13 Gujrat.pdf

Provincial Architecture of Gujarat

•Gujarat, a region corresponding to what is now the northern division of old Bombay Presidency, with capital Ahmedabad towards the centre.

Patan

•This Islamic style of architecture flourished for a period of 250 years from the early 14th century when the Governors appointed by the Khalji Sultans of Delhi established themselves in the western seaboard in Anhilawada (Patan), until the rule of Ahmed Shahi dynasty declined in the last half of the 16th century.

•2 factors are responsible for the prodigious output of architecture : -The powerful Ahmed Shahi dynasty, wanted to surround themselves with architectural evidences of their might. -The supply of skilled indigenous workmen. •The tradition of the local craftsmen of Guj, though ancient, was so vibrantly alive that the Muslim rulers had no choice but to opt themselves this style for preparation of mosques & tombs. •Many structures are adaptations or extracts of local Hindu and Jain temples. •The Gujarat style is the most indigenous Indian style of all the provincial styles.

Talents of the Gujarati Builder… •Decoration & other architectonic techniques known to the builders to create a style that could be labelled as the ‘Mohammadan architecture of Guj’. •Were well-equipped by the construction techniques, building the lavish mandapas of temples which were roofed by pyramidal corbelled dome. The plan of such mandapa could easily constitute a multipliable unit. •A number of such conjoined units assembled together with minor design variations would easily produce large rectangular spaces or halls necessary for the Liwans of the mosque. •Were capable of inducing spatial qualities into mandapas, roofed with domes, cupolas & carved horizontal ceiling panels situated at varying heights. •In fact, the only terminology the Guj architect needed to introduce was ‘pointed arch’, & the only to delete was figurative sculpture……..these 2 criteria fulfilled the Muslim rulers.

•The style can be divided into three main periods :

(1300 - 1458)

First Period

(First half of the 14th Century A.D.)

Second Period

(First half of the 15th Century A.D.)

(1459- 1550)

Third Period

(Second half of 15th Century A.D.)

•Consisted of the customary phase of demolition of temples followed by reconversion of the building materials.

•In this period, we see the art approaching, with slightly tentative qualities.

•This is the most magnificent aspect of the style.

•The buildings of this period have the appearance of being formative and experimental, so has not attained a definite character.

•There is more directional authority in the buildings and increased assurance in the design. •This can also be called the Ahmed Shahi period, after the Sultan Ahmed Shah.

•Most of the development in this phase happened under Sultan Mahmud I Begarha, so also known as Begarha Period.

(1300 - 1458)

First Period

(First half of the 14th Century A.D.)

Second Period

(First half of the 15th Century A.D.)

•Jami Masjid at Patan

(1459- 1550)

Third Period

(Second half of 15th Century A.D.)

•Jami Masjid at •Jami Masjid at Bharuch Ahmedabad •Jami Masjid at Cambay •Teen Darwaza

•Bai Hari Wav

•Mosque at Dholka

•Sidi Sayyid Masjid •Jami Masjid at Champaner

•Many buildings were built using materials from Hindu temples. •Most often, the pillars would be used as they were, while the walls would be built of original masonry, sometimes using stones taken from the temples and re-cut to suit the requirements.

•Ahmed Shah’s mosque •Sarkhej Rouza (started)

•Sarkhej Rouza (completed)

•3 cities founded by Mahmud Begarha are Bitwa, Mahmudabad, Champaner

Gujarat sultanate.. Z The founder of the ruling Muzaffarid dynasty, Zafar Khan (later Muzaffar Shah I) was appointed as governor of Gujarat by Nasir-udDin Muhammad bin Tughluq IV in 1391, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, at that time. Z Zafar Khan defeated Farhat-ul-Mulk near Patan and made the city his capital, declaring himself independent in 1407. Z The next sultan, his grandson Ahmad Shah I founded the new capital Ahmedabad in 1411 on the banks of Sabarmati River, which he styled as Shahr-i-Mu'azzam (the great city). Z In 1509, the Portuguese wrested Diu from Gujarat sultanate following the Battle of Diu. Mughal emperor Humayun attacked Gujarat in 1535. The end of the sultanate came in 1573, when Akbar annexed Gujarat in his empire. Gujarat became a Mughal Subah. Z The last ruler Muzaffar Shah III was taken prisoner to Agra. In 1583, he escaped from the prison and with the help of the nobles succeeded to regain the throne for a short period before being defeated by Akbar's general Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.

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Rulers of Gujarat .. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Muzaffar Shah I Ahmed Shah Muhammad Shah Mahmud Begarha Muzaffar Shah II

Jami Masjid, Bharoach (Bharuch) ‐ 1300 •Largely composed of temple materials, it was planned and constructed as per mosque principles. •Consists of a courtyard with gateways on 3 sides and sanctuary in the west. •The sanctuary is of the open pillared variety i.e. without a screen of arches put across the front. It is merely an elaborated verandah or loggia. •All 48 pillars of the sanctuary are of bracket pattern. •They are arranged so as to divide the interior into 3 compartments, each corresponding to the three temple mandapas from where the pillars were taken. (octaganally aligned supports for erecting 3 corbelled domes)

9m

Elevation

Jami Masjid, Bharoach

Pillars are of the Hindu temples, the walls are Mohammedan.

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Sanctuary

Plan

Courtyard

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Jami Masjid, Bharoach •The long western walls & 2 short sides were built up of solid masonry, with tiny arched & trellised aperture for cross ventilation. •The eastern wall, sheltered by a typical Hindu chajja below its parapet was left open. •To the liwan so formed was added a courtyard defined by walls rather than verandahs. •There are 3 mihrabs (with the Islamic pointed arch introduced under the lintel) on the interior of the western wall and a series of arched windows filled with stone tracery designs.

Mihrab

Jami Masjid, Bharoach •The sanctuary roof consists of beams supporting 3 large domes and 10 smaller ones. •Square sunk coffered ceilings are decorated with cusped and other geometrical patterns as found in temple roofs. •Except for a certain amount of direction and supervision from Muslim overseers, the actual production is the handiwork of local artisans who had probably never seen a mosque before. (The interior of the Liwan with its rather bracketed columns may not have been ideally suited a mosque )

Jami Masjid, Cambay (Khambhat)

The jambs of the central part of the facade are nearly forty feet high, and crowned with pointed finials.

•25 years later the Muslim rule administered from the ancient seaport town of Cambay, & a Jami Masjid was constructed. •Judging from the appearance, it is probable that local artisans were reinforced by a group of artisans from Delhi to build this structure. •The sanctuary of the mosque is having an enclosed facade with a screen of arches. •The shape and position of the arches, the masonry consisting of alternate broad and narrow courses and the overall architectural treatment is reminiscent of the architectural style of Delhi under the Khalji dynasty.

•On the south side of the mosque is a square tomb, built of marble, where 'Umar Ahmad Gazruni (1333) is buried. •sanctuary has an open courtyard in front, surrounded by corridors.

Jami Masjid, Cambay •The façade of the Liwan is composed of a blank screen wall consisting of large central arch, & 2 symmetrically subsidiary ones. •There were 14 domes that constitute interior of the liwan behind. •The cloisters that define the courtyard on the 3 sides are formed by a flat-roofed aisle & a series of 21 domes over octagonal ccolumn bays . •The entrance gateway in the middle of the eastern cloisters is re-erected temple portico with a dome added on for Islamic effect.

•The pillars have been enriched by an engrailed arch similar to one found in temples, a motif which later figures prominently as the flying arch within the central openings of mosque facades in Gujarat.

Jami Masjid, Cambay

The main sanctuary contains one hundred pillars supporting the roof that were evidently taken from Hindu and Jain temples

64.6m 76.8m

courtyard

tomb

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Plan

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The shape and position of the arches, the masonry consisting of alternate broad and narrow courses, the architectural character of the building as a whole further prove that the builders were from Delhi.

ENTRANCE VIEW Jami Masjid, Cambay

Architectural Features ƒ The façade of the liwan is composed of a blank screen wall consisting of a large central arch, and two symmetrically disposed subsidiary ones, with a merloned parapet. ƒ 14 domes constitute the interior of the liwan. ƒ The cloisters that define the courtyard on the other three sides making for a mosque of 212 ft x 252 ft are formed by a flat roofed aisle and a series of 21 domes over octagonal column bays. ƒ The entrance gate way in the middle of the eastern cloisters is virtually a re-erected temple portico with a dome, added on for islamic effect.

PLAN Jami Masjid, Cambay

The fine proportion and dignified appearance of the Cambay Jami Masjid, its simple intelligible design provided the master key to the mosque architecture of Gujarat.

Hilal Khan Qazi Masjid, Dhokla ƒ Of almost the same character as the Jami Masjid, Cambay, having been built in A.D. 1333 is the Hilal Khan Qazi Masjid at Dhokla. ƒ It is smaller and a simpler structure but with a notable innovation to the façade in the shape of a pair of tall ornamental turrets, one on each side of the central archway. ƒ These turrets are apparently an attempt to produce something corresponding to a minaret even though it had no definite traces of Islamic influence. ƒ Their significance lies in the fact that demand for a minaret, a feature which afterwards became an outstanding element in the Gujarat mosque design.

JAMI MASJID Historical Influence: • The Jami masjid of ahmedabad built in 1411-1423 is considered the high water mark of mosque design in western India. •This monument has proved that the building art has taken a step forward and has raised to a higher plane from hesitation and experiment to something approaching a complete and a perfect realization of the ideal. • Although conveying an impression of finality, this mosque even in its apparent perfection, represents a living, growing and expectant style.

Indigenous style of temple architecture: •The temple sanctuary is converted into the central compartment the mosque. •To adjust this extraneous structure so that it confirms to its new position and purpose, certain alterations were made. •The pillared hall of the temple design was affected by the addition of upper stories and the innovation of the rotunda in the centre. •Height was increased for better illumination and no direct light of any kind was allowed to penetrate.

COLONADED HALL

Architectural effect: •The architectural effect is concentrated in the sanctuary, especially on its façade. •The courtyard measures 255ft by 220ft emphasizing the richness of its structural formation. •The front elevation has the combined effect of two different facades conventions, the screen of arches on one hand and pillared portico on the other. •The screen and columns were juxtaposed to achieve contrast between the volume and strength of the wall surface and the depth and airy lightness of the colonnade.

•The façade is well composed with solids and voids with its three main openings well balanced , the large central archway accentuated and supported by the richly moulded buttresses of the minarets.

FAÇADE WITH THREE ENTRANCE PORTALS

Structural element: •The interior of this mosque is in the form of an hypostyle hall, measuring 250ft long and 95ft deep •The hall consists of 300 pillars closely set. •The pillars are symmetrically disposed into a series of square bays, fifteen in number, connected by columned interspaces each covered by a dome. •The central compartment of nave rises to three stories, the side ailes being in two stories and the interior being one story high.

PILLARED HALL

•Mezzanine in the north transept for the zenana. •The nave is composed of two pillared galleries one above the other, whole structure being supported on the tall columns of the hall below.

•The galleries enclose a wide central shaft or what may be termed a “rotunda” except that it is not circular in plan, as the lower gallery is square and the upper octagonal. •The rotunda is covered by a dome. •In the mosque at each stage is a platform with a balcony overlooking the rotunda provided with a sloping backed seat similar to the temple asana. •Around the exterior of these galleries are pillared verandahs or loggias. •It is through these screens that the galleries are illuminated. They are so arranged that no direct light of any kind can penetrate for it is First deflected, the reflected, before being permitted to diffuse itself throughout the building.

SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE SHOWING THE PILLARED HYPOSTYLE HALL,VERANDAHS AND THE DOME OVER THE ROTUNDA

Jami Masjid, A’bad – (1423) Z measuring 116m x 79m, considered to be the high water mark of mosque design (nadir of mosque design) on western India. Z Most of the architectural effect is concentrated in the sanctuary. The ‘solids’ & ‘ voids’ composition of the façade.

•The architect has combined the two types of sanctuary facades, the screen of arches and the pillared portico, with the screen in the centre and the portico on the wings. •The juxtaposition of the two elements creates contrast between the volume and strength of the wall surface and the depth and airy lightness of the colonnade. •The large central archway has large moulded buttresses of minarets on either sides, whose upper parts have now disappeared. 2 smaller archways are placed on either side of the central one.

Jami Masjid, A’bad •Liwan consists of around 300 slender pillars, closely set at 1.6m distance

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•Directly visible through the archway in the shadows is the colonnade of the interior with its engrailed arch springing lightly from its slender columns. •The dynamic volume (liwan) is roofed by a large corbelled dome resting over an octagonal ring of columns, each of the 8 facades being filled in with panels of jaalis, The doomed roof added on Islamic quality to the interior as well as the façade; & the open grills the dome made the central bay an open shaft generating cool currents in the air, so essential in the hot & humid climate of A’bad.. •The balconies provided a sufficiently private Zenana apartment for the ladies.

•The central compartment of the nave rises up to 3 storeys, the side aisles are 2 storeys and the rest of the hall is single storeyed

Jami Masjid, A’bad columns are symmetrically arranged to form 15 bays across the long axis of the hall 81m

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A - Prayer room B – Liwan (300

290m

64m

70m

pillars)

Plan

C - Zenana

Jami Masjid, A’bad Section

•The nave is composed of two pillared galleries one above the other. The enclosed triple height space which is overlooked from the galleries is square in plan on the first floor and octagonal on the second and is covered by a dome. •Each overlooking balcony is provided with an asana or a sloping backed seat as seen in temples. •Around the exterior of the balconies are pillared verandahs and in the arcade between the pillars are stone jalis through which the galleries are illuminated.

What is Rouza ? •A rouza is a mausoleum consisting of the usual combination of a tomb & its accompanying mosque. •An arrangement which tomb & its mosque confront one another, & being complementary in design, together produce an attractive composition. •The strategy for combining the 2 also ensured the glory of the ruler would be duly preserved. •Depending on various circumstances, sometimes the mosque & sometimes the tomb would dominate the architectural appeal of the rouza.

Sarkhej Rouza •located in the village of Makaraba, Sarkhej, 7 km from A’bad, Gujarat….the most revered rouza. •The complex is known as "Ahmedabad's Acropolis", due to 20th century architect Le Corbusier's comparison of this mosque's design to the Acropolis of Athens.

Palace + gardens + pavilions + gateways + a large artificial lake + mosque + tombs •on the death of Ahmed Shah, his son Mohammed Shah was prompted to build a tomb in his father’s homage, Sheikh Ahmed Khatri, who died in 1441 at Sarkhej. •Sarkhej was once a prominent centre of Sufi culture in the country, where influential Sufi saint Ganj Baksh (advisor to Ahmed Shah) lived. Upon his death in 1445, the reigning monarch, Mohammed Shah ordered a mausoleum built in his honour, along with a mosque. •The construction of these monuments were completed in 1451 A.D.

Sarkhej Rouza •its architectural style is a true amalgamation of Hindu, Jain and Islamic styles. •The huge tomb consisting of a square hall of 32m side is an unusually large hypostyle hall forested with columns. The central domed portion of the hall has been enclosed within an unusual brass framed screen to form the sepulcher. •the next sultan, Mahmud Begada, who gave the complex its present grandeur. •He expanded it by building the pleasure palaces, gave finishing touches to the tank and added his own tomb & his family just across the courtyard from the saint's. •small open pavilion is in front of his tomb is 16m tall & graceful shafts, devoid of any ornamentation, is roofed with 9 small domes.

Pavilion

Sarkhej Rouza •The mosque, measuring 68m x 48m, with its courtyard, creates a religious milieu; the royal connection is made through the tombs and palaces; the great tank, platforms and pavilions were used by the common man. •The complex was originally spread over 72 acres, surrounded by elaborate gardens on all sides. Over time, human settlements came around it, eating into gardens and reducing the area to 34 acres. •the ringed domes, the profusion of pillars and brackets follow the Islamic genre, much of the ornamentation and motifs have Hindu designs. Most of the buildings don't have arches and depend on pierced stone trellises for stability.

Pavilion dome

Mosque dome

Sarkhej Rouza

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3 5

6 5

2 1 5. Pavilion 6. Sultan’s private mosque Built by Muhammad Shah

Built by Muhammad Begara

Sarkhej Rouza

1. Saint’s tomb 2. Mosque

3. Queen’s tomb 4. King’s tomb

5. Water tank

Sarkhej Rouza

Mosque

Galleries facing the lake (back side of the family tomb)

Tomb of Saint

Jaalis (internal view)

TEEN DARWAZA •

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Triumphal archway to Ahmed Shah’s processional route connecting his palace with the Jami Masjid. Now converted to a common palace bazaar. 37feet high , 80feet wide,45 feet deep. Fault in design felt in the proportion of its three archway, the two at the sides being not much narrower than the one in the centre which could have offered some contrast.

VIEW

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES

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Bold yet graceful shapes of the arches.

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Skill-full arrangement of its parapet relieved by the three elegant oriels windows on brackets.

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Form and rich carving of the buttresses projecting from the from the front of each pier.

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Contours of the arches.

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Pointed arches at its best in the ‘Teen Darwaza’.

Jami Masjid, Champaner

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Sultan Begada built Jami Masjid in Champaner, which ranks amongst the finest architectural edifices in Gujarat.

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It is an imposing structure on a high plinth, with a central dome, two minarets 30 meters in height, 172 pillars, seven mihrabs, and carved entrance gates with fine stone jalis.

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The ancillaries attached to the liwan has been lavished to make it more comprehensive than the mosque at ahemdabad.

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Even though the façade of the liwan discards the open colonnade winfs of the ahemdabad prototype the other three sides are ornamented with balconies, bracketed openings, turrets, butresses and corner minars, singularly hindu in ornamentation.

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It is composed of a hypostyle hall of a forest of columns piled up one over the other.

Z In the central part, it achieves the effect of a dome nave rising to height of 65 ft. Z The top storey, the balcony enclosing the rotunda is octagonal with ribbed and richly fretted dome rising on pillars. Z The galleries are separated from the pillared prayer hall below, providing retreat for peaceful meditation.

PLAN Jami Masjid, Champaner

SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE Jami Masjid, Champaner

Entrance Gateway: Z It is designed as a square chamber with each of its walks composed of three symmetrically arranged, firmly contoured arches filled in with jalli panels. Z The cubic base is sheltered by a deep chaja projecting over closely spaced brackets. Z Above the base (a markedly hindu element) is a broad parapet, at each corner of which is planted a dome chatri. This dome was supported by islamic method of corner squinches which has now vanished.

ENTRANCE VIEW

Decorative Features: Z The design of the gateway of Jami Masjid became the prototype of the champaner architectural style. Z The entire decorative scheme was just a dash here and there of the flowing forms of hindu sculptural details. Z The substructure is only a slightly more florid and richly ornamented version of the masjid’s gateway.

VIEW

Jami Masjid, Champaner •Built with the Jami Masjid at Ahmedabad as model except on a smaller scale and a few differences. •aspects which differentiate the masjids of Champaner & A’bad are : i) façade of the liwan discards the open colonnade wings. ii) other 3 sides are ornamented with balconies, bracketed openings, turrets, buttressess & corner minars with Hindu ornamentation. •Composed of hypostyle hall of a forest of columns piled up one over the other.

Jami Masjid, Champaner •The entire structure is a rectangle of 86.4m X 57.6m. •The courtyard is surrounded by a range of arched cloisters, one aisle deep. •An imposing entrance pavilion projects from the centre of each of the north, south and east cloisters. The eastern pavilion is a fine example of architecture in itself. •A series of moulded buttresses along the exterior of the qibla wall along with traceries openings at close intervals along the entire periphery makes the exterior of the mosque attractive as well. Plan

Jami Masjid, Champaner

•Sanctuary facade is of enclosed type containing 5 pointed archways with two slender minarets flanking the central opening. •The ornamentation of the minarets is restricted to their buttress like bases, with the five stages above left mostly unadorned. •On the whole, the frontal screen is more or less economically treated, relieved only by 3 oriel windows, one above the central arch and two on the minarets. •Sanctuary is a pillared hall measuring 270' X 130', containing 176 pillars. •The nave rises to 65' in height through 3 storeys and covered by a dome. •From the second storey, it takes the form of a Latin cross with very short arms. •Each storey is accessed by a staircase in the minarets.

Jami Masjid, Champaner •The level of the first floor is continuous with the roof of the rest of the building, forming a wide terrace for circumambulation among the cupolas with a square well above the nave. •The second floor is restricted to the Latin cross and is a large pillared gallery with an octagonal well. This floor communicates with the oriel window above the central arch in the sanctuary facade. •The zenana chamber is placed at the northern end of the transept. •Around the galleries are provided stone seats with sloping backs. •The Champanir mosque is based on the Ahmedabad mosque as a template, though the builders were not able to provide much of an improvement on the Ahmedabad archetype. The pillars in the Champanir sanctuary are more sophisticated than the Ahmedabad example, as may be seen in the vertical recessed chases of the shafts and other architectural details of a similar nature

Sidi Saiyyed ni Jaali ‐ (1573) Z As attested by the marble stone tablet fixed on the wall of the mosque, built by Sidhi Saiyyed, General in the army of the last Sultan Muzaffar Shah III.

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Z The structure though sober but is an example of great architecture. The minarets are provided on the northern & southern extremities. Z In the western walls of liwan, jaalis infill panels in the arched aperture were inserted. Z It is a genious work responding both Islamic (geometric decoration) & non-Islamic (figurative decoration).

Façade (Panaromic view)

Sidi Saiyyed ni Jaali Z Walls are composed entirely of perforated stone screen which have given the building a worldwide reputation. Z The screen in the mosque, though usage of figurative elements, is animated by a sensuality that belongs only to the female human form. Z For expressing this sensuousness, the artist has chosen the entwining trunks, branches, leaves of plants & trees as his subject.

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On top of the arcade is laid a flat roof. In the construction of the ceiling, the methods of bracket, diagonal beam and squinch have been used.

Sidi Saiyyed ni Jaali •

8 square piers supporting the arches form the interior of the mosque.

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The branches of this natural element are then minutely dispersed within the arched outline in a manner suggestive of elementary simplicity at first glance, & extreme complexity on deeper study.

Section

Plan

Rani Sipri Mosque – (1515) •

Rani Sipri ni Masjid is a timeless gem in A’bad, Gujarat.

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Queen Sipri, the Hindu wife of the Sultan Begara, commissioned the mosque. And thus, this mosque throws light onto the inter-religious marriages in those times that were common among Indian royalty.

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known as Masjid-e-Nagina (Jewel of a mosque) because of the intricate jali carvings on its walls.

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The Jali screen work that includes flowing plants and trees is the prime attraction of this monument, like Siddi Sayyed Jali and Sarkhej Roza.

Rani Sipri Mosque Z Despite being small with a height of 16m and length of 17m, it always impresses with intricate cravings on its walls.

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Z The columns in the mosque are a reflection of the beautiful craftsmanship. Z After the queen’s death, she was buried in this mosque. Inside, there is also a Zenana, a separate area for women to worship. •It includes a tomb and a row of columns along with a pair of minarets in the front which depict the early Muslim architectural work. •it attracts the attention of the tourists towards the elegant proportions and splendid minarets. Jharokha Detail

Rani Sipri Mosque

Front elevation

Plan

Jhulta Minaras – (1461) •located in A’bad, Gujarat. •mainly known for its unique architecture. •This is a pair of pillar which is a part of the Siddi Bashir Mosque. Known for its superb craftsmanship, these minarets are built in such a manner that it starts swinging if a little pressure is applied on any one side of the minar.

• There are many myths surrounding it but the most popular belief it was done to avoid the earthquakes. •It is said that a European Sanskrit scholar, Monier M Williams noticed that the minarets are shaking. Thus this led to the name of Shaking Minarets or Jhulta Minar.

Jhulta Minaras •Each of the minarets is 3 storied tall and are intricately carved. They have stone balconies that are around 21.34m high. •The striking feature of these Minarets is when one minaret is shaken the other one also vibrates. The phenomena is that the vibrations at the base of tower gets amplified and are transmitted through air tunnels between the two towers resulting in shaking of other tower. Surprisingly, no tremble is felt in the connecting passageway between the two minarets.

Façade of the mosque

Minaret

Sketch Book assignment Jami Masjid Cambay Jami Masjid Ahemedabad Teen Darwaza Ahmedabad Jami Masjid Champaner