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    Temple Architecture & Sculpture

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    The document summarizes Hindu temple architecture styles across India. It discusses the main styles of Nagara and Dravidian, as well as mixed Vesara style. Key elements of Hindu temples include the sanctum, pillared hall, and spire. Sculptures often depict deities and mythological scenes. Specific architectural features are described for different regions of North, South, East, West, and Central India. Buddhist and Jain architecture is also summarized.

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    Temple Architecture & Sculpture

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    sfgh
    37 views28 pages
    The document summarizes Hindu temple architecture styles across India. It discusses the main styles of Nagara and Dravidian, as well as mixed Vesara style. Key elements of Hindu temples include the sanctum, pillared hall, and spire. Sculptures often depict deities and mythological scenes. Specific architectural features are described for different regions of North, South, East, West, and Central India. Buddhist and Jain architecture is also summarized.

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    4. Temple Architecture & Sculpture

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    The document summarizes Hindu temple architecture styles across India. It discusses the main styles of Nagara and Dravidian, as well as mixed Vesara style. Key elements of Hindu temples include the sanctum, pillared hall, and spire. Sculptures often depict deities and mythological scenes. Specific architectural features are described for different regions of North, South, East, West, and Central India. Buddhist and Jain architecture is also summarized.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    37 views28 pages

    Temple Architecture & Sculpture

    Uploaded by

    sfgh
    The document summarizes Hindu temple architecture styles across India. It discusses the main styles of Nagara and Dravidian, as well as mixed Vesara style. Key elements of Hindu temples include the sanctum, pillared hall, and spire. Sculptures often depict deities and mythological scenes. Specific architectural features are described for different regions of North, South, East, West, and Central India. Buddhist and Jain architecture is also summarized.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 28

    Temple Architecture & Sculptures

    • Types of Architecture –
    1. Nagara Style – North India
    2. Dravida Style – South India
    3. Vesara Style – Mixture of Nagara and Dravida style.
    Basic form of Hindu Temple
    • Cave like Sanctum – Garbhagriha
    • Mandapa – Pillared hall for public rituals
    • Shikhara – Mount like Spire (In North India)
    • Vahan – Vehicle of temple’s main deity
    Iconography, Sculpture and Ornamentation

    • Iconography – Study of images of deities with symbols and


    mythologies
    • River Goddess (Ganga/Yamuna) – At entrance of Garbhagriha
    • Dvarpalas – At Gateways of Gopurams (Dravidian style)
    • Various forms of main deity found on outer walls of sanctum
    • Subsidiary shrines
    • Astadikpalas – Deities of directions, facing 8 key directions
    • Ornamntation – Kalash, Amalaka, Gavaksha, Vyala/Yali
    NAGARA STYLE – North Indian
    • Garbhagriha – Tallest
    tower
    • Shikhara – 3 Types

    Valabhi.
    Phamsana
    Simple Shikhara
    1. Simple Shikhara -
    • Top - Rekha Prasada or Latina.
    • Square Base
    • Walls curved inwards
    2. Phamsana Shikhara -
    • Broader than Latina
    • Used in North Indian Style
    • For Mandapa
    3. Valabhi Shikhara-
    • Rectangular building
    • Roof with rounded edges
    • Also called Wagon-Vaulted
    Temples of Central India
    • Rajasthan, U.P, M.P
    • 4 pillars supporting a Mandapa
    • Oldest surviving structural temples at Madhya Pradesh of Gupta Period
    • Made up of sandstone
    • Sanchi – Buddhist site
    • Udaygiri – Part of larger hindu complex, on the outskirts of Vidisha (M.P)
    Temple of Deogarh
    • Pancahyatan style
    • Main shrine on rectangular plinth
    • 4 subsidiary shrines
    • Latina style Shikhara
    • Classic Nagara style temple
    • Grand doorway with standing sculptures of Ganga
    (left side) and Yamuna (right side)
    • Main deity – Vishnu
    • Lord Vishnu formed in forms like – Sheshashayana
    (South), Gajendramoksha(West), Nara Narayana
    (East)
    • West Facing temple
    • Khajuraho – Lakshman temple – grandest ,
    built in 954 by Chandela King Dhanga
    • Nagara style
    • Chausanth Yogini temple , Jain temples also
    found at Khajuraho
    • Chausanth Yogni temple – dedicated to
    goddess, associated with tantric worship (on a
    rise in 7th century)
    WEST INDIA
    • Made up of stone, sandstone, grey to black basaltSoft
    white marble – Most exuberant (Jain temples ast
    Mount Abu and Ranakpur)
    • Sun Temple at Modhera (Gujarat)
    1. Built by Raja Bhimdev I of Solanki dynasty
    2. Grandest temple tank in India
    3. Rectangular Stepped Tank – Surya Kund
    4. 108 miniature shrines carved between steps inside
    Tank.
    5. Sun shines directly at Central Shrine during equinox
    every year
    EAST INDIA
    • Bengal, Odisha, North East India
    • Main medium of construction – Terracotta
    • Buddhist and Hindu deities in Bengal
    • Assam – Daparvatia(near Tezpur)
    • Ahom style
    • Famous Shaktipeeth – Kamakhya Temple
    Bengal
    • During 9th and 11th Centuries
    • Pala Style
    • Siddheshwara Mahadev Temple in Barakar in
    Burdwan district
    • Local Vanga style
    • Shikhara with Amlaka
    • Other temples – At Telkupi in Purulia district
    • Sloping side of Bamboo roof of Bengali hut –
    Most prominent feature
    Odisha
    • Main arcgitectural features – Rekhapida,
    Pidhadeul, Khakra
    • Sun temple at Konark – built in stone
    • Main temple sites – Ancient Kalinga (Puri)
    • Distinct substyle within Nagara order which is-
    a. Shikhara called Deul
    b. Mandapa called Jagmohana
    HILLS
    • Hills of Kumaon, Garhwal, Himachal, Kashmir such as
    Taxila and Peshawar (Gandhara sites)
    • Wooden buildings with pitched roofs
    • Both Hindu and Buddhist temples
    • Famous – Pandrethan Temple at Kashmir
    • Amalgamation of local traditions with post Gupta style
    – Evident at Chamba
    • Images of Mahishasurmardini and Narasimhaat Laksna
    Devi Mandir – Post Gupta style
    • Inscription describing reign of Merivarman
    • Example of Nagara architecture – Jogeshwar near
    Almora, Champavat near Pithoragarh,
    DRAVIDIAN TEMPLES

    • Entrance – Gopuram
    • Main temple tower – Vimana (Tamil
    Nadu)
    • Dvarpalas as doorkeepers
    • Word ‘shikhara’ is used only for the
    crowning element at the top of the
    temple
    • Water reservoir (Common in South
    Indian Temples)
    • Deity placed in Garbhagriha
    • Seven Concentric rectangular walls –
    ‘Srirangam Temple’ atTiruchirapally
    DRAVIDIAN TEMPLES

    • Famous temples at Tamil Nadu – Kanchipuram, Madurai, Tanjore,


    Kumbakonam
    Different Shapes of Temples

    1. Square – KUTA
    2. Rectangular – SHALA or Ayatsra
    3. Elliptical – GAJA PRISHTA (Elephant backed)
    4. Vaulted shape – NASI
    5. Curcular – ASHTASRA
    • Early buildings – during the reign of Mahendravarman I , hence Rock Cut,
    later ones during Narsimhavarman II hence structural.
    • Eg. Temple at Mahabalipuram – Now East Facing
    • Three shrines – Two of Lord Shiva (facing East and West) and One of Lord
    Vishnu (Middle)
    Mahabalipuram Temple
    Brihadeshwar Temple
    1. At Thanjavur
    2. Also known as Shiva temple or Brihadeshwara Temple
    3. Largest and tallest of all Indian temples
    4. By Rajaraja Chola
    Temples in Deccan
    1. Influence of both North and South Indian
    styles
    2. At Karnataka
    3. Kailashnath Temple at Ellora – Greatest
    achievement in architecture
    4. Shiva temple with Nandi – Dravidian style
    5. Rashtrakuta Phase – Larger than life images
    6. Aihole - Ravana Phadi Cave
    7. Saptamatrikas
    8. Swarga Brahma Temple at Alampur – Eastern
    Chalukyan Temple
    Temples in Southern Deccan

    1. Temples at Belur, Halebid,


    Somnathpuram
    2. Made up of soapstone
    3. Hoysaleswar temple at Halebid
    (Karnataka) – Vesara style
    4. City of Vijaynagar - 1336
    Buddhist and Jain Architecture

    1. Ellora sites – Jain, Buddhist and Hindu temples


    2. Bodhgaya – Buddhist site - Pilgrimage
    3. Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya – Brickwork
    4. Narrrow like Nagara temple, rises with curving like Dravida
    5. Nalanda (Monastic University) – Mahavihara
    6. Founded by Kumaragupta I (Record by Xaan Zang)
    7. Theravada, Vajrayana, Mahayana taught here
    8. Nalanda sculptures – Standing Buddhas, Bodhisattavas like
    Avalokiteshwara, Manjusri Kumara
    9. Buddhist Monastries in Odisha – Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, Vajragiri
    Buddhist and Jain Architecture

    10. Nagapattinam (Buddhist centre) – Port town during Chola period


    11. Ellora and Aihole – Jain pilgrimage site
    12. Sravana Belagola – World’s tallest monolithic standing structure – Lord
    Bahubali
    13. Jain temples at Mount Abu by Vimal Shah – Marble interiors , simple
    exterior, lace like pattern
    14. Jain pilgrimage site – At Shetrunji hills nera Palitana (Kathiawar,
    Gujarat)
    THANK YOU

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