ARTS OF THE MAURIYAN PERIOD:
REASONS FOR GROWTH OF ARTS:
1 1. Ashoka emerged as the most powerful king of the Mauryan dynasty
who patronised the shraman tradition in the third century BCE.
2. Religious practices had many dimensions and were not confined to
just one particular mode of worship.
3. Worship of Yakshas and mothergoddesses were prevalent during
that time.
4. So, multiple forms of worship existed.
5. Nevertheless, Buddhism became the most popular social and
religious movement.
6.Yaksha worship was very popular before and after the advent of
Buddhism and it was assimilated in Buddhism and Jainism.
Mauryan Art is divided into 2 :
1. Court Art – with state initiative eg. Pillars, stupas etc.
2. Popular art – With individual Initiatives eg. Caves, Sculptures and
pottery.
TYPES:
1. Construction of stupas and viharas as part of monastic
establishments became part of the Buddhist tradition.
2. stone pillars.
3. rock­cut caves and
4. monumental figure sculptures were carved at several places.
1.PILLERS: 1. The tradition of constructing pillars is very old and it may be
observed that erection of pillars was prevalent in the Achamenian
empire as well.
2. But the Mauryan pillars are different from the Achamenian pillars.
3. The Mauryan pillars are rock­cut pillars thus displaying the
carver’s skills.
4. whereas the Achamenian pillars are constructed in pieces by a
mason.
5. Stone pillars were erected all over the Mauryan Empire with
inscriptions engraved on them.
6. Bell shaped capitals have been taken from Persian.
7. Mauryan Pillars were made up of Chunar sandstones
8. Uniformity can be seens in the pillars .
STRUCTURE:
1. The top portion of the pillar was carved with capital figures like
the bull, the lion, the elephant, etc.
2. The capital figure carved standing on a square or circular abacus.
3. Abacuses are decorated with stylised lotuses.
4. Some of the existing pillars with capital figures were found at
Basarah­Bakhira, Lauriya­ Nandangarh, Rampurva, Sankisa and
Sarnath.
5. The Mauryan pillar capital found at Sarnath popularly known as
the Lion Capital is the finest example of Mauryan sculptural tradition.
It is also our national emblem.
Purpose of Pillars :
1. as a symbol of the state
2. To commemorate victory – eg.Lauria Nandangarh – Champaran
in Bihar, Sarnath Pillars near Varanasi.
2.MONUMENTAL IMAGES:
1. Monumental images of Yaksha, Yakhinis and animals, pillar
columns with capital figures, rock­cut caves belonging to the third
century BCE have been found in different parts of India.
2. It shows the popularity of Yaksha worship and how it became part
of figure representation in Buddhist and Jaina religious monuments.
3. Large statues of Yakshas and Yakhinis are found at many places
like Patna, Vidisha and Mathura.
4. These monumental images are mostly in the standing position.
5. One of the distinguishing elements in all these images is their
polished surface.
6. One of the finest examples is a Yakshi figure from Didarganj,
Patna, which is tall and well­built.
3.ROCK­CUT:
1. Depiction of a monumental rock­cut elephant at Dhauli in Orissa
shows modelling in round with linear rhythm.
2. It also has Ashokan rock­edict.
4.ROCK­CUT CAVES:
1. The beginning of rock cut architecture. Two features were added
by Mauryans Polishing inside the cave
2. Development of artistic Gateway Examples = Barabar Cave(4)
and Nagrajuni cave(near gaya)(3) – called 7 sisters
3.The rock­cut cave carved at Barabar hills near Gaya in Bihar is
known as the Lomus Rishi cave.
4.The facade of the cave is decorated with the
semicircular chaityaarch as the entrance.
5.The cave was patronised by Ashoka for the Ajivika sect.
6. The Lomus Rishi cave is an isolated example of this period.
7.But many Buddhist caves of the subsequent periods were
excavated in eastern and western India.
5.STUPA, VIHARA AND CHAITIYA:
1.It is conventional representation of funeral cunrulus, in which
ashes of the dead are buried.
2. It is a Buddhist monument which is hemispherical dome with
Buddha’s relics and ashes inside.
3. However the concept of stupas started in the vedic period
4.stupas were constructed over the relics of the Buddha at
Rajagraha, Vaishali, Kapilavastu, Allakappa, Ramagrama,
Vethadipa, Pava, Kushinagar and Pippalvina.
5. The textual tradition also mentions construction of various
otherstupas on the relics of the Buddha at several places including
Avanti and Gandhara which are outside the Gangetic valley.
6.Stupa, vihara and chaitya are part of Buddhist and Jaina monastic
complexes but the largest number belongs to the Buddhist religion.
7.One of the best examples of the structure of a stupa in the third
century BCE is at Bairat in Rajasthan.
8.Core of stupas were made of unburnt bricks and outer surface
withburnt brick covered with a thick layer of a plaster.
9.CHHATRAS represents TRIRATNAS(Buddhaenlightened, Dham
Doctrine, Sangha –Order) of Buddhism – They are umbrella shaped.
10.Maximum number of stupas were constructed by King Ashoka –
84000.
11. Examples of Stupas are – Sanchi Stupas built by Ashoka,
Barhud Stupa By Shunga Dynasty, Oldest Stupa – Paprahawa in UP
12.The great stupa at Sanchi was built with bricks during the time of
Ashoka and later it was covered with stone and many new additions
were made.
13. VIHARA ­ It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk",
and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks
during the rainy season.
14. CHAITIYA­ A chaitya is a Buddhist shrine or prayer hall with a
stupa.