History sec AssiGNMeNt

iNtroductioN to Art iN iNdiAN subcoNtiNeNt

NAMe - Aashi Sharma

roLL No. - 2020/BAPC/0314

toPic - Explain Nagara style of

Architecture by taking an

Example.

subMitted to - PARMESWARUDU SIR

Different styles of temple architecture are famous in different parts of India. The
development of the distinctive architectural style of these temples is a result of
geographical, ethnic and historical diversity. The two major styles of temple
architecture in the country are known as Nagara in the north and Dravidian in the
south. The third style, Vesara style, is fusion of Nagara and Dravidian type of
architecture. In this assignment, I am going to explain Nagara style of
architecture by taking example of Konark Sun Temple.

Nagara style is one of the styles of temple architecture. It is the temple

construction style of North India. This type of architecture was started around 5 th-
6th century. In North India it is common for an entire temple to be built on a stone
platform (stoned pithas) with steps leading up to it. In this style of the temple,
earliest temple had only one peak or Shikhara but in the later periods multiple
shikharas came. The major example of the temple of Nagara Style is Sun Temple at
Modhera, Sun Temple at Khajuraho, Jagannath Temple at Puri, etc.

The main elements of this architecture are-

 Garbagriha – It is the main part of the temple. It is the place the chief deity
lives. The word Garbagriha means “womb chamber”.
 Pradikshina Patha – It is a circumambulatory path around the Garbagriha.
 Mandapa – It is a columned hall where devotees gather for prayers. At times,
temples may have more than one mandapa of varied sizes. On the basis of
their sizes, mandapas are named Ardhamandapa, Mandapa, and
Mahamandapa.
 Shikara or Vimana – The spire standing like a mountain is known as Shikara
(north) or Vimana (south). While the Vimana is pyramidal, the Shikara is a
curved structure.
 Amalaka – It is a disc made of stone atop which the Kalash (Kalasha) sits. It is
mostly found in the Shikaras of northern temples.
 This sketch shows us Nagara Style of Temple
Temple--

 Kalash or Kalasha – It is a pot

pot-shaped
shaped formation above the Amalaka this forms
the apex of a temple.
 Antarala or vestibule – The transitional way that connects the Garbagriha and
mandapa is known as Antarala.
 Jagati – The raised floor on which the temple is built is called “Jagati”.
 Vahana – Every god has a Vahana (vehicle) and every temple houses the
Vigraha of the temple’s chief deity’s Vahana along with the Dhvaj pillar.

It doesn’t usually have elaborate boundar

boundary walls orr gateways. The garbagriha is
always located directly under the tallest tower (chief shikhara).. It doesn’t have
compound for temple complex. Shikharas are curvilinear in shape, has amalaka, a
flat small construction and above that vertical small placing is there named
kalasha. .

Sub-Types
Types of Nagara Temples Depending upon the shape of Shikhara –
1.) Rekha Prasad – They have simple Shikara, square at the base and the walls
curve inward to a point on the top. The top is called the “Rekha Prasad” type
of Shikhara. The Sri Jagannath Temple of Odisha has been constructed in the
Rekha-Prasad
Prasad Shikara style.
 2.) Phamsana – They are broader and shorter than the Rekha Prasad type of
Shikhara. Their roofs are made of several slabs that smoothly rise to a single
point over the center of the building, unlike the Rekha Prasad ones which
look like sharply rising tall towers. They do not curve inwards, rather, they
slope upwards on a straight slope. In many North Indian temples, Phamsana
was used for mandapa and the Rekha Prasad for Garbhgriha. The Khajuraho
Kandariya Mahadev Temple is one of the most prominent temples built in
this style.

3.) Valabhi – A rectangular structure with a roof that extends into a round
chamber. They are usually called wagon vaulted buildings. Teli Ka Mandir, a
9th Century temple at Gwalior has been built in this style.

4.) Bhumija - Another type of Nagara temple that evolved from the Latina style,
have a flat upward tapering projection comprising of a central Latina spire
and miniature spires on the quadrant formed by the tapering tower. The
Udayeshwar Temple in MP is built in this style.

Sub-schools of Nagara style of temple architecture-

Odisha School – The most prominent distinguishing feature is the Shikara (Deul) which rises
vertically before curving inwards at the top. The main type is square while the upper reaches
are circular. These temples have intricately carved exteriors and usually bare interiors. Unlike
Nagara temples of the north, most Odisha temples have boundary walls.

Chandel School – Unlike Odishan style, these temples are conceived as a single unit and have
Shikaras that curved from bottom to top. There are a number of miniatures Shikaras rising
from the central tower and towers that gradually rise up to the main tower cap both the
porticos and halls.
Solanki School – They are similar to the Chandel School except that they have carved ceilings
that appear like a true dome. The distinguishing feature of these temples is the minute and
intricate decorative motifs. Except for the central shrine, one can find carvings on both the
inner and outer sides of the walls.

KoNArK suN teMPLe

The Konark Sun Temple is a famous Indian temple dedicated to the Hindu sun god Surya. The
word “Konark” is a combination of two Sanskrit words: “kona,” meaning “corner” or “angle,”
and “arka,” meaning “sun.”

The temple is located northeast of the city of Puri and southeast of Bhubaneswar on the Bay of
Bengal coastline in the Indian state of Odisha. This thirteenth-century sun temple was declared
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. The sun temple of Konark was built in the thirteenth
century by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, in then-Orissa. It was
dedicated to the Hindu solar deity Surya. The temple has the appearance of the chariot, with
twenty-four wheels and seven horses, all carved from stone. The Konark Sun Temple originally
stood more than 200 feet high, but over time, parts of it were destroyed.

Theories about the temple’s deterioration include that was it was plundered by Muslim armies
in the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, damaged by natural events such as earthquake or
lightning, or that the khondalite stone simply weathered away. Conservation efforts began in
1903, and since 1939, the Archaeological Survey of India has maintained Konark.

Design details of konark sun temple includes-

1. Symbolism: The chariot contains twelve pairs of wheels, each twelve feet in diameter,
representing the twelve months of the Hindu calendar. The eight spokes of the wheel
represent the eight intervals of the day, and the seven horses represent the days of the
week.

2. Sculptures: In addition to the temple’s giant chariot with twenty-four wheels and seven
horses, the walls of the temple feature sculptures and reliefs. The pieces include an
eleven-foot-tall depiction of Surya, multiple statues of King Narasimhadeva I, relief
 statues depicting scenes of domestic life, as well as
erotic sculptures. There are also life-sized
depictions of lions, elephants, and horses.

3. Sunlight: The temple faces the east, so the

first rays of sunlight hit the main entrance of the
temple. The wheels of the chariot are also sundials
and can be used to calculate the time.

4. Materials: The sun temple comprises three

types of stone: chlorite, khondalite, and laterite.

The Konark Sun Temple is an example of the

Nagara style of architecture, one of the three
styles of Hindu temple architecture. The Nagara temple is square-shaped, containing the

sanctum where the deity is housed (the deul) and the pillared assembly hall (the
jagamohana). Another Nagara feature is a tower (shikhara) curving inward towards the
temple; the shikhara at Konark, which would have been 229-feet tall, no longer exists.

coNcLusioN-
Temples are the symbolic reconstruction of the universe. The graceful blessings of God and the
lives of human beings are linked together continuously in which time is conceived as a crystal
system. Art is the reflection of the life of the people and also the store house of their noblest
thoughts. Temple architecture of high standard developed in almost all regions during ancient
India. In modern India, new temples continue to be erected and older buildings refurbished. A
temple is a place where one strives for the self realization, where one finds their true self. It is
a place where on may understand their atman/jiva. The Nagara style of temple architecture
has a rich historical ground. Every temple present in the northern part of India, irrespective of
its construction date, shows distinctively common features in planning and elevation. The
temples of Nagara style generally have a square plan with a number of graduated projections
in the middle of each face which give the structure a cruciform shape in the exterior. The
Konark sun temple is believed to showcase the nagara style in all its purity. The temple is
characterized by a square ground plan, containing a sanctuary and assembly hall (mandapa). In
terms of elevation, there is a huge curvilinear tower (shikhara), inclining inwards and capped.
Despite the fact that Odisha lies in the eastern region, the nagara style was adopted.
bibLioGrAPHy-
1. Notes

2. PDFs

3. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/konark-sun-temple-history-and-architecture#a-
brief-history-of-the-konark-sun-temple/

4. https://www.insightsonindia.com/indian-heritage-culture/architecture/temple-
architecture/nagar-style/

5. Wikipedia