TOPIC – INDO-TIBETIAN MONESTRY

DESIGN SEMINAR

NAME: BARKHA THORAT

EN. NO.: 153521050105
SEM : IX SEM VTH YEAR

Spread of Buddhism
Buddhism expansion from Tibet.
INTRODUCTION:
WHAT IS MONASTERY?
In Buddhism, the purpose of monastery is not only limited to
worship and practice of rituals, but it acts a common space for
communities to come together as one body.
A Monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the
domestic quarters and workplace of monks, whether living in
communities or alone.
CONCEPT OF BUDDHIST MOASTERY
A Monastery is a residence of community of monks who live
away from the world.
Place of residence for group of monks, also becomes a center
for religion and religious education and allied arts and crafts
activities.
The concept of a Buddhist monastery is so strong that the
sacred architectural form and motifs are reflection of
culture.
Buddhist art and architecture is one of the best examples that
demonstrate the influence of religion and rulers.
Buddhist monastery acts as the cultural center.
THE WORK OF THE MONASTERY
In Buddhism and Christianity however, instead of statues,
monks or nuns pray on behalf of the people. The monastery
typically becomes the spiritual focus of the nearest town or
village. In Christianity the monks pray for the salvation of the
souls of the living. But in Buddhism, there is no concept of the
soul. The goal is not heaven, rather it is cessation from the
endless cycle of rebirth , to achieve moksha, which is
freedom or release from attachment to ego or the material
world and an end to samsara, and to realize nirvana (or
liberation), which is to be released into the infinite state of
oneness with everything.
Top 08 Monasteries:
Why Needed?
After the migration, Himachal became a major site for
Buddhism. The Tibetan Buddhists were not able to adapt this
change in location. They were therefore not connected to their
surroundings causing a loss of culture and tradition.
In the current times, because of urbanization most of the
monasteries are built in a very strong urban context. This
YUMBULAGANG ERDENE ZUU MONASTERY results in the loss of purity of monastic environment.
The monasteries built now lack the original monastic spaces
and experience, an experience that one gains as one moves
through the complex. The monasteries also lacks relationship
with nature.

BACKGROUND STUDY:

MIGRATION IN INDIA
GANDEN MONASTERY KEY GOMPA
After the relaxation of Tibetan border in 1979, a small but steam
of refuges has continued to trickle into India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Approximately 8500 Tibetans arrived in India.
The Tibetan Buddhists are deeply rooted in their culture. But
with the modern culture and ideologies rising Buddhism in Tibet
had been wounded. The Buddhists kept strong and found
refuge in other countries however, till date the Tibetan
Buddhists have not been able to bring back the richness and
THIKSE MONASTERY HANGING MONASTERY
glory of the Buddhism. This had resulted in loss of expression
and practice of religion of the Buddhists. The freedom to be
educated was also lost and therefore there was a need of
educational, religious and community centers.
And then they were known as Indo-Tibetan.

PUNAKHA DZONG, BHUTAN ERDENE ZUU MONASTERY,

 WHY AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE ALONG WITH
LEARNING (LEARNING SPACE) MONASTERIES?
↓
Putting To Action After Learning (COMMUNITY To preserve the most valuable Buddhist Arts, Culture and
SPACE) Language.
↓ To provide traditional and modern education to the monks and
Meditate Upon The Action To Attain A Sense Of nuns.
Wisdom (MEDITATION HALL AND PRAYER HALL) MAIN AIM AND PURPOSES:
↓
Yet There’s a Lot More To Learn and Unlearn; Path Of • Taking universal responsibility and seeking lasting happiness
Enlightenment (LIBRARY) through imparting the education of Buddhist View of
Interdependent origination and non violence practice.
• Learning modern subjects like economics, mathematics and
English language etc. with traditional/cultural education to cope
with the time and the society and to produce lots of educated
person having combined knowledge of both traditional and
modern education.

METHODOLOGY:
•The initial thought towards the approach of my thesis is
exploration.
•The choice of the subject for thesis was due to interest in
Buddhist art and architecture.
•The methodology adapted to understand and explore the topic
selected is traveling.
•Visit the site and understand the use of space, context of
place and its impact. For the facts and figures, magazines,
photographs and books will be used.
•Adapt documentation to enhance Material understanding,
proportion systems, construction techniques and spatial
organization of the context.
 JETAVAN MONASTERY (CASE STUDY-1)
•Architects
Sameep Padora & Associates
•Location
Maharashtra, India
•Category
Monastery

In Buddhist mythology Jetvana is the name of one the

Buddha’s most important spatial edifice which when
literally translated means: the grove of Jeta, land
donated to the sangha for founding a monastery. It was
of semiotic significance that the site offered by Samir
Somaiya owner of the neighboring sugar factory in rural
Maharashtra for the Buddhist Learning Center was
thickly forested, an idyllic grove of sorts.
The institute was programmed as a spiritual & skill development
center for the native Dalit Baudh Ambedkar Buddhist
community. The mandate of Jetavana is to provide a spiritual
anchor for their practice of Buddhist thought through meditation
and yoga while also imparting training and skill development for
members of the community.
Location: d.u.th., xanthi, greece(case study-ii)
Architect: katash awmatwn kaimaka

The design of a contemporary monastery was born and

based on our every day observations
and conclusions on various social and religious
matters. Include the propensity of people to religion,
the placing of religion in modern life and the placing of
monasticism as compared to contemporary religion. Adding
the life of the modern man, the social contribution of religious
institutions, the state of modern Greek and international
temple designs and last but not least, modern architecture in
relation to all of the above.

Therefore, it is important to make clear from the outset, that

these various social and religious associations were
the first to be taken under consideration, before any design
attempts and were the ones that led, to a large extent, and
enriched the design process.

Finally, the manipulation of natural lighting, proportions and

materials, were the main components of this design. Natural
lighting, as a key element, was used to create specific spatial
impressions sought to religious buildings.

The materials, finally, are the most common and cheap

materials used locally, such as rough naked reinforced
concrete, local granite stone, for the stone masonry and the
outdoor paving, bricks and plaster.