After the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilisation, the wooden or brick structures of the time were recycled over and over again for a long time. However, as Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan empire in 322 BCE, an entirely new form of architecture slowly began to take shape. This was the beginning of Indian Rock-cut architecture, which was the practice of carving a structure with a single solid piece of rock. Although this style of architecture used the themes and motifs of Hinduism, Jainism, and the Ajivika sect as well, it was still mostly Buddhist in nature. The Buddhist images engraved on these structures offer critical insights into the development of Buddhist tenets through time.
Jivakarama Vihara
The earliest surviving Buddhist structure remains in the form of floor plans. One prominent example of this is that of the ancient Buddhist Monastery located in Bihar, known by the name of Jivakarama Vihara. Believed to have been established around 530-400 BCE during the time of Buddha, this structure is distinct from the other types of vihara built later on.
Vihara here is the term given to a type of dwelling in the form of an open courtyard where Buddhist monks lived. It is also mentioned in the monastic literature of other contemporary religions as a place where wandering monks and nuns took refuge every year during the monsoon season. Following this tenet, it is believed that even Buddha took refuge at Jivakarama Vihara after his cousin and brother-in-law, Devadatta injured him!
In terms of Indian Rock-cut architecture, Vihara or Vihara hall, refers to a structure with a huge central hall that is connected to a number of small halls surrounding it. Even the beds in these halls were built from stone! Jivakarama Vihara was built in the form of two long oblong halls without any private cells since it wasn’t allowed by the sangha that regulated them. Even the other halls that were constructed later on included oblong dormitories where monks ate and slept.
What separates Jivakarama Vihara from the vihara built later on, such as the quadrangular vihara in Gandhara, is the presence of a stupa. A stupa, which refers to a hemispherical structure used for meditation by the Buddhist monks, is also a prominent feature of Buddhist architecture. The absence of the stupa indicates the historical nature of Jivakarama Vihara that only exists in the form of floor ruins nowadays.
