DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE

Ar.Karthik Mohan, Assistant

Professor, Architecture Department,
College of Engineering , Trivandrum

 The Hindu temple

architecture developed
over two thousand
years.
The architectural
evolution of the
Indian temples took
place within the rigid
frameworks derived
entirely from religious
thoughtfulness.
Therefore the architect
was bound to keep to
the ancient primary
dimensions and strict
configurations, which
remained unaltered
over the period of time.

Temple Architecture of
India

Pilgrimage has an important place in the Hindu religion.

A pilgrim center, Varnasi

on the banks of the Ganges
Sacred Mount Kailash in
Tibet is regarded as the
spiritual abode of Shiva

Temples in India are a magnificent display of art and

architecture from times immemorial.
There are a few things common to all the temples.
All have a main cell and a tower over the cell
In addition, there is usually place to do circumambulation
around the cell, and a hall or porch for devotees.
But beyond this basic agreement, the architecture varies from
the north all the way to the south of India.
In spite of the basic pattern of construction throughout the
country being the same, varieties did appear, gradually leading
to the evolution of different styles in temple architecture. The
biggest difference is in the tower over the cell.

Broadly speaking, the different styles can be

bifurcated into the northern & the southern
styles.
Nagara Style
The Northern Style, technically
called Nagara, is distinguished by
the curvilinear towers.

The Southern Style, known as

the Dravida, has its towers in the
form of truncated pyramids.

Dravida Style

A third style, Vesara by name, is

sometimes added, which
combines in itself both northern
& southern styles.
Vesara Style

Dravidian Architecture was a style of architecture that emerged

thousands of years ago in the Indian subcontinent - Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Kerala has a different style, esp. in the
north.

Various kingdoms and empires such as

the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyan, Cheras,
Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas,
Vijayanagara Empire amongst the many
others have made a substantial
contribution to the evolution of Dravidian
architecture through the ages.
Dravidian styled architecture can also be found in parts of
Northeastern Sri Lanka, Maldives, and various parts of Southeast
Asia.

Composition and structure

Dravidian style temples consist of
the following parts, arranged in
various manners, depending on the
age in which they were executed:
1

1 Garbhagrha

A DeepaStambha

2 Mantapa

B BaliPeetam

3 Chavadi

C Dwajastambham

4 Gopuram

D Antarala

5 Pushkarni

E Prakara

D
2
E
5

A
B
C
3
4

1. The principal part, the actual temple itself, is called

the Sanctum Sanctorum - Garbhagrha

Garbhagrha, the Cell, is the very heart of a temple.

Usually square in plan with a
low roof & no doors or windows
except for the front opening.
The image of the God is
stationed in the geometrical
centre.
The whole place is totally dark,
except for the light that comes
through the front opening.
Note1: In some temples, a
pradaksinapatha (circumambulatory
passage) is provided just around the
garbhagrha, to enable the devotees to
Note2:Vesara temples do not have this passage.
go around the shrine.

Over the roof of the cell is a small tower-Vimana.

Meaning a well-proportioned structure.
This tower is quite high in the North Indian temples and of low
or medium height in the South Indian temples.

North Indian Vimana

South Indian Vimana

Vimana also means a

flying machine.

It is the aeroplane of
the gods landed on the
earth to bless mankind.

One of the reliefs on

Hindu Temple that show
Gods riding a Vimana

In front of the garbhagrha is the mukhamantapa. Apart from

being used as a passage, it is also used to keep the articles of worship
including naivedya (food offerings) on special occassions.

Then comes antarala, a narrow passage connecting the

garbhagrha & the mukhamantapa to the mantapa (pavilion or hall)..

Note 1: In most temples the

antarala is identical with the
mukhamantapa

Note 2: Mukhamantapa, sometimes called

sukanasi or ardhamantapa, depending upon its
proportion relative to that of the gharbhagrha.

From the Side Elevation of a Cell

Antarala

A
B
C

Capstone, Sikhara
Vertical Axis
Plinth

D
E
F

Vimana
Mandapas
Garbhagrha

2. The Porche or Mantapam always covers and precedes the door leading to the cell.
It is a big hall and is
used for
congregational
religious acts like
singing,
dancing, recitation
of mythological
texts,
religious discourses
and so on.
Open Mantapa with shining, lathe-turned pillars
at Amruthapura

Another common feature ,the

dhvajastambha, in front of the mantapa,
represents the flagpost of the King of
kings.

Lanchana

The lanchana (insignia) made of copper or

brass fixed like a flag to the top of the post
varies according to the deity in the temple.
The figure on the lanchana is invariably
that of the vahana (carrier vehicle) of the
deity.
For instance, in Siva temples it contains Nandi. In Devi
temples it is the lion that finds its place. In Vishnu temples
Garuda gets that honour.

The balipitha (pedestal of sacrificial offerings) with a lotus or

the footprints of the deity is fixed near the dhvajastambha, but
nearer to the deity.
Red-coloured offerings like rice
mixed with vermillion powder, are
kept on this at appropriate stages
during the performance of rituals.
This indicates the feeding of the
parivaradevatas (attendant and
associate deities).
Note: There is every reason to believe that the
yupastambha (Sacrificial post) and the
balipitha (sacrificial pedestal) of the Vedic age
have become metamorphosed into the
dhvajastambha and the balipitha.

A dipastambha (lamp post) is

another constituent of a temple
complex often found in South
Indian temples.
It is situated either in front of the
balipitha or outside the main gate.
The top of this post has a
budshaped chamber to receive the
lamp.

The Deepastambha
The Balipeetha and
The Dwajasthamba
At the Varadaraja temple in kanchi

Flagstaff at the
Brihadeeswara Temple

The whole temple is surrounded by a high wall - Prakara

North Wall is centered by one main gate axially in front of The Cell.
There maybe one or more off-sets of the Prakara.

Note: The main gate may or maynot be followed by subsidiary gates on

the remainig cardinal directions. A gopuram (high tower, sometimes called
as the Cow-gate) adorns these gateways.

3. Gate-pyramids - Gopurams,
The towers surmounting the entrances,thereby
enhancing their visibility , are the principal features in the
quadrangular enclosures that surround the temples

Earliest Dravidian temples did not have Gopurams.

During the rule of Pallava kings in Tamil Nadu, some
temples had incepient forms of gopurams . They were
very much smaller than the "Vimanas".

By 10th century AD, during the reign of Chola kings large

temples were built with huge "vimanas, but the "gopurams"
were very much smaller in comparision with "vimanas
The Brihadeeshvara Temple, Tanjavur

The Vimana
The Gopuram

The later Cholas started the

collosal Gopurams
Ekambareswara Temple, tallest
Gopuram in South India, 57 m (192 ft)
built in 1509 A.D.
The vast temple premises introduce
you to many wonders. The first is the
hallway of 1000 pillars.
The next is an array of 1008 Siva
Lingams that decorate the inner walls of
the temple.
The most important, of course, is the
3500 year old mango tree whose
branches give 4 different types of
mangoes.
This temple bears the work of
practically every dynasty which ruled
Kanchipuram

Detail on the Gopuram

4. Pillared halls or Chaultris also Chawadis

used for various purposes, and which are the
invariable accompaniments of the temples.

5.Pushkarni

A temple always contains tanks or wells for waterto be used either

for sacred purposes or the convenience of the priestsdwellings for
all the various grades of the priest-hood are attached to it.

Apart from these, the temple precincts include

a yagasala - sacrificial shed

a pakasala - kitchen
a place for the utsavamurti - processional image
carried during the car festivals
flower garden
stores and

other essential structures connected with the management of the

temple as also the rituals.

The Temple Complex in Relation to a Human Body

Horizontally The Cell represents the head & the gopuram the feet of the deity.
Other parts of the building complex are identified with other parts of the body.
For instance:
the ardhamantapa is the nose;
the antarala is the neck;
the various mantapas are the
body;
the prakaras are the hands & so
on.
Vertically:
the garbhagrha represents the
neck, the sikhara the head, the
kalasa (finial) the tuft of hair and
so on

II. The Evolution.

Before sketching an outline of the evolution of The Dravidian
Architecture, it is necessary to acquaint ourselves with the
major types of extant structures.
These basic shapes are fivefold:
square (caturasra)
rectangular (ayatasra)
elliptical (vrittayata)
circular (vritta)
octagonal (astasra).

Octogonal

The architecture plan of the

dravidian temple was basically square
but again conditioned by the nature of
the consecrated deity.
The basic shapes are amply
reflected in the dravidian
superstructure of the vimanas .
Though square and rectangular
shrines are frequently met with,
circular and octogonal shapes are
very rare.
The apsidal form, a derivative from
Buddhist architecture, was popular up
to the 10th century

The architectural history of the Dravidian country starts

at the beginning of the 7th century A.D.

The monuments built before that period having

perished.
Presumably they were built of impermanent materials
like timber and clay which have succumbed to the
ravages of time.
Cave-temples, temples carved out of stone or built with
bricks came later.
Heavy stone structures with ornate architecture and
sculpture belong to a still later period.

Influence from different periods

Starting with:

The mighty Pallavas - (600-900) AD

Pioneers of south Indian architecture.

During this time the temple architecture is divided into two
groups:
Rock-cut (610-690 AD)
Structural (690-900 AD)

ROCK-CUT
The earliest examples of
rock-cut temples are at
Mahabalipuram.

These temples are further divided into excavated pillared halls or

Mandapas and monolithic shrines known as Rathas.

The Shore Temple constructed by Narasimhavarman II

near Mahabalipuram is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Having seen the important relics of the Pallavas,

we are ready to go on.

The Chola Trail..

The Chola art is a continuation of the Pallava art.

The Cholas had built several 100s of temples, the earlier examples
of which were modest in size while the later ones were huge and
large with the Vimanas or gopuras dominating the landscape.
Mention must be
made of the
Brihadeeswarar
Temple in
Tanjavur- built by
the Chola ruler
Rajaraja-I in
the11thC.

The 55m long main

Cell of the temple
has a 58ft tall
Vimana.

This ancient Tamil dynasty held sway for more than 1500 years
and its origins are mired in myths and poetry as the chronology
matches the reign of Emperor Ashoka (273 BC-232 BC).
Literature heralds the rulers to be descendants of the Sun God.
Historically though the reign is divided into 3 distinct eras
The early Cholas (2nd century BC-9th century AD)
The medieval Cholas (9th -11th century AD) and
The later Cholas (11th -13th century AD)
Our story starts somewhere in the middle of 10th century and
moves on to the 12th during the reign of Raja Raja Chola 1 and
his son Rajendra Chola 1 and later on to Raja Raja Chola II.

The temple is composed of several structures combined axially, such

as a Nandi pavilion, a pillared portico and a large assembly hall, all
aligned in the centre of a spacious walled enclosure.

At a height of 216 feet the

towering Vimana is the tallest
of its kind in the world
dwarfing the Gopura, or the
outer tower.
The shikara or the golden
dome replete with numerous
stucco figures weighs 80
tonnes .

Elephants were apparently

used to draw this single granite
block on a 6 km ramp to place
it on top.

Life size representations of Gods and Goddesses fill the sculptured

panels and the temple is a repository of records for posterity .

Lord Muruga on his Peacock

More Detail from the Vimana

The Shivalinga
(general
representation of Lord
Shiva)
is at a height of 8.7
metres, the largest in
the world.

The Nandi
weighs 27 tonnes and is the second largest in the
country

108 Bharatnatyam dance postures are depicted in the temple and

the corridors and ceilings are a colourful blend of fresco and mural
paintings unique to this dynasty.

Architecturally the temple is the most

ambitious structural granite temple to
be ever built in the world and hence it
is the first to become a Great Living
Chola temple and part of the UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

Inscriptions on the exterior walls of

the Brihadishwara Temple in Tanjore

Dravidian culture
Dravidian Order - Brihadishwara Temple, Tanjore

 Brihadeshwara temple - through the gate to the courtyard

where the 60 meter tower, a feast of Dravidian
architecture towers into the sky dwarfing the landscape
offers a glimpse into the mind of the once invincible
imperial Cholas.
Built in 11th century by Rajaraja I, it established the
power of the Cholas.
Granite blocks were brought for the temple from a
distance of 50 km.
The tower or vimana soars to height of 60.96 metres and
the stone cupola at the top weighs 81.284 tonnes.
Long plinths were used to put the stones in place.

Brihadishwara Temple, Tanjore

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai.

 The temple complex is divided into a number of concentric

quadrangular enclosures contained by high masonary walls.
It is one of the few temples in Tamil Nadu to have four entrances
facing four directions.
Vishwantha Nayaka allegedly redesigned the city of Madurai in
accordance with the principles laid down by Shilpa Shastras relevant
to urban planning.
The city was laid out in the shape of square with a series of concentric
streets originating from the temple.
These squares continue to retain their traditional names, Aadi,
Chittirai, Avani-moola and Masi streets, corresponding to Tamil month
names.[
Ancient Tamil classics mention that the temple was the center of the
city and the streets happened to be radiating out like lotus and its
petals.
The temple prakarams (outer precincts of a temple) and streets
accommodate an elobrate festival calendar in which dramatic
processions circumabulate the shrines at varying distances from the
centre.
The complex is in a compound of 45 acres (180,000 m2)

 Designed as a series of concentric courtyards or

PRAKARMAS
Outermost circle edifices of a practical nature
than spiritual such as account ofices, dormitories
for pilgrims, kitchens, shops, maintenance
workshops etc. and parking for wooden festive
chariots
Inner prakarmas pavilions or devotional songs
and story telling, bathing tanks for ritual ablutions
and guest houses
Innermost courts kitchen for brahmins,
pavilions or dancing girls and treasury
Actual cella open only to priests

 Hall of thousand pillars 985 pillars, 240ft X250ft

Soaring gopurams 150ft (48m) high gopuram

Rajendra Chola 1 , the next ruler invaded upto the Gangetic

Plain & created ripples overseas in Asia & overpowered all
of todays Srilanka, Maldives, Malaysia & Indonesia.

Map showing Chola's empire and influence at the height of

its power (c. 1050)

When Rajendra Chola 1 conquered the Gangetic plain, he wanted

to celebrate .
He also wanted to portray to posterity that he was probably
greater than his father Raja Raja Chola 1 who had immortalised
himself with the Big Brihadeshwara temple in Thanjavur.
So Rajendra took a step further.
After all, he was the commander in chief in his fathers army.
He moved away from Thanjavur , his fathers capital and built
another Brihadeshwara temple in a new found capital called
Gangaikondacholapuram which literally means the town of the
Chola who captured even the Ganges.

However he did not complete the temple. And he finally

ensured that his fathers temple was bigger than his.

Brihadeeswara Temple at
Gangaikondacholapuram

Nandhi & SimhaKeni ( Lion

Well )at the Brihadisvara
temple,
Gangaikondacholapuram

Arthanareeswarar

Stone sculpture of Gnana

Saraswathi

His capital ,Gangaikondacholapuram that controlled this mighty

empire for over 250 years has simply vanished from the face of this
earth.

Remains of Royal Palace

Ancient Items
Exacavated in
Royal Palace

Back to the primarily Dravidian Empires

The Hoysalas
The Pandyas
The Vijayanagaras and
The Nayaks

The Hoysalas
AD (1100-1343)
The modern interest in the
Hoysalas is due to their
patronage of art and
architecture rather than
their military conquests.
The brisk temple building
throughout the kingdom
was accomplished despite
constant threats from the
Pandyas to the south and
the Seunas Yadavas to the
north.

Their architectural style, an

offshoot of the Western Chalukya
style, shows distinct Dravidian
influences.
The Hoysala architecture style is
described as Karnata Dravida as
distinguished from the traditional
Dravida, and is considered an
independent architectural
tradition with many unique
features.
Sala strikes(Hoy- in kannada)
the tiger, the symbol of Hoysala
Empire

A feature of Hoysala temple

architecture is its attention to
exquisite detail and skilled
craftsmanship.
The tower over the temple
shrine (vimana) is delicately
finished with intricate carvings,
showing attention to the
ornate and elaborate detail
rather than to a tower form
and height.
Kirthimukha decoration
(demon faces) on tower
at Amruthapura

Ornate Carved Door,Halebidu

The stellate design of the

base of the shrine with its
rhythmic projections and
recesses is carried through
the tower in an orderly
succession of decorated
tiers.

Stellate plan of shrine in

Chennakesava Temple at
Aralaguppe, Karnataka

Hoysala temple sculpture

replicates the emphasis on
delicacy and craftsmanship in its
focus on depicting feminine
beauty, grace and physique.
The Hoysala artists achieved this
with the use of Soapstone, a soft
stone as basic building and
sculptural material

An image of madanika. An
attendant is depicted as picking a
thorn from her toe

The Star in Plan

To add to its distinctiveness, the Hoysala temple
in plan composed of numerous cells or garbhagrihas served by a common mandapa. The plan of

each of these cells was a star.

The departure from the accepted square form of
the temple is understandable when we analyze the
plan and see that it is made up of a grid of
rotating squares. The resulting outline thus
emerges as a star.
The mandapa remained a square, though it was
now distinguished by circular columns, the shafts
of which had been lathed and thus acquired a
number of parallel knife-edges.

Among the examples of the developed Hoysala style, the Chenna Kesava
temple at modern Belur is one of the finest.
This was designed and planned by the Architect Jakkanna Acharya at
the behest of King Vishnuvardhan.
Though built around a single shrine, the temple has all the distinguishing
features of the Hoysala style
i.

a pillared mandapa,

ii.

bell-shaped towers and above all

iii.

the star-shaped plan.

The gaps between the outer pillars were covered with a jaali meant to
provide privacy for the Brahmins, and especially the 'highly seductive
dancing of the devdasis.

The mandapa of this temple has an extremely beautiful circular stone

platform, lustrously polished after years and years of dance on it - the
ritualistic, devotional Bharata Natyam of the South.

Ornate Pillars
at
Chennakesava
Temple, Belur

Shilabalika (celestial maiden), Chennakesava temple in different poses

Inside elephant
It shows Shiva dancing with some musicians
and his nandi inside an elephant's belly.

Elephant balustrades in Bucesvara

temple without jagati at Korvanga

Hoysaleshwara Temple, Halebidu

Not content with the little gem in Belur, the king commissioned an even larger and
more magnificent temple in his new capital city of Halebid. The architect proceeded
to lay out two identical temples, parallel and connected at their transepts.

The friezes of the Halebid

temple are the best among
all the Hoysala temples.
The 6th frieze from the top
depicts scenes from
Mahabharat, Ramayana,
Bhagwad, and other
folklore.
Many other Hoysala
temples have this feature
but it is in its most
flourished form at Halebi

The high plinth of

the temple is a
virtual tapestry of
sculpture, with
bands of dancing
figures, animals,
vegetation and other
objects coming to
life on its surface.

Note: Percy Brown the Halebid Temple & the Parthenon are probably the two
extremes of the architectural art of the world. One revels in the cold purity of its
form and the other in the warm complexity of its sculptural architectonics'

Hindu Trinity - ''Brahma, Siva, Vishnu''

Prolific architects of the age included

Amarashilpi Jakanachari, who also built temples for the W.Chalukyas.
Malithamma specialised in ornamentation, and his works span six
decades. His sculptures were typically signed in shorthand as Malli or
simply Ma.
Dasoja and his son
Chavana from Balligavi were
the architects of
Chennakesava Temple at
Belur

Kedaroja was the chief

architect of the
Hoysaleswara Temple at
Halebidu
Temple profile staggered
square plan mantapa at
Balligavi

Ornate Corner of the main shrine of the Amruteshwara Temple

in Amruthapura

Diety at the center of the dome of the temple

Pandyas (1100-1350 AD)

The Pandyas mostly
concentrated on the
Gopurams, the main
entrance.
The Sundara Pandya
gopuram, added to the
temple of Jambukesvara
around 1250 AD and the
gopuram of the great temple
at Kumbakoman (1350 AD)
are the best examples of the
gopurams of the Pandyan
times.

Extent of the Pandya

Territories c. 1250 C.E

The Pandyan Tower at

Sri Jumbukeshwara Temple in Trichy

The Shiva Temple Complex

within The Madurai
Meenakshi temple was
originally built by the
Pandyan kings in the 12C.AD

Srivilliputhur
Emblem of Tamilnadu Government

A Pandyan Sculpture

Four Armed Vishnu, Pandya

Dynasty, 8th-9th C.E.

Vijayanagara (1350-1565 AD)

By the 16th century almost
all of southern India was part
of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Vijayanagara architecture is a
vibrant combination of the
Chalukya, Hoysala, Pandya
and Chola styles, that
prospered in previous
centuries.
Map of Vijayanagara
empire

The main contributions of

the Vijayanagar period
were the tall massive
gopurams & the multiple
mandapas.

Virupaksha Temple
at Hampi,
Karnataka

King Krishna Deva Raya and

others built many famous temples
all over South India in Vijayanagar
Architecture style.
The Temple of Pampapati, the
Hazararama temple and the
Vittalaswami temple are the best
examples of the Vijayanagar
architecture. The ruins of Buggala
Ramalingeswara at Tadpatri also
depict the Vijayanagar
architecture at its best.

A Monolithic Narasimha

Hampi, now in ruins is the site

of the ancient city of
Vijayanagar, capital of the
Vijayanagar empire which
brought about a renaissance of
indigenous art and culture, as it
defended the region against
the plundering armies from
elsewhere.

Statue of Kali, from Vijayanagar

The stone chariot in this

temple is of great fame.
Its stone wheels, each shaped
in the form of a lotus, are
capable of revolving. It
represents the sprakling
creativity of the artistes of the
fifteenth century.
Temple chariots are often
mobile reproductions of a
temple.
The stone chariot here is in
turn a static version of the
mobile temple chariot.

VittalaswamiTemple

The carved pillars - with the roaring simhas (lions), yalis

(lions with elephant trunks) are a major feature

Ancient Market place and plantation at Hampi

Hazara Rama
Temple in Hampi
in India is the only
temple in Hampi
where there are
boldly chiseled
bas-reliefs on the
exterior walls.
Being narrative in
nature, the bas
reliefs have the
Ramayana epic
carved in detail
on them.

The Nayaks (1600 AD)

The Dravidian style of architecture assumed its final form under the
Nayaks and lasted almost until the modern times.

The style
developed by
these rulers is
described as the
'Madura style' &
is most evident
in the
Meenakshi
temple at
Madurai.

Kulasekara Pandya was the king who constructed the temple. But it is
said that the temple developed in the reign of the Nayaks in the 16th
to the 18th century.

It has the tallest gopuram

(temple tower) in the world.

Tiruchirapallis spectacular fort on an 83m high massive rock

The 344 rock-cut steps take one to the Uchipillayar temple dedicated to
Vinayaka, located at the top.

END Of DRAVIDIAN DYNASTIES

INDO ARYAN ARCHITECTURE

13th-century Konark Sun Temple (also known as

the Black Pagoda), built in black granite by King
Narasimhadeva-I (AD 1236-1264) of the Eastern
Ganga Dynasty(Orissa).

Major part of
the temple did
not survive the
vagaries of time.
The temple is a
World Heritage
Site.

The poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote of Konark: "here the language

of stone surpasses the language of man."

The Ranakpur Temple in Rajasthan built during the 14th Century by King Rana, is one of the
5 importnt temples of Jainism in india and is completely made in Amber Stone(Marble)

North-Central Indian temples of

Khajuraho
The temples at
Khajuraho, built by
the Chandella rulers
circa 1000 AD are at
the pinnacle of the
Nagari architectural
style.
900 AD to 1100 AD
The Nagari style has
several distinct
features, all of which
are clearly manifested
in the temples at
Khajuraho.

Architectural Features -Khajuraho

1000 AD
High terraces
Flight of steps 10 to 12 ft
Unity of composition
Cella, mandapa and the
entrance vestibule are the
parts of a harmonious whole
Shikharas Architectural
materpieces
Vertical axis
Top piece Amalaka or
capstone in perfect rhythm
with the curvilinear outline of
the shikhara
Kalasa on top

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho

Largest and loftiest in the
Khajuraho group
109t X 60ft
Height of it shikhara is 116ft
6 inches
Mandapa size 25 ft X 25 ft
No enclosure walls
Erected on platform (Jagatis)
which are large enough to
perform pradhakshina
Garbhagriha, antharala,
mahamandapa, mandapa and
arthamandapa present

Khajuraho group of temples

The temples have
been built from
granite or
sandstone, the two
chief rocks found
in this area upon
raised platforms.
The platforms
themselves stand
on solid rock
masses that are one
of the oldest rocks
on this earth.

The Kendariya Mahadeo

temple is the finest example in
Indo-Aryan temple style
because of its attainment of
unity in design of its
components such as
mandapas.
It becomes a composite design
in plan and exterior profile.
It results into overall jagged
profile of mostly revered
Kailash.
The raised platform on which
the temples stands in itself
becomes dominant feature of
the composition.
The great flight of steps gives
one a sense of arrival in
higher ritualistic sense also.

 The sculptures are

exquisite.
They show the daily
lives of the kings
(hunting etc), the
deities in their
various forms, the
beautiful apsarases
in their elegant and
enticing postures
and other royal
motifs like lions and
elephants.

Eastern Indian temples of Orissa

Under the ancient name of Kalinga, Orissa was
the seat of great empires as far back as 300 B.C.
as the most remarkable examples of architectural
achievement in all of Asia.
Although Orissa presents a fairly large variety of
styles in temple building, it has nevertheless a
characteristic architectural genius.
Its temples have been described as one of the
most compact and homogeneous architectural
groups in India.
In these the Indo-Aryan style of architecture may
be seen at its best and purest.

Eastern Indian temples of Orissa

The design which flourished in eastern Indian state
of Orissa and Northern Andhra Pradesh are called Kalinga
style of architecture.
The style consists of three distinct type of temples
namely Rekha Deula, Pidha Deula and Khakhara Deula.
Deula means "Temple" in the local language. The former two
are associated with Vishnu, Surya and Shiva temple while the
third is mainly with Chamunda and Durga temples.
The Rekha deula and Khakhara deula houses the sanctum
sanctorum while the Pidha Deula constitutes outer dancing
and offering halls.
The prominent examples of Rekha Deula are Lingaraj
Temple of Bhubaneswar and Jagannath Temple of Puri.
The Konark Sun Temple is a living example of Pidha Deula.

 The temple-building movement in Orissa, which reached its peak of

excellence in the 10th and 11th centuries, stretches from roughly 650 A.D.
to 1200 A.D. and illustrates more coherently than any other similar
movement the growth and development of the Nagara style of architecture.
In general, all Orissan temples follow a common structural plan.
A typical temple consists of two apartments.
The deul, corresponding to the southern vimana, is the cubical inner
apartment which enshrines the image, and is surmounted by a tower.
In front of this is the antarala or porch called the jaganmohan which is
usually square-shaped and has a pyramidal roof.
Occasionally, one or two more mandapas, such as the natmandir and the
bhogmandir, can be found in front of the jaganmohan, but these, where
they exist, are almost without exception were superimposed on top of the
original plan.

Bhubaneswar has the richest

profusion of temples and is known
as the temple town of Orissa, not
only because of the large number
of temples found there, but also
because it is the home of the
famous Lingaraja temple.
The city of Bhubaneswar is
believed to have been created by
Yayati, founder of the Kesari
dynasty of Orissa.
The striking concentration of
temples in Bhubaneswar is partly
accounted for by the fact that the
city was the seat of powerful
religions.
The sacred lake of Bhubaneswar
was once encircled by 7,000
shrines, of which only 500 now
survive in different stages of
dilapidation.

Lingaraja temple
The great Lingaraja temple, believed to have been
built around 1000 A.D.
It stands in a cluster of sixty-five smaller shrines
in a spacious compound meausring 520 feet by
465 feet and its mighty tower (the vimana)
dominates the landscape for miles around.
Constructed without mortar, this tower is 127 feet
high and is divided into vertical sections.
The angles of the recesses are filled in with
miniature vimanas and on the top, are figures
representing a lion crushing an elephant.

Lingaraja temple
Initially it consisted of a cella and a mandapa
Cella 56ft square and rises about 140 ft
Mandapa is rectangular

Sun Temple, Konark

Sun Temple, Konark

Sun God in ruins today
Greatest achievement in
Orissan architecture
Temple conceived as the eternal
sun god travelling in a ratha
(chariot) the chariot of time.
High plinth
12 no; of 10ft diameter wheels
(6 on either side)
Drawn by a team of 7 horses
Upper part of the ratha Deul
and Jagmohan
Path on the plinth for parikarma
3 subsidiary shrines on S, W
and N

Sun Temple, Konark

Main entry wide flight of

steps in East
Height of the tall Deul
shikhara about 225ft
Cella 25ft X25 ft
Jagmohan 100ft X 100ft, ht
100ft cubical mass
Temple is full of sculptures of
erotic nature
Temple stands in the centre of
a large enclosure 860 ft X
540 ft
Dwajasthamba nd Nat mandir
in front
Stone good variety of
laterite
Mortarless work

Sun Temple, Konark

The natmandir and the bhogmandir were detached structures, all
enclosed within a courtyard measuring 865 ft. by 540 ft.
The sculptures executed in hard stone to ensure their preservation,
display an exuberance of mood and appearance rarely encountered
elsewhere.
The technique also varies from designs carved with minute precision
to vigorous groups modeled on a massive scale.
Much of the relief work on the outer walls of the temple at Konark -as of certain other temples in Orissa --has an obviously erotic
import.
This is indicative of the emergence of a phase in Hinduism known as
Tantrism, the mithuna ritual of which is depicted in the carvings of
this temple as well as of the temples in Mathura and Khajuraho.
According to Tantric thought, all human experience which by
implication also includes experience connected with carnal desire
has a value, for it is only through experience that man can attain the
stage of self-immolation.

SUN TEMPLE MODHERA

 The Sun Temple, Modhera, at Modhera

in Gujarat, is a temple dedicated to
the Hindu Sun-God, Surya. It is situated on the
bank of the river Pushpavati, 25 km
from Mehsana and 102 km from Ahmedabad.
It was built in 1026 AD by King Bhimdev of the
Solanki dynasty. In the present times, prayers
are not offered in this temple. This temple is
now under the supervision of Archaeological
Survey of India.