Preface 7 Acknmvledgement 9 Abbreviations 11 List of Illustrations 13 Chapter -1 INTRODUCTION AND BUILDING ACTIVITIES OF THE EARLY PERIOD 17 Definition of architecture, Influence of the environment, of social, economic and religious conditions, Early building activities-Indus valley Civilisation, post Indus valley. Chapter -II STUPA ARCHITECTURE 27 Origin, Antiquity of the practice, peculiar features, Stupas-Madhya Pradesh, South India, Gandhar, Sindh, Uttar Pradesh. Chapter - III ROCK-CUT ARCHITECTURE 45 Early rock-cut chambers, Buddhist chaitya halls and monasteries-Hinayana, Mahayana-Ajanta, Nasik, Karle, Kanheri, Pitalkhora etc., structural monasteries, Hindu rock-cut temples-different types-Udayagiri, Badami, Ellora, Elephanta, Mahabalipuram, Monolithic-Ellora, Mahabalipuram etc., Jain cave architecture-Ellora, Badami, Udayagiri and Khandagiri. Chapter - IV HINDU TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE 107 Temples of the early phase-Maurya-Satavahana period, Middle phase-Gupta and Chalukya period and Developed phase-two main styles, Dakshina Bharatiya temple style, peculiar features, Varieties-Chalukya-Pattadakal, Pallava-Mahabalipuram, Kanchi, Chola-Tanjore, Gangaikondacholapuram, Uttara Bharatiya temple style, peculiar features, regional styles-Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat-Kathiavada, Rajasthan, Maharashtra-Hamadapanti temples. Chapter - V RESUME 201 Survey of the different styles of architecture developed in ancient India Glossary of Architectural Terms 205 Select Bibliography 207 Index 211 Illustrations 217