Editing Arch (section)

===India===
The history of arch in India is very long (some arches were apparently found in excavations of [[Kosambi]], [[2nd millennium BC]]. However, the continuous history begins with rock-cut arches in the [[Lomas Rishi]] cave (3rd century BC).{{sfn | Woodman | Bloom | 2003 | loc=Indian subcontinent and Islamic lands}} Vaulted roof of an early [[Harappan architecture|Harappan]] burial chamber has been noted at [[Rakhigarhi]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=McIntosh|first=Jane|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1AJO2A-CbccC&q=vaulting+rakhigarhi+burial&pg=PA293|title=The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives|date=2008|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-907-2|pages=293|language=en}}</ref> [[Shikaripura Ranganatha Rao|S.R Rao]] reports vaulted roof of a small chamber in a house from [[Lothal]].<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Rao|first1=Shikaripur Ranganatha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LmRuAAAAMAAJ&q=vaulted+roof+lothal|title=Lothal and the Indus Civilization|last2=Rao|first2=Calyampudi Radhakrishna|date=1973|publisher=Asia Publishing House|isbn=978-0-210-22278-2|pages=77|language=en}}</ref> Barrel vaults were also used in the Late Harappan [[Cemetery H culture]] dated 1900 BC-1300 BC which formed the roof of the metal working furnace, the discovery was made by [[Madho Sarup Vats|Vats]] in 1940 during excavation at Harappa.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Tripathi|first=Vibha|date=27 February 2018|title=METALS AND METALLURGY IN THE HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION|url=https://insa.nic.in/writereaddata/UpLoadedFiles/IJHS/Vol53_3_2018__Art04.pdf|journal=Indian Journal of History of Science|pages=279–295}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kenoyer|first1=J.M|title=Summaries of Five Seasons of Research at Harappa (District Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan) 1986-1990|last2=Dales|first2=G. F.|publisher=Prehistory Press|pages=185–262}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Kenoyer|first1=J.M.|url=https://www.harappa.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Kenoyer1999_Metal%20Technologies%20of%20the%20Indus%20Valley%20Tradition.pdf|title=Metal Technologies of the Indus Valley Tradition in Pakistan and Western India|last2=Miller|first2=Heather M..L.|pages=124}}</ref>

The use of arches until the [[Islamic conquest of India]] in the 12th century [[Anno Domini|AD]] was sporadic, with [[ogee arch]]es and barrel vaults in rock-cut temples ([[Karla Caves]], from the 1st century BC) and decorative pointed [[gavaksha]] arches. By the 5th century AD voussoir vaults were used structurally in the brick construction. Surviving examples include the temple at [[Bhitargaon]] (5th century AD) and [[Mahabodhi Temple]] (7th century AD), the latter has both [[pointed arch]]es and [[semicircular arch]]es.{{sfn | Woodman | Bloom | 2003 | loc=Indian subcontinent and Islamic lands}}<ref>{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wiUTOanLClcC&pg=PA9 |title= Hindu-Buddhist Architecture in Southeast Asia|last=Chihara|first=Daigorō|date=1996|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-10512-6|language=en|via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=1 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702133648/https://books.google.com/books?id=wiUTOanLClcC&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9#v=onepage&f=false|archive-date=2 July 2018|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> These [[Gupta era]] arch vault system was later used extensively in Burmese Buddhist temples in [[Pyu city-states|Pyu]] and [[Bagan]] in 11th and 12th centuries.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&q=mahabodhi+temple+arch+cunningham&pg=PA246|title=Buddhist Architecture|last=Le|first=Huu Phuoc|date=2010|publisher=Grafikol|isbn=978-0-9844043-0-8|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402035917/https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=mahabodhi+temple+arch+cunningham&source=bl&ots=4LRbyTbhCW&sig=iulZK4o-Sl5QgoLF439H3kqO2E8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjkp_2PjpraAhUN2o8KHRlZBE8Q6AEIfTAO#v=onepage&q=mahabodhi%20temple%20arch%20cunningham&f=false|archive-date=2 April 2018|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

With the arrival of Islamic and other [[Western Asia]] influence, the arches became prominent in the Indian architecture, although the [[post and lintel]] construction was still preferred. A variety of pointed and lobed arches was characteristic for the [[Indo-Islamic architecture]], with the monumental example of [[Buland Darwaza]], that has pointed arch decorated with small [[cusped arch]]es.{{sfn | Woodman | Bloom | 2003 | loc=Indian subcontinent and Islamic lands}} 

<gallery>
File:Barabar Caves inside Lomas Rishi cave.jpg|The insides of the Lomas Rishi cave
File:029 Chaitya and Roof (33563756881).jpg|Arches at Karle ([[Karla Caves|Great Chaitya]], 1st century AD)
File:Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad s-7.jpg|Decorative ogee arches (gavaksha) in [[Ajanta Caves]]
File:Inner sanctum of Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya in Bihar. 07.jpg|Pointed vault at the Mahabodhi temple
File:Fatehput Sikiri Buland Darwaza gate 2010-color change.jpg|Arches at Buland Darwaza (16th century AD)
</gallery>