CIVIL ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE

India’s Urban Civilization is traceable to Mohenjodaro and Harappa, now in Pakistan, where Planned Urban Townships existed 5000 years before. From then onwards, The Ancient Indian Architecture and Civil Engineering continued to develop and grow. It found manifestation in Construction of Temples, Palaces and Forts across the Indian Peninsula and the neighbouring Regions. In Ancient India, Architecture and Civil Engineering was known as Sthapatya-Kala, literal translation of which means the Art of Constructing (something).

During the Periods of Kushan Empire and Maurya Empires, the Indian Architecture and Civil Engineering reached to Regions like Baluchistan and Afghanistan. Statues of Buddha were cut out, covering entire mountain faces and cliffs, like Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Over a period of time, Ancient Indian Art of Construction blended with Greek Styles and spread to Central Asia.

On the other side, Buddhism took Indian Style of Architecture and Civil Engineering to Countries like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, China, Korea and Japan. Angkor Wat is a living testimony to the contribution of Indian Civil Engineering and Architecture the Cambodian Khmer Heritage in theField of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

In mainland India of today, there are several marvels of Ancient India’s Architectural Heritage, including World Heritage Sites like Ajanta, Ellora, Khajuraho, Mahabodhi Temple, Sanchi, Brihadisvara Temple and Mahabalipuram.