Inter relation between religion and architecture is explained in detail . It describes different religions and impacts on architectural style of he followers

1. IMPACT OF RELIGION
ON ARCHITECTURE
SUBMITTED BY:
L.Ajitha
CLASS-3

2.  INTRODUCTION
 WHAT IS A RELIGION
 DIFFERENT RELIGIONS:THEIR TRADITIONS AND BELIEFS
o HINDUISM
o CHRISTIANITY
o ISLAM
 ANALYSIS OF ARCHITECTURE IN RELATION TO
RELIGION:
o HINDU ARCHITECTURE
o CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE
o ISLAM ARCHITECTURE
o COMBINED EFFECT OF RELIGIONS OVER STRUCTURES
 CONCLUSION
LEGEND

3. •Histories of the role played by religions on
architecture can be stretch back thousands of
years ago.
•Religious teachings have shaped the lives of people
since prehistoric times.
•Architecture is both the process and product of
planning, designing and construction.
INTRODUCTION
•Building first evolved out of the dynamics between
needs and means. As human cultures developed building
became a highly formalized and respected version
craft, this was named as “architecture”
•The religion indirectly impacts each and every aspect of
life of it’s followers architecture is no exemption.

4. •Belief in something sacred
•A distinction between sacred and profane objects.
•Ritual acts focused on sacred objects.
•A moral code believed to have a sacred or supernatural
basis.
•Characteristically religious feelings
•Prayer and other forms of communication with the
supernatural.
•A social group bound together by the above.
RELIGION MEANS
World’s 3 most practiced religions are of our concern
here, namely
Hinduism - the oldest religion still practiced
Islam - most practiced religion in the world
Christianity - modified form of Judaism

5. DHARMA
KARMA
SAMSKARA
MOKSHA
DIFFERENT RELIGIONS:
THEIR TRADITIONS, BELIEFS
HINDUISM
The term "Hinduism" refers to a wide variety of
religious traditions and philosophies
Prominent themes in Hinduism are: Hindus believe
,
•SANATHANA DHARMA,
•Supreme Being and other divine beings.
•KARMA,.
•SAMSKARA ,
•Soul reincarnates until all karmas have resolved and
then
•MOKSHA,
Hindu society has traditionally been categorized into
four classes, called Varnas
The Brahmins: teachers and priests;
The Kshatriyas: warriors, nobles, and kings;
The Vaishyas: farmers, merchants, and businessmen;

6. •God created all that is seen and unseen
•Jesus is the Son of God and one with God
•Jesus died and was buried
•Jesus rose again (the Resurrection) and
ascended into Heaven
•Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead
•People who repent of their sins will be forgiven.
•All believers should attend a local church.
•Trinity is a basic Christian belief that one God
has three aspects, the father (creator of
everything), the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit
(God's presence in the world).
•Baptism
CHRISTIANITY

7. •Islam is the monotheistic religion and QURAN is their
holy book
•Allah, the God is all-powerful, all-knowing and the
creator, sustainer, judge of the universe who is
merciful & compassionate.
•The Qur’an teaches that Muslims are God’s servants.
•The Holy Scripture also stresses that all individuals
are equal before Allah and also stresses pluralism and
tolerance.
•Day of Resurrection &angels are fundamental beilefs.
• Ritual prayers, must be performed five times a day.
•Fasting, called "Sawm" during the month of Ramadhan
•Giving a fixed portion of accumulated wealth by those
ISLAM

8. NALYSIS OF ARCHITECTURE IN RELATION TO RELIGION
•The branch of Hindu which attempts to align the
energies is called Vaastu Shastra,. “vaastu” -a
building or structure and “shastra” -study
•Thus “vaastu shastra” is the science of
structure, according to this
1. It says there are forces, some positive and some
negative and it is in man’s interest to arrange his
life to take advantage of these positive forces
and avoid the effects of the negative forces.
HINDUISM
2. Hindu architecture always begins by laying Mandala
Purusha ,the cosmic body of God (purusha) over
every building site (mandala).
3. The site-square or rectangular
4. The site-higher in the west than in the east
5. Lawns and gardens with small plants-northern and
eastern side. Large trees-south and western sides
6. Main doors-open to the east, north or west
7. The staircase-south, west or south-west corner
8. Kitchen-south-east corner, north-west corner &
cooking area facing east
9. The treasury-never be located in the west or south-west
10. The meditation area- north-east
11. Garbage disposal and toilets-south-west corner

9. Hindu temple architecture is based on
Sthapatya Veda
1. Temple also represents the subtle body with
the seven psychic centres or cakras
2. The temple is always at a higher elevation than
the others in a town signifying god is supreme.
3. All temples have east facing or north east
facing allowing God in as it is the direction of
head of cosmic God
4. A basic Hindu temple consists of an inner
sanctum, the garbhagriha or womb-
chamber.The interior of garbhagriha is dark
with passages around.
5. The sanctum is crowned by a tower-like
śikhara
6. The exterior walls of the sanctum house
sculpted images that portray various aspects.
7. The most prominent features of South Indian
temples were enclosures around the temples
and the Gopurams, main one at the very
entrance is called as Raja gopuram
8. There are high-raised pillars called Dwaja
stambam usually present to locate a temple.
9. The part of the temple just before the garbha
gruha is called Maha mandapam and this is

10. Unlike the other two religions Christianity has no
specific rules or norms.
A church meant a gathering place . By building a
church in a village or town, the citizens were benefited
CHRISTIANITY
•A common architecture for churches is
the shape of a cross also include a
circle, an octagon &star shape.
•Majority of cathedrals have the west
front, normally the main entrance
internal emphasis upon the eastern end
so that the congregation faces the
direction of the coming of Christ
•Prominent external features are a dome
or a central tower, facade or "west
front" ornate part of the exterior, a
spire
•The external decoration devices include
columns, pilasters, arcading, cornices, mo
ldings, finials and tracery most common
•The architectural design of the church had several key
elements are to praise the glory of god, to incorporate
religious symbolism, toportray the stories of the bible and therefore educate the masses, and
to show the wealth of the church and the supporting
monastery, merchants, and nobility

11. •The main body making the longer arm of the cross is called the nave.The nave
is braced on either side by lower aisles
•Naves have 3 elements:
•Transept intersects the nave marked externally by
tower or dome and internally by the piers and
arches
•Beyond the transept, the "choir normally contains
choir stalls, the "sanctuary”, the"cathedra”
•Further area beyond the choir the Presbytery is
present where the priests make their private
devotions
•Altar is a table on which is laid the Blessed
Sacrament of bread and wine located in a
designated space called the sanctuary.
•Sanctuary is often separated from the body of
the font pulpit or rostruma lectern

12. Architecture is one of the greatest Islamic art forms. An Islamic style is seen in
mosques but also in Muslim houses and gardens.
Islamic architecture has been called the "architecture of the veil" because the beauty lies
in the inner spaces which are not visible from the outside
Masjid has always been an integral element
Manara Mihra &Qibla
wall
Musalla
Finaa’
Minbar (mihrab) Wudhuw’ Sabil
Salah (interior of mosque)tends to have simplified decoration mihrab the exception to this
DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF A MASJID
ISLAM

13. •A traditional Islamic house is
built around a courtyard
•Another key idea, is of a
sequence of spaces
•Concentration is on the
interior
•Large traditional houses have
a complex double structure
•Buildings are often highly
decorated and colour is often
a key feature
Qubba, or dome has calligraphy of Holy
Quran
•Decoration of the interior create the illusion
space is unlimited and application of
geometric naturalistic calligraphic patterning
is observed.

14. •The medieval period Indo-Islamic Architecture
developed.
two main categories. They are
-Delhi or the Imperial Style:The Imperial Style
Sultans of Delhi.
-The Mughal Architecture:
Mughal architecture, an amalgam of Islamic
•The main characteristic features of Mughal
architecture are the bulbous domes, the slender
minarets with cupolas at the four corners, large
halls, massive vaulted gateways and delicate
•The Indo-Islamic style has
spaciousness, massiveness,breadth .
chief means of decoration are the use of geometry
arabesque and calligraphy
Muslims borrowed the design of kalash on the top
of tomb or the mausoleum which is most important
symbol
Mughal gardens are a group of gardens built by the
Mughals in the Indo-islamic style of architecture.
Qutub minar a well-known imperial construction
was once dhruv sthamab a hindu monument but it is
COMBINED EFFECT OF HINDUISM AND
ISLAM

15. The churches in India particularly in
Malabar had these three stricking
features:
•the open-air granite (rock) cross
•Kodimaram (Dwajasthamba
•the rock Deepasthamba or lampstand
Apart from this,some of the
christian constructions erected
during colonised as temples
COMBINED EFFECT OF CHRISTIANITY AND
HINDUISM

16. Christianity and islam have same origin and so
have many aspects in common, even architecture.
COMBINED EFFECT OF ISLAM AND
CHRISTIANITY
The structures have
qabba, domes of Islamic
mosques and large windows
like that of churches.
The elongated
structures are also present
in the mosque which
represent both spires and
manaras.

17. Religion arises out of the necessity to understand a universe .
Religion has acted to complement our scientific understanding and answered
to questions too difficult for science
By presenting a set of guidelines and rituals as a balance against the
destructive side of human nature and key aspect of religion is trying to
recreate this order
As the religion has its mark on its followers, it indirectly impacts
each and every aspect of life of it’s followers architecture is no exemption.
Religion has been a major source of inspiration for the arts also.
In all societies, architecture concretizes religion. The edifices
people erect and the spaces they shape support and reflect spiritual
practices and religious beliefs. thus the abstract religion is concretized by
the architecture.
The two mediums order the relationships individuals develop
amongst themselves and towards nature and the supernatural world, thus
providing a framework for daily life.
A transformation in religious practice alters the meaning of a
religious environment thus in architecture.
Thus both religion and architecture are inseparable from each
other and religion has its impact on architecture.
CONCLUSION