TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

Early Cave Traditions

1. Ajanta
2. Ellora
3. Elephanta
4. Bagh
5. Nasik: Pandav Leni Caves
 24 Buddhist caves belonging to Hinayana Period of Buddhist architecture, belongs to the
1st Century CE
 Called as Pandu leni meaning group of caves,
has nothing to do with the characters of
Mahabharata (the Pandavas)
 Inscriptions mention Gautamiputra
Satakarni’s mother Gautami Balasri had
financed the construction of 3rd cave
 Contains a panel depicting
Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana
 Presence is indicated through the use of motifs
and symbols like throne and footprints
6. Guntapalle Caves, Andhra Pradesh
 Guntupalli is dotted with some of the finest specimens of monolithic and structural Buddhist
remains datable to the 3rd-2nd century BC to 5th-6th century AD.
 The important monuments located are: rock cut temple or vritta chaitya, large monastery,
small monastery, brick chaitya, ruined mandapa, stone stupa and cluster of votive stupas

Rock cut Temple (Vritta Chaitya)

- Belongs to the 3rd-2nd century BC, the vritta

chaitya is circular on plan and enshrines a rock cut
votive stupa provided with a small
circumambulatory path around it. Locally known
as ‘Dharmalingeswara’
- it has vaulted domical ceiling marked by carved ribs
while its exterior shows an arched façade

Large Monastries

- It has a main entrance with the windows on sides, a

narrow terrace and varandha.
- Some of the cells have deep cut channels to facilitate the rainwater drain in to a natural
fissure located on the backside of the monastery.

Small Monastery

- This rock cut vihara, located at a higher elevation of the hill

is relatively smaller in dimension.
- In all there are five cells in it, which are crudely excavated
and some remained unfinished.

Group of Stupas

- Located on one of the terraces of hilltop and numbering

more than sixty, these votive stupas erected on different
occasions and time frames vary in their shape, size and
mode of construction.
- Made of stone and also in brick, these votive stupas were set
up on stone or brick basements. Amongst them are also seen
small apsidal and circular votive chaityas.
7. Udaygiri-Khandavgiri Caves, Odisha
 Caves are situated on the two adjacent hills,
Udaygiri (18) and Khandavgiri (15), mentioned
as Kumari Parvat in Hanthigumpha
inscription.
 These were dug during the Kharvela king for
the abode of Jaina monks.
 Ranigumpha monastery in Udaygiri is one of
the example of double storeyed monastery

8. Bhaja Caves
 These are group of 18 caves which were built
during the Mauryan times around 2nd century BC.
 The sculptures show various aspects of the Lord Buddha and many symbolisms which stand
to define his ideologies.
9. Karla Caves
 These caves were built during the Satvahana rule in India in 2nd and 3rd century BC.
 The caves have both chaitya halls which are the largest in the world were used for mass
worship practices and viharas were mainly used as dwelling units.
10. Kanheri Caves
 These were the result of architectural pursuits of Mauryan and Kushan rulers from 2 nd BC to
9th centuries AD.
 Initially built as rest-houses for travelers, these got converted to Buddhist viharas.
  The monks who initially adapted to the natural settings in the caves, gradually started
carving halls, temples and images of the Buddha and other Bodhisattvas out of huge rocks,
which changed the Kanheri caves to an important Buddhist settlement
 A rock-cut pattern, the caves have been carved into a hill and house many forms of Buddha.

STYLES OF INDIAN TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE

Features of Hindu Temple

1. Cave like sanctum (garbhagriha): house of main icon/deity

2. Mandapa: entrance to the temple hall that incorporate space for large number of worshippers
3. Shikhara (North India) / Vimana (South India): pyramidical tower
4. Vahana: mount or vehicle of the temple’s main deity along with a standard pillar or dhwaja
placed axially before the sanctum

Stages of Temple Architecture

1st Stage:

 Flat roof
 Square in shape
 Portico was developed on shallow pillars
  Entire structure built on low platform
 Ex. Temple no. 17, Sanchi

2nd Stage:

 Most of the features are inspired from the 1st stage

 Platforms were higher or upraised
 Some 2-storeyed temples also found
 Covered ambulatory passageway around the Sanctum
sanctorum or garbhagriha
 Ex. Parvati temple at Nachna-Kuthara

3rd Stage:

 Emergence of Shikhara which replaced flat roof

 Curvilinear in shape, low platforms
 Panchayatan style of temple were introduced – 4
shrines placed opposite to each other along with main
deity
 Ex. Dashavtar temple at Deogarh (U.P)

4th Stage:

 Construction of temples remained similar, except the main shrine became rectangular
 Ex. Ter temple of Sholapur

5th Stage:

 Introduction of circular temples with shallow

rectangular projections
 Rest of the features remained same
 Ex. Maniyar Math, Rajgir
 VARIOUS STYLES OF TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

Iconography, Sculpture and

Ornamentation

 Study of deities falls within the

branch of history is called
‘iconography’ which consists of
identification of images based on
certain symbols and mythologies
associated with them.
 The placement of an image in a
temple is planned as such, river
goddesses (Ganga and Yamuna)
are found at the entrance of a
Garbhagriha in Nagar temple
and dvarpalas (doorkeepers)
usually found on the gateways or
Gopurams of Dravida temples.
 ‘Mithuna’ or erotic images,
navagrahas and yakshas are also
placed at the entrance to guard
them
 The deities of ‘Ashtdikpalas’
face the eight key directions on
the outer walls of the sanctum and ‘ or on the outer walls of the temples.
 Subsidiary shrines around the main temple dedicated to the family or incarnations of the
main deity.
 Finally, various elements of ornamentations such as ‘gavaksha’(decoration on entrance)
vyala/yali (sculpture on pillar), kalpa-lata (various styles), amalaka, kalasha, etc. used in
distinct ways and places in the temple.
NAGARA STYLE

 From 5th C AD onwards this style started flourishing in India

 Panchayatan style was a distinctive feature
 Many subdivisions of Nagara style temple emerged based on the shape of the Shikhara

Features

 Panchayatan style
 Presence of Mandapa or assembly hall in front of principle deity
 Outside garbhagriha, images of river goddesses, Ganga and Yamuna
were placed
 No water tanks are available in the temple premises
 Built on upraised platform
 Pillared porticos at the entrance

Types of Shikhara

1. Rekha Prasad
 Most common name for the simple Shikhara which is square at the
base and walls are curve or slope inwards, to a point on top is
called ‘Latina’
2. Phamasana:
 Broader and shorter than latina.
 Roofs are composed of several slabs.
 Roofs do not curve inward, instead they slope upwards on a
straight incline.
 It is designed for Mandapas and Latinas for Garbhagriha
3. Valabhi:
 Rectangular buildings with a roof that rises into a vaulted
chamber.
 Edge of vaulted chamber is rounded
like bamboo or wooden wagon
 Vertical end of Shikhar ends with
Amalaka – a horizontal fluted disc. On
its top, a spherical shape Kalash placed
 No elaborated boundary walls
 Covered Prakshinapath

Sub-schools of Nagara Style Temple

1. Odisha
  The main architectural features of Odisha
temples are classified in three order, i.e.,
Rekhappida, Pidadeul and Khakra
 Exterior walls lavishly decorated
(carvings), interior walls remains plain
 No use of pillars in the porch
 Shikhars are called ‘Rekhadeuls’ – vertical
roof which suddenly curved inwards in
circular shape in the crowning ‘mastaka’
 Mandapas are called Jagmohan
 Square ground plan
 Temple surrounded by boundary wall like
Dravidian style
 Ex. Sun Temple Konark (Black Pagoda) –
first rays of sun entered Garbhagriha through
sea-facing pagoda, Jagannath temple at Puri,
Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneshwara

Sun Temple, Konark

 It is set on high base, walls are covered in

extensive, detailed ornamental carvings
 It includes 12 pillars of enormous wheels
sculpted with spokes and hubs, representing
the chariot wheels of Sun god who mythologically rides a chariot drivedn by 8 horses,
sculpted at the enterance staircase.
 On southern wall is a massive
sculpture of Surya carved out of green
stone.
 Earlier there were three such
images, each carved out of a different stone
placed on the temple walls, each facing
different directions.
 The fourth wall had the doorway
into the temple from where the actual rays
of the sun would enter the garbhagriha
 2. CENTRAL INDIA

Khajuraho

 Built during the rule of Chandela Kings

 Interior and exterior walls are lavishly decorated with carvings
 Erotic sculptures – Vatsyayana Muni’s Kamasutras
 Made up of sandstone
 Three chambers are made – garbhagriha,
mandapa, and ardha-mandapa. Some
temples have vestibular entrance to
garbhagriha which is called ‘Antarala’
 Panchayatn style – rekhaprasad for
subsidiary shrines
 Temples are made on high platform
 Ex. Lakshmana temple: made up of
sandstone
- Image of Chaturmukha Vishnu is in
garbhagriha.
- 4 shrines of Vishnu and 1 of Surya
 Kandariya Mahadeva temple dedicated to Lord Shiva
 Many temples at Khajuraho dedicated to Hindu gods. There are some Jaina Temples, as well
as Chaunsath Yogini temple
 3. WEST INDIA

Solanki School

 A branch of Chalukya, built by Raja Bhim Dev I of Solanki dynasty in 1026

 North-Western parts of India – Gujarat and Rajasthan under the Solanki Rulers
 Temple walls devoid of carvings
 Garbhagriha connected with the Mandapa both internally and externally
 Porticos are decorated arched gateways called ‘Torans’
 Unique features are presence of step-tanks called ‘Suryakund’, steps are full of small temples
 Material used here are sandstone, black basalt and soft marble

 Most of the temples are east facing and designed as every year during equinox, sun-rays falls
directly into Central shrine
 Ex. Modhera Sun temple
 4. EAST INDIA

Feature:

 Curve or sloping roof, called Bangla roof

 Burnt bricks and clay, known as terracotta
bricks was the principle building material
 Temples had a tall, curving Shikhara
crowned like a large amalaka
 Both stone and metal made sculptures are
found
 Figures are well-polished

Bengal

 The style of the sculptures during the period

between the 9th-11th C in Bengal and Bihar is
known as Pala style, named after the ruling dynasty.
 The 9th C Siddheshwara Mahadev temple in Barakar in Burdwan District shown a tall curving
‘Shikhara’ crowned by a large ‘Amalaka’ and is an example of the early Pala style.

Assam

 The post-Gupta style continued in the region during 10th C

 The style that came with the migration of the Tais from upper Burma mixed with the
dominant Pala style of Bengal let to the creation of a new style called ‘Ahom’ Style in and
around Guwahati.
 Kamakhya temple is dedicated to goddess Kamakhya and was built in the 17th C

5. THE HILLS
 As a result of the both Buddhist and Hindu traditions began to intermingle and spread in the
hills. The hills also had their own traditions of wooden buildings with pitched roofs
 At some places, the main Garbhagriha and Shikhara are made in the Rekha-Prasad or latina
style, the Mandapa is of an older form of wooden architecture
 Some temples are made in Pagoda shape

Kashmir

 Under Karkota dynasty, one important temple is ‘Pandrethan’ built in 8th-9th C.

 Water tank is attached to the shrine, temple is built on a plinth in the middle of the tank
  Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva

Uttarakhand

 Findings at Samlaji, the sculptures at

Chamba showns an amalgamation of
local traditions with a post-Gupta
tradition
 The images of Laksna-Devi Mandir are
evidences of the influence of the post-
Gupta tradition
 Yellow color of the images is possible
due to an alloy of Zinc and copper
which were popularly used to make images in Kashmir
 Temple was built under the rein of Meruvarman in 7th C
 Of the temple in Kumaon, one at Jageshwar near Almora and Champavat near Pithoragarh
are classic examples of Nagara style of temple architecture

VESARA STYLE OF TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE

 Also called Karnataka school of architecture, flourished under later Chalukya rulers in mid 7 th
C AD
 Combined both the features i.e. Nagar and Dravida, so, called hybridized
 Emphasized on Vimana and Mandapa open
ambulatory passageway
 Pillars, doorways, and ceilings were decorated with
intricate carvings
1. Ravan Phadi Cave, Aihole, Karnataka
 Have distinctive sculptural style
 Nataraja surrounded by larger than life size depictions
of Saptamatrika – 3 of Shiva’s left and 4 of Shiva’s
right
 Figures are graceful, symbolizes long oval faces topped
with extremely tall cylindrical crowns and wear short
dhotis
2. Hoysaleshwara Temple
 Meaning Lord of Hoyasala, built in dark schist by
Hoyasala King in 1150 AD
 Called hybrid or Vesara – starlike ground plans
profusion of decorative carvings
 Dedicated to Lord Shiva as Natraja
 double building with a large hall for Mandapa to facilitate music and dance
  ex. Dodda Basappa temple at Dambal, Lad Khan temple at Aihole, temples at Badami, etc.
 Some more temples are
- Pattakdal: Virupaksha temple
- Badami: Cave temples
- Aihole: Jainas, Hindu and Buddhist monuments– Lad Khan temple, Meguli Jain Temple,
Durga Temple
- Aihole inscription

BUDDHIST AND JAINA ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENTS

 After Gupta’s fall the eastern regions of Bihar, Bengal, called Magadha remained unified
however, western India divided among many small Rajput rulers
 Second Pala ruler, Dharampala became immensely powerful Rajput and established an
empire by defeating the powerful Rajpout Pratihars.
 Dharampal consolidated an empire whose wealth lay in a combination of agriculture along
the fertile Ganges plain and
international trade

Bodh Gaya

 It is a pilgrimage site since Siddhartha

achieved enlightenment here and
became Gautam Buddha.
 The Maha Bodhi temple at Bodhgaya is
an important reminder of the brickwork
of that time.
 The first shrine is here located at the
base of the Bodhi tree, said to be built
by King Ashoka
 Vedika built around it belongs to post-
Mauryan
 The design of Mahabodhi temple is neither
Nagara nor Dravida
 It is narrow like a Nagara temple but it rises
without carving like a Dravida temple

Nalanda Mahavihara

 Till date a small portion is excavated

 Most of the information about Nalanda is
based on the records of Huan Tsang which
 states the foundation of a monastery was laid by Kumaragupta I in the 5th C AD
 All the three doctrines of Buddhism were being taught here – Theravada, Mahayana and
Vajrayana,
 monks were made their way to Nalanda and its neighboring sites of Bodh Gaya and Kurkihar
from China, Tibet and Central Asia in the North and Srilanka, Thailand, Burma and various
other countries from South-eastern parts of Aisa
 The sculptural art of Nalanda, in stucco, stone and bronze, developed out of a heavy
dependence on the Buddhist Gupta art of Sarnath
 By 9th C, amalgamation of Sarnath Gupta idiom, the local Bihar tradition and Central India
lead to the formation of the Nalanda school of sculpture characterized by distinctive facial
features, body forms and clothing andjewellary
 Nalanda bronzes are dating between 7th-8th C to 12th
C AD
 Nalanda sculpture depicts Buddhist deities of the
Mahayana Pantheon such as standing Buddha,
bodhisattvas such as Manjushri Kumara,
Avalokiteshwara seated on a lotus and Naga-
nagarjuna.
 During 11th – 12thC, when Nalanda emerged as an
important Tantric centre the repertoire came to be
dominated by Vajrayana deities such as Vajrasharda
(a form of Saraswati), Khasarpana, Avalokiteshwara,
etc.

Jaina Temples

 Bihar, Deogarh, Khajuraho, Chanderi, Gwalior, etc.

 Karnataka – Lord Bahubali at Shravanbelgola, once
world’s tallest monolithic free standing structure
made by Chamundaraya, General-in-chief of Ganga
King of Mysore
 Gujarat and Rajasthan have been strongholds of
Jainism since early times
 A famous Jaina site was found at ‘Akota’ on the outskirts of Baroda
 Jaina temple at Dilwara temple at Mt. Abu made under Vimal Shah is famous for its unique
patterns on its ceiling.