| Palaces | 1. Inspired from Achaemenid palaces of Iran. 2. Wood was the principal material used. Ex: Megesthenes mentioning Chandragupta Maurya’s palace as the greatest creations of mankind. |
| Pillars | 1. Ashoka pillars- usually made of chunar sandstone. 2. Objective: disseminate Buddhist ideology and court orders. 3. Language: Pali and Prakrit. A few were also in Greek or Aramaic. 4. Mainly comprise four parts: 1. Shaft: Long single piece of stone 2. Capital: lotus shaped or Bell shaped on top of shaft 3. Abacus: a rectangular or a circular base 4. Capital figure: usually animals like Bull, lion, elephant etc. |
| Stupas | 1. Stupas are burial mounds prevalent in India from vedic period. 2. The core was made of unburnt brick while the outer surface was made of burnt bricks. 3. Ex: Sanchi Stupa (MP), Piprahwa Stupa (UP):Oldest one. |
| Cave Architecture | 1. Caves were generally used as Viharas i.e. living quarters by the Jain, Ajivika and Buddhist monks. 2. Key features: Highly polished and decorative gateways Ex: Barabar Caves (Ajivika Sect) Bihar |
| Sculptures | 1..Two most famous Sculptures are Yaksha and Yakshi. Ex: Didargunj Yakshi |
| Pottery | Northern Black Polished Ware. Characterised by black paint and highly lustrous finish. Kosambi and Pataliputra were centres of NBPW pottery. |
| Development of Terracotta art | In the central phase of the NBPW around 300 B.C. the central gangetic plains became the centre of terracotta art. In Mauryan times, terracottas were produced on a large scale and they generally represented animals (elephants) and women (mother goddess). |
Ashokan Pillars
Didarganj Yakshi
Fragments of Northern Black Polished Ware