Explain about Chaitya and Vihara of India?
Chaityas, Viahras, Stupas, and Stambhas are the most common types of Buddhist architecture. The practise of carving caves began during the Mauryan period and reached its zenith under Satvahana rule in the 2nd century AD. In this post, we will look at a list of famous Chaitya and Vihara in India, which can be helpful for competitive exams such as UPSC Prelims, SSC, State Services, NDA, CDS, and Railways, and others.
Chaityas, Viahras, Stupas, and Stambhas are the most common types of Buddhist architecture. The practise of sculpting caves began during the Mauryan period and reached its pinnacle under Satvahana rule in the 2nd century AD. The caves are majorly divided into two styles of architecture, which are the Chaityas and Viharas. In Buddhism, Chaityas were places of worship, and Viharas were monks' homes.
Let us look at the list of famous chaitya and vihara of India.
Various Chaitya Halls in India
Taxila near Rawalpindi, Sanchi near Bhilsa in Central India, Aihole in Bijapur, Ter in South-Western India, and Sankaram and Ramatirtham in the Vishakhapatnam region of South-Eastern India are only a few of the places where Chaitya halls have been discovered.
The Chaitya Hall in Aihole, near Badami in Karnataka's Bijapur district, which functioned as the capital of the older Chalukya Dynasty of Southern India, was later converted into a Hindu temple. The Chaitya Hall at Ter in the Sholapur district, around 30 miles from Barsi, is made of bricks and has a slightly different plan than other Chaitya halls in northern and southern India.
The large Chaitya Hall in Taxila lies in a spacious courtyard and comprises of a portico in front, a nave or wide floor-space in the middle, and a circular apse behind. A circumambulation passage ran around the entire structure.
Sanchi's Chaitya Halls: The Sanchi Stupa has two Chaitya Halls. Instead of a semicircular row of pillars, the shrine in the first temple was enclosed by a second circular wall that ran parallel to the outer wall. Sanchi's second apsidal temple was built on an 11-meter-high, 87-meter-long, and 45-meter-wide rectangular stone platform. The foundations of the Chaitya hall were discovered within this plinth.
The Bhaja Chaitya Hall may be older than the others, but it is impossible to say that the Pandulena group's Chaitya Hall is older than the Karla Chaitya Hall. Two important inscriptions may be seen in the Karla Chaitya Hall. The Karla Caves are thought to be where Hinayana architecture achieved its peak of excellence. The Chaitya Hall atop Manmodi Hill in Junnar, Nashik district, also dates from the reign of Saythian King Nahapana, and its style indicates that it was constructed about the same time as the Pandulena Caves' hall.
Chaitya halls are thus places of worship for Buddhists in general, as well as beautiful examples of Buddhist architecture.
Top 5 Famous Buddhist Monasteries in India
Buddhism is an Indian subcontinent religion that teaches various spiritual development, meditation, and philosophical activities. Siddhartha Gautama, or the Buddha, and his followers originated in the Magadha region and spread throughout India and beyond. The most famous Buddhist site in India is Mahabodhi Temple Gaya, and the top 15 significant Buddhist stupas in India can be found in Sanchi, Sarnnath, and Kushinagar.
Namgyal Monastery - Dharamsala
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The Namgyal Monastery is located in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala district. The Dalai Lamas are linked with Namgyal Monastery, which offers Buddhism in the state. Along with the lakes, Kangra Valley, and McLeodGanj, it is a major tourist attraction.
Thikse Monastery - Leh
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The Thikse Monastery is located in Ladakh's Indus Valley, near Leh. The Thikse Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Ladakh. Ladakh's Thiksey Gompa is known as the "Mini Potala Palace" and is home to a large number of monks.
Hemis Monastery - Ladakh
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The Hemis Monastery is one of India's largest and most well-known Buddhist monks. The Hemis Gompa in Ladakh contains a large collection of ancient remnants. Every year, the famous Hemis gompa festival is held here, with many attractions such as Ladakh Mask Dances and tantric worship by monks.
Shashur Monastery - Spiti
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The Buddhist monastery of Shashur is located in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul valley. Shashur Monastery is an ancient monastery that is surrounded by blue pines.
Mindrolling Monastery - Dehradun
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The Mindrolling Monastery, located in Clement Town near Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand's Dehradun region, is one of India's major Buddhist centres. Dehradun's Buddha temple is a major tourist attraction as well as an architectural marvel. It has one of the world's tallest statues of Lord Buddha, standing at 107 feet, as well as one of India's tallest stupas.
Features of the Chaityas and Viharas
The salient features of both Viharas and Chaityas are discussed below:
A square mandapa was built inside the cave, which was surrounded by monks' dwelling area.
Initially, the Chaitya and Vihara architecture focused on wooden structures, but as time passed, rock-cut caves became more prominent.
The Chaityas, which date from 200 BC to 200 AD, are primarily related with Hinyana Buddhism. The caves of Bhaja, Pitalkhora, Kondane, Ajanta (9th - 10th centuries), Nasik, Beda, and Karle are given as examples of this type of architecture. Image sculpture is scarce, and typically, these caves include basic stupas.
Famous Chaitya and Vihara of India
Let us look at the list of famous chaitya and vihara of India.
Karle Chaitya
Karli near Lonavala, Maharashtra, is home to a complex of ancient Buddhist Indian rock-cut caves. The shrines were built over a five-century period, from the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD. The earliest of the cave shrines is said to have been constructed around 160 BC, close to a major ancient trade route that went eastward from the Arabian Sea into the Deccan. It has three Viharas and a big Chaitya. These caves are engraved with animal and human figures.
Nasik Chaitya
In Maharashtra's Nasik, there are 16 Viharas and one Chaitya. ‘Pandulane' is another name for the Nasik Chaitya. There was also a musical hall. These early Viharas were Hinyana Buddhist temples (Satvahana period). The pillars and rooftops of Viharas are carved with human figures.
Junnar Vihara
'Ganeshleni' is the name of one of the Junnar Vihara. It was then converted to a Chaitya Vihara with the addition of a stupa.
Bhaja Chaitya
It is a complex of 22 rock-cut caves in the Pune district of Maharashtra, near Lonavala, that date back to the 2nd century BC. The caves sit 400 feet above Bhaja town, on an important ancient trade route that flows eastward through the Deccan Plateau from the Arabian Sea (the division between North India and South India). In the Chaitya Hall, instead of pictures, Tiratna, Nandipad, Srivats, Chakra, and other gods are engraved.
Konkade Vihara
It is located in Maharashtra's Colaba district. The Vihara in this location is entirely made of wood.
Pitalkhora Chaitya
It is located on the Satmata Hills in the state of Khandesh. It's an ancient Buddhist site with 14 rock-cut cave monuments dating from the third century BCE, making it one of India's earliest examples of rock-cut architecture. The caves are about 40 kilometres from Ellora, and you may get there by climbing a flight of concrete stairs near a waterfall. These caves were built by Shrenis or guilds, according to epigraphic evidence. Inside the Chaitya, relics are kept.
Vedsa Chaitya
Karle is located to the south of it. The transition from wooden to store building is evident here. The huge hall in front of Chaitya has pillars that are around 25 feet long.
Kanheri Vihara
It is a group of caves and rock-carved monuments cut into a huge basalt outcrop in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park's woodlands on the island of Salsette, on the western outskirts of Mumbai, India. Buddhist sculptures, relief carvings, paintings, and inscriptions spanning from the 1st century BCE to the 10th century CE can be found in the caverns of this vihara. The name Kanheri is derived from the Sanskrit word Krishnagiri, which meaning "Black Mountain." It is around 16 miles from Mumbai. This vihara's caves date from the 01 century BCE to the 10 century CE.
FAQs on Famous Chaitya and Vihara of India
1. What are Chaityas and Viharas?
Chaitya is a big prayer hall with a stupa at one end to accommodate more devotees. A number of ancient Buddhist Chaityas can be found in Maharashtra.
The structures for wandering Buddhist monks are known as viharas. They were hut-like structures made of wood. One such VIHARA was Nalanda. Vihara is the name of the state of Bihar.
2. What are Chaityas and Viharas in Buddhist Architecture?
A shrine, sanctuary, temple, or prayer hall is referred to as a chaitya, chaitya hall, or chaitya-griha. It's a space with a stupa and a circular apse opposite the entrance, as well as a tall, rounded ceiling. Chaityas were assemblies for the purpose of gatherings and discussions.
Viharas are a sort of Buddhist monastery that consists of an open court surrounded by open cells accessible by an entrance porch. They were constructed with the aim of allowing people to live.
