Architecture as Sculptures

Originally branched out from Buddhism in 500 BC, Hinduism flowered during the Gupta Period (350 AD). The numerous remaining Hindu temples in Central and Southern India were solid evidence of its past strong holds in these regions. The differences in the architecture fostered under Buddhism and Hinduism were unmistakable, but behind these obvious discontinuities, fundamental connections between the two can still be found.

Both Buddhism and Hinduism made significant contributions to what is identified as Indian architecture. Buddhism fostered the great stupas, the freestanding pillars, and most striking of all, the rock-cut forms (including the chaitya halls and the viharas). Hinduism, on the other hand, experimented with different architectural forms, materials, spatial arrangement, and had achieved a different level of structural merit. But despite these obvious differences, the architecture of Buddhism and Hinduism shared some fundamental connections. The most notable similarity lies in the exploitation of the exterior and the relative unimportance of the interior. For instance, the great stupas of Buddhism, devoid of any architectural interest in the interior, were meant to be a sculptural piece that exerts its powerful religious impact through its unique exterior form. Even the great rock-cut chaitya halls, which had more elaborate interior space, tended to be simple in plan, and much attention was devoted to the treatment of the entrance facade, which could be readily seen. And the interiors of the viharas, or the monasteries, were relatively plain compared to the richly decorated entrance.

The Hindus, on the other hand, seemed not to rival with this architectural tradition of the Buddhist builders. The first temples erected by the Hindus were freestanding solid blocks placed on a rectangular base (see temple of Vishnu, Deogarh). However, later developments added functional spaces to the plan. Typically, a Hindu temple would consist of three compartments: the garbha griha, the inner-most room which was reserved for the sacred object for worship; the mandapa, or the pillared-hall, designed for group prayers; and lastly the ardha-mandapa, an entrance portico that resembles a modern-day vestibule. Although distinctive functions were assigned to these interior spaces, the exterior distinction was not as clear and precise (see temple of Durga, Aihole). Later developments at first called for the addition of a roof-tower above the cella, but eventually all three compartments were given roof-towers (the cella had the tallest tower, however). The finest illustration of this final development would be the temples at Khajuraho. As examplified by the Khajuraho temples, the greatest architectural effort or creativity was being exhausted to the exterior. The excessive amount of elaboration explicitly told the intention of its creators: the religious impact is from the exterior, not the interior. The interior space, handicapped by the massive walls and columns, was usually dark and simple in plan. As observe from afar, with almost no voids on the exterior, the repetitive motifs could easily unify the compartments into a single piece of sculpture. Now the curiosity is raised; what was the reason for the obvious imbalance between the exterior and the interior?

Maybe the reason was simply religious; the Buddhist or Hindu temples were supposed to be dim and mystic inside, since most visitors come in individually, and concentration on prayers required a quiet and isolated environment. Or maybe the reason was rather technical. Unmoved by Western inventions in structural techniques, the Indian temple builders achieved their building heights and stability mostly by massing and gravity. Since the interior was then severely delimited by the mass of supports, the creative energy had to turn to a different direction, the exterior. The result was the untiring effort of elaboration. But no matter what the reason might have been, the temples nonetheless served their purpose as places of worship, works of art, and faithful records of Indian religious culture.