Arches in Indian Monuments
A recent image of an elaborate arch motivated me to write this monograph. As a travel heritage writer, almost all of my posts have featured arches of all kinds. It felt logical to talk about them in detail.
Fundamentals of an Arch
An arch is a curved structure to give an opening and support load from above. A series of blocks placed next to each other in a semi-circular manner created an arch. The central block is the keystone which is the main load-bearing one. Arches could be semi-circular, pointed, or segmental.
Arches are not to be confused with gates or gateways. A gate is an entrance to an enclosed space or an inner area and does not necessarily have an arch on the top. Whereas arches could be part of a gate, an enclosed verandah around the central structure or windows on higher floors.
Architectural usage
Romans popularized the semi-circular arch in bridges and large-scale architecture. Along the way, the Greco-Roman arches also merged into Indo-Saracenic style.
Islamic architecture made great use of the pointed arch and it became a religious symbol. It also found its way into gothic architecture. The segmental and elliptical arch is more functional and gets used in civil construction and engineering.
Arches in Indian monuments
The history of arches and dome architecture in India begins from the Delhi sultanate of the 12th century. As the reign of Persian and Mughal rulers spread in the Indian sub-continent, the architectural styles also evolved; from Hindu Temple architecture to Mughal and Indo-Islamic to Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture. The arches seen in these buildings have imbibed the respective styles.
Hindu architecture featuring plinths over ornate pillars. A gateway without an arch. Or a verandah with pillars and plinth, sans arches at the Siddhanath Baradari, Omkareshwar 👇
True arches, unknown to India, and a first of its kind, feature at Balban’s Tomb Complex at Mehrauli Archeological Park built in 1287 AD. 👇
Cusped arches in Indo-Saracenic architecture style, a favourite of the Deccan rulers at Paigah Tombs, Hyderabad 👇
European gothic influenced arches in the early 20th century Mount Mary Basilica, Mumbai 👇
Rajasthani architecture modified the pointed arches into ornate renditions with elaborate cusps in the Havelis of Churu 👇
Simple semi-circular arches in Portuguese style at Mumbai’s Fort Bassein, 1534 AD 👇
hello
i am doing my masters project on arches of islamic monuments. Can you please give more examples regarding arches of lesser known monuments of india if possible.
Thank you for referring to my blog for your project. I am only a hobbyist in heritage architecture, and not an academic. A deeper search of the blog might give better results. Wish you all the best.