Mauryan Art and Architecture

Mauryan art represents the culmination of an extensive indigenous movement that evolved over time. 

• Scholars like Niharanjan Ray assert that Mauryan art significantly diverged from earlier traditions by shifting from materials such as wood, sun-dried brick, clay, ivory, and metal to the extensive use of stone in massive dimensions. 
• Features like stupa railings, gateways, and chaitya facades often mirrored wooden prototypes in their ornamentation.

Mauryan Art 

Achaemenid Influence

• Mauryan art reflects notable Achaemenid influences, especially since Mauryan dominions under Chandragupta Maurya extended to regions like Afghanistan, previously under Achaemenid control.
• Achaemenid art left a lasting imprint on Mauryan art, similar to how Hellenistic art borrowed from Achaemenid traditions.
• The city of Pataliputra bears resemblance to Achaemenid cities like Susa and Ekbatana. The Pillared Hall at Kumrahar can be compared to the Hall of Hundred Columns at Persepolis, constructed by Darius the Great.
• Ashokan pillars and inscriptions were inspired by Achaemenid practices.

Indigenous Roots

• Another perspective suggests that Mauryan art combined indigenous folk and court traditions.
• Mauryan polish, for example, had its origins before the Mauryan era.
• Motifs like the bull, lion, lotus, and geese found in Ashokan pillars are considered to have indigenous antecedents.

Key Examples of Mauryan Art

• Pataliputra Palace: The royal palace, largely made of wood, stood at Kumhrar near Patna. Surviving for approximately 700 years, it was observed by Fa-Hien in the 4th century CE.
• Rock-Cut Caves:
  • Barabar Hills: Granite caves, such as the Sudama Cave, served as viharas for worshippers. The Sudama Cave contains an inscription dated to Ashoka’s 12th regnal year and is dedicated to the Ajivika sect.
  • Nagarjuni Hills: These caves, attributed to Ashoka and his successors, further illustrate the tradition of rock-cut architecture.
• Ashokan Pillars:
  • These freestanding monolithic sandstone pillars, often quarried from Chunar, are known for their tapering shafts, polished surfaces, and proportionality.
  • The capitals feature an inverted lotus (bell capital) supporting a platform (abacus) with animal figures.
  • The Lion Capital of Sarnath, depicting roaring lions atop an abacus with animals in movement, symbolizes the Dhammachakrapravartana (Buddha’s first sermon). This emblem is now India’s national symbol.
  • Other notable sculptures include the rock-cut elephant at Dhauli and the Rampurva Lion Pillar, where the lion is seated on its haunches.

Royal and Popular Mauryan Art

• Royal Art: Examples include Ashokan pillars and other architectural features linked to state authority.
• Popular Art:
  • Images of Yakshas and Yakshinis, such as the life-size Yakshini holding a flywhisk (chauri) from Didarganj, represent folk traditions.
  • These sculptures highlight the artistic focus on human anatomy and polished surfaces, showcasing the influence of local traditions.

Mauryan Architecture

Buddhist Monastic Structures

• • • The construction of stupas and viharas became integral to Buddhist monastic traditions.
    • Stupas were built over Buddha’s relics in various locations, including Rajagraha, Vaishali, Kushinagar, and Pava in Bihar; Kapilavastu and Allakappa in Nepal; and Pippalvina and Ramagrama in Uttar Pradesh.

Stupa Features

• • • Anda: A hemispherical dome representing the mound of dirt covering Buddha’s remains. In some cases, actual relics were used.
    • Harmika: A square railing on top of the mound symbolizing the Bodhi tree.
    • Chhatra: A central pillar supporting triple umbrella forms, symbolizing respect and reverence.
    • Pradakshina Path: A circumambulatory path around the stupa, used by devotees to walk clockwise in prayer.
    • Torana: Sculpted gateways depicting scenes from Jataka Tales.
    • Medhi: A raised platform encircling the stupa.
    • Vedika: A boundary wall enclosing the medhi.

Notable Stupas

• • The Great Stupa at Sanchi, initially constructed with bricks during Ashoka’s reign, was later enhanced with stone and decorative features.
  • Other significant stupas include those at Bharhut, Bodhgaya, Amaravati, and Nagarjunakonda.