The
monumental architecture of Srinagar is mostly associated with
religion, with the temples, mosques, shrines and the Khanqahs.
It is basically architecture of stone, brick and wood. The
stone architecture of Srinagar dates back to the Hindu and
Buddhist period. Only isolated remains of this style exist
within the city of Srinagar. The major examples of this architectural
style can be seen away from the main city, at places like
Awantipora, Martand and Parihaspora.
The wooden architecture of Kashmir is almost entirely associated
with the post fourteenth Century Islamic period and some of
its earliest, most prominent and beautiful examples can be
seen in the city of Srinagar, where it flourished. Also associated
with the Islamic period are some of the mosques built by the
Mughals in the region. Built primarily in brick with surface
treatments and embellishments done in finely dressed limestone;
these buildings follow the general principles of Mughal architecture
that evolved outside Kashmir in the plains of the Indian Subcontinent.
The introduction of Colonial influences can be directly linked
to the latter part of the 19th Century when under the Dogra
rule, institutions like colleges, factories and hospitals
were setup in the region, most of which were built and organized
on European pattern. Simultaneously, the architectural influences
also got assimilated in the local residential architecture.
Initially it was the elites of the country, directly linked
with the Dogra Durbar who patronized this architectural style,
but by early 1920s subtle influences could be discerned in
most of the buildings of the city. By late 1940s this architectural
style seems to have filtered out, though individual elements
linked with this style continue to be used in buildings and
structures. |
