Maharashtra, India is famous for its caves and rock cut architecture. It is said that the varieties found in Maharashtra are wider than the caves and rock-cut architecture found in the rock cut areas of Egypt, Assyria, Persia and Greece. The Buddhist monks first started these caves in the 2nd century BC, in search of serene and peaceful environment for meditation, and they found these caves on the hillsides.

Hindu cave temples at Ellora and Ajanta contain fine artistic design elements and India’s oldest wall paintings can be seen here. Maharashtra’s famous rock-cut caves have several distinct artistic elements though sculptures of the time are regarded to modern viewers as stiff and not dynamic. The Buddhist caves, particularly the older ones, are either temples (Chaityas) or monasteries (Viharas).

Maharashtras’s architecture is considered as a gift of viswa-brahmins of traditional Vastu shastra tractas . Maharashtra in India is famous for its cave architecture and its sculpted rock . It is said that the varieties encountered in Maharashtra are wider than the caves and architecture sculpted in the rock found in Egypt, Assyria, Persia and Greece. Buddhist monks were the first to build such caves in the 2nd century BCE, in search of a peaceful and peaceful environment for meditation, building these caves on the hillsides.

Later the cavernous temples in Ellora and Ajanta became the most refined designs of human art. Here are some of the oldest wall paintings in India. The famous rocks of Maharashtra caves have many distinctive design elements; although the sculptures of the time are considered serene and immovable. Buddhist caves, especially the oldest, are either temples ( Chaitya ) or monasteries ( Vihara ).

Maharashtra is the third largest state in India . It is known as a place of saints, teachers and revolutionaries, distinguished among whom are Mahadev Govind Ranade, Swatantraveer Savarkari, Savitribai Phule, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and many others. It has a long history of the Marathi saints of the Varakari religious movement that includes the saints like Dnyaneshwari, Namdevi, Chokhamela, Eknathi and Tukarami that form one of the foundations of the Maharashtra Culture or Marathi Culture . Maharashtra is also known for its Purogam culture that translates as a reformist or progressive culture that was set off by the old saints led by Mahatma Phule, Shah Maharaji, Dr. BR Ambedkari in modern times. Maharashtra had great influence over the kingdom of King Shivaji of the XVII Century Maratha Kingdom and his concept of Hindavi Swarajya that translates the self-government of the people . The state of Maharashtra includes many cultures, including cultures associated with Hinduism , Islam , Buddhism , Sikhism , Christianity, and so on. Gods Ganesha and Vitthal are the deities traditionally worshiped by the Hindus of Maharashtra . Maharashtra is divided into different regions; Marathwada, Vidarbha, Khandesh, Konkan, etc. and each region has its cultural identity in the form of various dialects of Marathi language, folklore songs, food and ethnicity.

History

Antiquity
The oldest building in the state of Maharashtra is the ruins of Vakatakas in Mansar.

Sculpted caves in rock
The sculpted architecture on the rock brought together kingdoms and prominent Buddhist monuments that were produced in areas such as Bihari in the east and Maharashtra in the west. Natural caves and caves built on the hillsides were dug by the Buddhist monks and returned to prominent prayer and monasteries. Depending on the very small monastery rooms as well as the colossal temples sculpted in a refined manner, they are distinguished by solid rock. Their Genesis from the 3rd century BC appeared to have been temporary accommodations for Buddhist monks from the big monsoons that made their wandering lives impossible. Modeled on the earliest wooden structures, most were funded by the merchants, for whom the new trust in caste offered an attractive alternative compared to the old discriminating social order. Gradually, encouraged by the example of Emperor Mauryan Ashoka, the local driving dynasties also began to embrace Buddhism . Under their protection, during the II century BC, the first large monastery caves such as Karla , Bhaja and Ajanta were built. Ajanta and Ellora Caves near Aurangabad are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and the famous tourist attraction. Mogule’s architecture can be seen in the Aurangzebit woman’s grave, called Bibi Ka Maqbara, and located in Aurangabad. Bombay is the capital of Maharashtra and has a humid climate throughout the year. The Gate of India , Terminal Chhatrapati Shivaji, Shania Wada, the Agakhan Palace and Deekshabhoomi are some of the historic monuments.

Maratha Architecture
Shivaji built Lal Mahal in Pune. He invaded strongholds made by Muslims as Fortesa Torna, Sinhagad, Panhala etc. He also built many powerful strongholds, such as Sindhudurga, Raigarghu, Pratapgarhu, Lingana and so on. Shaniwarwada is a palace-fortress in Pune. It was the seat of the Peshwa rulers of the Marathas Empire.

Landscapes
Standing as silent witnesses to history, there are 350 separate fortresses in Maharashtra. Maharashtra has a large number of hilly, flat and marine fortresses. Fortresses have played an important role in the history of Maharashtra since the time of the rulers Weight. Some of the most important fortresses in Maharashtra are Raigadi, Vijaydurgu, Pratapgadi, Sinhagadi. Most of the fortresses in Maharashtra are located along the coastal region of Konkan. Beaten by the waves of the sea, scourged by the Deacon’s streams, or scattered in the scorching sun, are the imposing vaults and the ruined walls, as the last reminders of war wars in Maharashtra. Nowhere in the country will not encounter a plurality and such variety of fortresses. Located on an island, like in Murud-Janjira or by keeping the seas like in Bassein, or between the Sahyadri hills, as in Raigad, whose zigzag walls and round bastions lie like a scepter and crown between the hills. Most of the fortresses in Maharashtra are hills or near the sea linked to the great marathon fighter, Shivaji and a soaring fortress builder. Moreover, these fortresses were treated as small towns, such as Panhala, which is now a hilly place. The city-fort building concept was, however, not just Shiva’s property. The Portuguese who came to India as merchants and missionaries built within a century of their arrival Bassein, a nursery-garden to rival a European city. Today, these sun-exalted fortresses, the rain and the British have not only witnessed changing times, but they gave them shape, and within their walls pulsating the heartbeat of the heart of history. “Below are some Maratha Fortresses, taken by a helicopter from Uddhav Thackeray, exposed across the country.

Colonial Architecture
Bombay saw many Victorian and Art Deco monuments built during the reign of the British Empire.

Bombay Architecture
Bombay Architecture is a mix of Gothic Architecture, Victorian Architecture , Art Decos , Indo-Sarachean Architecture and Contemporary Architecture . Many buildings, structures and historical monuments have survived since the colonial period. Bombei, behind Miami , has the second largest number of Art Deco-style buildings in the world.

Gothic Architecture
The current Bombay architecture was developed through the British in the 18th and early 19th century. It was originally built in the Neoclassical style of the arctitecture, but then emerged a new style that reflected modern European fashion: Gothic and Neo-Gothic Architecture. Where the classic style has a meticulous meticulous presence, the Gothic style is expressive, detached from the surfaces of vivid colors, embellished with scattered narrative elements, consisting of airborne countertops, dome windows and painted windows. At first, due to the great freedom of space they receive, Gothic buildings served only as churches, as religious buildings built in the XI century. However, soon appeared a need for public halls, parliamentary buildings, residences and the Gothic period to resolve these demands. Indian architects analyzed this style and set it up in terms of climate and social plans and sensitivities. This style, the blend of contemporary Gothic style, is what became known as the “Gothic of Bombay”. According to writer Jan Morris, “Bombay is one of the most characteristic Victorian cities in the world, which represents all the extravagance of Victorian eclecticism.” The British influence on city buildings is evident from the colonial period. However, architectural features include a range of European influences such as triangular German fronts, Dutch roofs, Swiss woodwork, Romanesque arches, and Tudor window chutes, often melted with traditional Indian features. The Bombay City Building was built during the period between 1820 and 1835 by Colonel Thomas Cowper. The Library of the University of Bombay and the Rajabai Tower, the Saint James College, the Secretariat, the Telegraphic Office and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal are also refined examples of Gothic architecture in the city.

Tower Rajabai
The Rajabai Tower in Southern Bombei is located on the boundaries of the Bombay University campus. It was designed by British architect Sir George Gilbert Scott and modeled on the Tower of Big Ben, the clock tower of the British Parliament building in London . The foundation stone was set on March 1, 1869 and the building was completed in November 1878. The tower stands at an altitude of 85 m and at that time was the tallest building in India . The tower melts Venetian and Gothic styles. A croaking curtain was built in place and with painted glass. Gout floor has two side chambers, each measuring 17 × 8.5 m. The tower forms a 2.4 m 2 porch and a spiral vestibule of 2.6 m 2 . The tower, on the veranda, has a square shape to the first-tier gallery that is a height of 20.7 m from the ground. The shape varies from square to octagonal and the height from the gallery to the top of the tower is 36 m and the third level at the top of the miter is 28.7 m, making it a total height of 85 meters.

Indo-Saracen Architecture
Indo-Saracen architecture was developed in the second half of the 19th century, combining Indo-Islamic Architecture and Hindu architecture with cubes, bows, painted windows, waxes and its characteristic minarets. The Gate of India and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya are good examples of this architectural style in the city.

Gate of India
The Gate of India is one of the major monuments in the city, located in the Apollo Bunder area in southern Bombei. It is a special 26 m high arch built from yellow basalt and reinforced with concrete. Many elements of the arch were taken from the 16th-century Islamic architectural styles of Gujarati, the columns were taken from the design of Hindu temples and the design of the Gateway windows were taken by Indo-Islamic Architecture . The Gate of India was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in Bombay, to Delhi Durbar in December 1911. The founding stone was established on March 31, 1911, by Bomber’s Governor Sir George Sydenham Clarke and the final project of George Wittet was determined in August 1914. The foundations were completed in 1920, while the entire construction was completed in 1924. The building was named the Gate of India after the colonial period Europeans entered India through this country, because it was normally the first thing they would see when they entered the country.

Art Deco
The Art Deco period began in 1910 when Art Nouveau emerged from fashion. Linear symmetry of Art decos was a remarkable departure from the asymmetrical organic axis curves of its predecessor Art Nouveau style. Art Deco is an eclectic style and designers have inspired many sources. Artifactes from Egypt and ancient Greece, Meso-America, Africa, Japan and China that were all influential. Cubism , Orphism, Futurism, and Constructivism enabled an abstract and geometric language quickly adopted in the Art Deco style and the high styles of European tradition continued to provide inspiration. Art Deco had an unmatched impact on America, particularly in Manhattan. Clerics, like Chrysler Building in New York , became iconic new icons, while jazz became the music of the city. The popularity of Hollywood movies helped a lot in promoting Art Deco to a worldwide international audience.

Art Deco is one of the least noticed Bombay architectural styles, though Bombeji and its suburbs have the highest number of Art Deco-style buildings in the world behind Miami. Art Deco in India (and especially in Bombay) evolved into a unique style called the Deco-Saracen style. Essentially, it was a combination of Islamic and Hindu architectural styles. The main features of the Indo-Saracen style were the construction of cubes, arcs, waxes, painted windows and minarets. The interior had Victorian influences while the exterior was Indian. Art Deco details touch on every architectural aspect – lamps, floors, wood panels, lifts, handrails and railings, muntinas, chajjiat or weather shelves, armrests and mods, frames, verandas and balconies, bronze and stainless steel elements, ornamental sculptures that stretched to giant sculpted names etc. Bomba’s Art Deco stands not only because it uses lightweight Deco-Saracen mixing but also as architects used a variety of materials to freely express the design. For example, many buildings were built entirely of reinforced concrete but there is a site of stone Malad. Bharat Tablets, India’s oldest plate producer, also played an inseparable part in Art Deco interior design. Some of the most visited buildings in Bombay are:

Mahalakshmi Temple
The Jahangir Art Gallery
Supreme Court
General Postal Office
The Flora Fountain
Regal Cinema

Art Deco architecture in Bombay developed during the 1930s and produced distinctly façade angular buildings. Bombay has the second largest number of Art Deco buildings in the world. Art Deco style is also extremely popular among the various cinemas that emerged in the early twentieth century, including Metro Cinema, Eros Cinema, Liberty Cinema and even Regal Cinema. Eros Cinema is a typical Art Deco style building, designed by architect Sohrabji Bhedwar. The establishment of Eros Cinema was made in 1935. The cinema was opened in 1938 and the construction of this building in the newly-featured Backbay area, where the stores and other businesses except the cinema took about two years and a half to complete. Partially dressed in sandstone from Agra, this building is painted in cream. The two arms of this Art Deco building meet in a central block. The holli is in white and black marble with some golden nuances. Marble stairs with chromed side gloves lead to the floor above. The murals are in dull colors that represent Indian architecture. Metro Adlabs Cinema, located at Mahatma Gandhi Street, at the Dhobitalao intersection is also a fine example of the Art Deco style of architecture that emerged in the 1930s in the city. Metro Cinema opened on June 8, 1938 and was designed by the prominent American architect of theaters Thomas W. Lamb. It was built for Metro Goldwyn Mayer and the seats were enabled for 1,491 people in orchestra and balcony levels. The auditorium reopened in 2006 and was divided into six major luxury parts. Cinema features mostly Bollywood and Hollywood films.

Contemporary architecture and development
As the richest city in India, Bombei attracts a tremendous amount of international investment and has seen a large number of multi-storey office buildings and apartments being built in recent decades. In many parts of the city, especially in the new neighborhoods, modern buildings are the predominant landscape of the old part of the city. Bombay has the largest number of skyscrapers in India, with over one thousand existing buildings and much more under construction or planned to be built. The Development Authority of the Metropolitan Bombay Region was established in 1974 by the Maharashtra government to manage the planning and coordination of development activities in the city and to supervise its architectural development. In 1995, the Heritage Committee was established in Bombay, bringing together architects, historians and citizens to preserve the traditional architectural heritage of the city. A grading system that was then used under the inheritance rules to categorize as Grade I, the buildings of regional importance as the Grade II Legacy and the buildings of urban importance as the Grade III Legacy.

Source From Wikipedia