of vastu vidya. Delhi : Oxford University, 1999. • Hardy, Adam, The temple architecture of India. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2007. • Sahai, Surendra, Indian architecture:Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain. New Delhi: Prakash Books, 2006.

11. Timeline/Thematic Sections • Indus River Valley/Harappan culture (ca 3000-1700 BCE) • Vedic Period (ca 1500-500 BCE) * • Maurya Period (322-185 BCE) • Shunga Period (2nd- 1st centuries BCE) • Andhra Period (Central & South) (50-320 CE) • Kushan Period (North) (30-320 CE) • Gupta Period (320-500 CE) • Post-Gupta Period (550-950 CE) • Early Medieval Period (900-1200 CE) • Chola Period (South) (850-1250 CE) • Delhi Sultanate (13th-14th centuries CE) • Mughal Period (16th-18th centuries CE) • Rajput Period (15th-19th centuries CE)