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Maths in Monuments: How Ancient
Indians Seeded Symmetry & Science in

Construction
Built centuries ago, these Indian monuments are based on clever mathematical
calculations and design principles that use algebra, fractal geometry and
trigonometry.
By Anjali Krishnan
December 22, 2021
What has been connecting mathematics to architecture since time immemorial?

Several branches of mathematics like geometry, algebra and trigonometry, are
employed in designing these structures.
Ancient Indian architecture which includes temples and historic monuments used
several mathematical calculations and design principles that reflected the rich
socio-cultural heritage of the country.
Here is a list of monuments in India that are architectural marvels designed based
on interesting mathematical calculations:
1. Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

Situated in Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is the
largest, tallest and most ornate among the western group of temples in the city
built by the Chandela rulers between 950 and 1050 CE. Dedicated to Lord Shiva,
this temple is considered one of the best-preserved temples from the medieval
period in India.
It is also celebrated for its intricate sculptures and for the dramatic geometric
massing in its lofty towers that resembles a mountain.
2. Charminar
Built in 1591 CE in Hyderabad by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth Sultan of
the Qutub Shahi Dynasty, Charminar is considered a monument as well as a
mosque. It is believed to have been built to commemorate the end of a
widespread plague during that period.
Charminar is built on a square structure and has four grand arches and four
minarets on each corner that are built into the main structure. It is interesting to
note that the number ‘char’ or four and its multiples can be figured in at least 22
spots in the design of the structure.
3. Ranakpur Jain Temple

The Ranakpur Jain Temple in Pali district of Rajasthan is known for its classic
architecture and is believed to have been constructed by a Jain trader named
Dharna Shah in the 15th century.
Considered one of the largest Jain temples in the country, it is dedicated to

Adinatha, the first Tīrthaṅkara of Jainism. It is also known for the dense network
of 1,444 carved pillars, despite which the design allows a clear sight of the idol of
Adinatha.
4. Modhera Sun Temple

Dedicated to Surya, the solar deity, the Modhera Sun Temple is situated in the
Mehsana district of Gujarat. It was built in 1026 CE by King Bhimdev – a Solanki
King on the banks of river Pushpavati. The temple has 52 heavily carved pillars
signifying the weeks of the year, a mandap divided into seven sections signifying
the days of the week and a panel of 365 elephants on the base of the temple
signifying the number of days in a year.
5. Samrat Yantra
The Samrat Yantra, the world’s biggest stone sundial standing at 73 feet high, is
situated in Jantar Mantar in Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is one of the 19 astronomical
instruments built by Rajput King Sawai Jai Singh II.
The Samrat Yantra is known for its precision in measuring time and tells the local
time with an accuracy of 2 seconds using the shadow cast from the sunlight.
6. Virupaksha Temple
The Virupaksha temple is the largest and most sophisticated out of the
monuments in Pattadakal, a complex of Hindu and Jain temples in Bagalkot
district of Karnataka. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple was built by Queen
Lokamahadevi in the 8th century to commemorate the victory of her husband
Vikramaditya II over the Pallavas. It is known for its triangular dome and square
layout built to create fractal patterns that echo the geometry of nature.
7. Sundial at Konark Sun Temple
The wheels of Konark Sun Temple in Puri, Odisha are sundials that help in
calculating time to a minute including day and night. The sundial is unique as it
shows time anti-clockwise. It has eight major spokes that divide 24 hours into
eight equal parts which means the time between two major spokes is three hours.
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8. Taj Mahal
One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is considered to be one of
the finest masterpieces of architecture in India. It was commissioned by Mughal
Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 in the loving memory of his wife Mumtaz and was
believed to have been completed in 1653.
The monument that houses the tombs of both Shah Jahan and Mumtaz is built
inside out in white marble. Their tombs lie at the centre of the base and all the
windows there are equidistant from one another. Another marvel of this structure
is that the walkway tiles combine to form squares and hexagons to create
octagons
Mathematics and architecture are related, since, as with other arts, architects use mathematics for
several reasons. Apart from the mathematics needed when engineering buildings, architects use
geometry: to define the spatial form of a building; from the Pythagoreans of the sixth century BC
onwards, to create forms considered harmonious, and thus to lay out buildings and their surroundings
according to mathematical, aesthetic and sometimes religious principles; to decorate buildings with
mathematical objects such as tessellations; and to meet environmental goals, such as to minimize
wind speeds around the bases of tall buildings.
Vaastu Shastra, the ancient Indian canons of architecture and town planning, employs symmetrical
drawings called mandalas. Complex calculations are used to arrive at the dimensions of a building
and its components. The designs are intended to integrate architecture with nature, the relative
functions of various parts of the structure, and ancient beliefs utilizing geometric patterns (yantra),
symmetry and directional alignments.[56][57] However, early builders may have come upon
mathematical proportions by accident. The mathematician Georges Ifrah notes that simple "tricks"
with string and stakes can be used to lay out geometric shapes, such as ellipses and right angles.

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Maths in Monuments: How Ancient

Indians Seeded Symmetry & Science in

What has been connecting mathematics to architecture since time immemorial?

1. Kandariya Mahadeva Temple

3. Ranakpur Jain Temple

Considered one of the largest Jain temples in the country, it is dedicated to

4. Modhera Sun Temple

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