Now we are starting Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture. The Gupta period was very important in ancient times. Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture were attractive in ancient time. Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture The golden age of the Gupta Empire in the century A.D. is often referred to as the golden age of India. However, the early Gupta rulers were buddhas. And they continued the tradition of Bodh architecture, but Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture architecture of the temples became famous in the later Gupta period under the patronage of Hindu rulers.
In Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture of temples reached its peak, similarly Bodh and Jain art also reached its peak in the Gupta period. In this period, three main deities such as Vishnu in the northern and central part of the India, Shiva in the south part and the eastern part of the India and along with Mala Bar beach or Shakti in the southwestern part of the India were worshipped.
Ajanta
The rock-cut Bodh cave is located in Maharashtra near Ajanta village, which is famous for its mural paintings. in Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture. They were made by hollowing out layers of other rocks of a rock at the 20-metre-deep left end of the Varguna river valley, 107 km northeast of Aurangabad. These include a group of 29 cow expressions, carved in the shape of a horseshoe.
in Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture. The paintings on the walls and ceilings of the caves depict various incidents from the life of Lord Buddha and of various Buddhist deities. These colors were obtained using local vegetation and minerals. A distinctive feature of these paintings is the absence of blue in the painting. Cave numbers sixteen are one of the most outstanding examples of cave architecture.
in Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture. These painters or Buddhism in general depict the life of the Buddha and the Jataka tales. Out of these 29 caves, five caves were built during the Enlightenment phase of Buddhism and the remaining 24 caves were built during the Mahayana stage Regarding the caves of Ajanta, the travel details of the Chinese Buddhist travelers Fahien and Hansang can be obtained.
Some of the prominent sculptures of Ajanta Caves are:
- Mahaparinirvana of Buddha in Cave 26
- Naga raja and his wife in cave 19
- Painting Methods
1.The painter or freshman with a three-step technique was done by method.
2.A layer of mixed soil with cow dung and paddy husk was applied to the rock surface.
3.A paste of lime plaster was applied over it.
4.Dyes and dyes were then applied to the damp surface.
The dyes seeped in and formed long standing images on the rock surface, e.g. Marnasana Satra Princess Flying Apsaras etc.
Ellora Caves
1.Ellora Caves are another important site of Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture, Ellora Caves are located about 100 km from Ajanta Caves.These caves were built during the time of the Rashtrakutas.
2 It is a group of 34 caves, out of which 17 caves are of Brahmin style, 12 of Bodh style and five of Jain style.
3.These groups of caves were built from the 5th to 11th centuries AD by various craftsmanship associations of Vidarbha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
4.These caves, therefore, exhibit a natural diversity from the point of view of architectural methods.
5.The Hindu and Buddhist caves were mainly built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty while the Jain caves were built by the Yadava dynasty.
Some of the major caves in Ellora are:
1.Cave number 10 is known as Vishwakarma (Cave of Budahi).
2.Buddha is seated here in the Dharma Chakra posture and the Bodhi tree is engraved on his back.
3.Cave number 14 is based on the theme of Ravana’s trench.
4.Cave number 15 is the Dashavatara temple.
5.Cave number 16 is the Kailash Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It was built under the patronage of the Rashtrakuta King Krishna, and it was made by cutting only one rock. There is also a courtyard in this cave. There is also an idol on the wall of the class temple in Cave number 16. It is considered one of the shaking masterpieces of Indian sculpture. Cave 29 is known as Dhumra Lane, Cave 21 has this Rameswaram temple, two famous Jain caves are Indrasabha Cave 32 and Jagannath Sabha Cave 33.
Tiger Caves:
in Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture tiger cave also important. 1.It is Located on the banks of river Baghini in Madhya Pradesh, is a group of nine Buddhist caves built in the 5th-6th century, this object is classically similar to the caves of Ajanta, the most important cave here is the Rang Mahal.
2.The painting in the garden caves is more materialistic rather than spiritualist.
These are the top Buddhist caves in Junagadh, Gujarat, in fact, there are no caves here, three different SO types of sites are found.
1.Khapra Kodia 2. Baba Payare 3. Uperkot
A unique feature of Junagarh (Gujrat) Caves is the presence of a 30-35 feet high Nagar Durg known as “Upar Kot” in front of the prayer place.
1.These caves are located in Borivali near Mumbai and are also known as Montperir caves, they were developed as Brahmin caves in the trend Gupta period.These were developed as Brahmin caves in the Gupta period.
2.Later it was converted into a Christian cave. The remains of this site include the sculptures of Nataraja, Sadashiv and Ardhanareeswarar. The church and its tomb area are located above the anterior part of the cave.
Mandapeshwar Caves:
These caves are located in Borivali near Mumbai and are also known as montperir caves. it is also important in Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture. These were developed as brahmin caves in the later Gupta period. Later it was converted into a Christian cave. The remains of this site include statues of nataraja, sadashiva and ardhanarishvara. the church and its burial area lie above the earlier part of the nave.
Udayagiri caves
Udayagiri caves are located in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. The Udayagiri caves built in the beginning of the 5th century Ad under the patronage of Chandragupta Dutiya are famous for many sculpture the on the walls, the sculpture of Varaha or the boar incarnation of Vishnu is noteworthy here. the sculpture in these caves are among the earliest Hindu sculptures. There are also caves dedicated to Shiva Narsimha and Varaha avatar.
Stupa
in Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture, Construction of Stupa declined during the Gupta period, yet the dhamekh stupa of Sarnath near. Bananas are excellent. example of the Stupa developed during the period. It marks a place where Buddha gave his first sermon.
sculpture
During the Gupta period Architecture and Sculpture new style of sculpture developed around Sarnath. It specially was the use of cream-colored sandstone and metal. The sculptures of this style were purely clothed and there was no nudity of any kind. The halo around the Buddha ‘head was intricately decorated.
Conclusion
Welcome to Indra Digi is a platform where you can get information about the vast heritage of Indian art & culture Here you see the endless art and cultural wonders of India and celebrate the past, present and future of this magnificent heritage. The Gupta period, often referred to as the “Golden Age of India,” marked a significant era in the development of India.