NCERT Solutions for Class 8th Social Science Chapter 10 A Journey Through Indian Architecture
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
Indian architecture begins with the Harappan cities — planned streets, standardised bricks, bathing areas in almost every house, and a drain network that carried used water out of the city. Builders used what the land gave them: brick in the alluvial plains, stone at Dholavira where stone was local. New forms followed new faiths. The stupa (aṇḍa, vedikā, toraṇa, pradakṣhiṇa) appeared with Buddhism from the 4th–3rd century BCE; rock-cut caves were carved into hillsides for worship, residence and assembly; and from the Gupta era the classical temple emerged, with its garbhagṛiha, maṇḍapas and śhikhara or vimāna. A temple is not only a building: it is planned on the body of Puruṣha , the cosmic being — tower for the head, platform for the feet — and worship is a journey from the outer world a
- Chapter opener
- Rock-Cut Architecture
- Classical Temple Architecture
- Forts and Palaces
- Tombs and Mausoleums
- Traditional Houses
- Colonial Architecture / end of chapter
- End of chapter
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where the chapter uses it | Worth remembering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stupa — aṇḍa, vedikā, toraṇa | A dome-shaped structure housing relics of the Buddha or of revered monks; its hemispherical dome, its enclosure of railings and its ornamental gateway | Structural Stupa Architecture and Fig. 3.10, pp. 92–93 | Sanchi is the earliest phase of monumental religious stone architecture in India |
| Pradakṣhiṇa | Going around in a clockwise direction | Ellora cave 10, p. 95 | The custom passes from the stupa to the cave aisle and then to the temple’s pradakṣhiṇa corridor |
| Garbhagṛiha | The innermost chamber where the mūrti of the deity is kept | Classical Temple Architecture, p. 99 | Generally faces east; a temple’s main alignment is east–west |
| Maṇḍapa | A pillared hall in front of the garbhagṛiha | Fig. 3.18, p. 99 | The Lingarāja Temple has three large maṇḍapas used for different purposes |
| Śhikhara / vimāna | The tower above the garbhagṛiha — śhikhara in the north, vimāna in the south | p. 99 and Fig. 3.19, p. 100 | The Bṛihadīśhvara vimāna is over 60 metres high |
| Gopuram / prākāra | The ceremonial entrance of a south Indian temple; the enclosure wall around a complex | Fig. 3.18, p. 99 | From the 10th century temples grew into vast complexes with several prākāras |
| Śhilpaśhāstra | The discipline of arts and crafts, largely dedicated to architecture and sculpture | p. 99 | Recent studies show temple planning used advanced geometry |
| Vāv / bāorī, puṣhkariṇī | A stepwell; a temple water reservoir | Water Structures, p. 98 | Stepwells stored rainwater and also gave people a cool social space |
| Jāli, jharokhā, chhatrī | An open latticed screen; an overhanging balcony; a pavilion dome or parasol-shaped cenotaph | Figs. 3.1 and 3.34, pp. 86, 110; p. 108 | Latticework is both functional (ventilation) and aesthetic |
| Corbelled | Constructed by stacking blocks as in a staircase pattern | Glossary note, p. 108 | An alternative to the true arch, used widely in Indo-Islamic work |
| Mihrab / minaret | The niche in a mosque wall pointing to Mecca; the tower from which the muezzin calls to prayer | p. 106 and Fig. 3.32, p. 108 | Delhi’s Jama Masjid has two 40-metre minarets and a courtyard for 25,000 people |
| Indo-Islamic / Indo-Saracenic | Islamic building traditions blended with Indian craftsmanship; and its colonial revival, which added Gothic elements | pp. 108 and 123 | Madras High Court (1892), Victoria Memorial Hall and Mysuru Palace are Indo-Saracenic |
Exercises
- Chapter opener — The Big Questions Page 85
- Rock-Cut Architecture — LET’S EXPLORE Page 95
- Classical Temple Architecture — LET’S EXPLORE Page 100
- Classical Temple Architecture — LET’S EXPLORE Page 103
- Classical Temple Architecture — LET’S EXPLORE Page 104
- Forts and Palaces — LET’S REMEMBER Page 109
- Tombs and Mausoleums — DON’T MISS OUT Page 115
- Traditional Houses — LET’S EXPLORE Page 118
- Colonial Architecture / end of chapter — Before we move on … Page 123
- End of chapter — Questions and activities Page 124