EARLY STRUCTURAL TEMPLES OF THE DECCAN

Author(s): M.S. Mate

Source: Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute , 1993, Vol.
53 (1993), pp. 243-251
Published by: Vice Chancellor, Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute
(Deemed University), Pune

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42936445

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 EARLY STRUCTURAL TEMPLES
OF THE DECCAN

M.S.Mate

The Deccan, especially the Western lime-mortar and arch. A re-examination of

Ghats, is justly famous for its numerous excavated and recently discovered remains
rock-cut monuments. There are chaityas, is undertaken here in order to understand
viharas, chaitya-cum-viharas (Mahayana the evolution of Deccan architecture.
phase, Ajanta) and temples proper like the The earliest example is recorded at
Kailas and the Chota Kailas at Ellora.
Paithan. During the excavations conducted
Scholars have shown that these monuments,
in 1937, remains of two structures were
especially the Buddhist monuments ofunearthed.
the According to the excavator,
Hinayana phase, were modelled after • Andhra coins were found in association with
structural prototypes in brick and timber. these structures (Yusuf, 1940: 176-179). The
Numerous features like the curvilinear 1966 excavations have placed the layers in
beams that were extant at both Bhaje and which these structural remains were found to
Karle, the balconies on the facade of the the period of 300 B.C. to 100 A.D. (I.A.R.
Bhaje chaitya, the trellis work and brackets, 1965-66; 1973, 28-29). The details recorded
all were close copies of structures in timber. by Yusuf are as under :
No examples of such structural temples or
chaityas are, however, extant. Most of the Structure 1 - Rectangular on plan, divided
excavations exposing the Satavahana layers in three compartments (Fig.l). The western
revealed remains of brick structures like one measured 10'.3" x 5'.3"; the central
houses, wells, etc., at places like Nevase, one was 13' x 4'. 7" and the eastern was 13'
Nasik etc. Remains of temples or chaityas x 9'. 9". The total E-W length, thus was
were uncovered at Paithan but their 19'.7" and the maximum width (N-S) was
13'. The western chamber had a recessed
importance in the evolution of structural
niche admeasuring 6' x 3'3", adjoining the
temples was not properly stressed. Similarly
back
discoveries of later scholars like Kapre or the western wall. This obviously was
were
not properly appreciated. Hence works a niche
on to house the votive stupa if it was a
architecture continued to cite the Trivikrama
Buddhist chaitya or the image of a deity if it
temple at Ter as the earliest structural was a Hindu temple. Inasmuch as there are
temple
few examples of a chaitya of such small
or Chaitya. Likewise, it was also postulated
that temple architecture originated dimensions,
in the it has to be treated as a temple
or, alternatively,
Gupta period in north India and eventually it could be the earliest of
the
spread all over the country. This was goodMahayana chaityas that housed the
image of the Buddha. The size of the bricks
enough for lithic temples, but this emphasis
used for this temple, according to Yusuf, was
unintentionally led to ignoring brick
20.3"
structures and allied problems like use ofx 8" x 3.5".

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 244 Bulletin of the DCPRI 53

Structure 2 - This structure admeasured surveyed and photographed. He had also

19' X 12' (Fig.2). There was, what the prepared the drawings of the plan and the
excavator calls, 4a gallery' three* feet in extant elevation. This structure was of
width, around the entire structure. Thus, the modest proportions, admeasuring 23' x 18'.
overall dimensions of the structure would be Of the two parts the garbhagriha was 12'
22' X 15'. In the case of this structure also, square internally. The walls were extremely
there was a recessed niche in the western interesting. There were three vertical
wall. Here, the possibility of the structure projecting bands or rathas on each face;
being a Buddhist chaitya seems to be more thus, technically, this was triratha temple.
The extant height was four and a half feet
likely as the structure is an open hall fronting
the platform which had the recess that and consisted of four mouldings or tharas.
probably housed a votive stupa or a Buddha These consisted of, bottom-upwards patta,
image. The size of bricks used for this cyma-recta, patta and kumuda. The
structure was the same as those of Structure upper-most kumuda had a row of
No.l. conventionalized chaitya-torana motifs in
relief. Moulded bricks had been used for the
The extant height of both the structures
was about three and a half feet, most of itstructure. The bricks were extremely well
made and measured 17" x 9" x 3". the
being the plinth or pitha. Moulded bricks
were used in the construction, the mouldings joints being razor-thin. (Kapre. 1961: 120.
being of the cyma-recta (padma) and torusVIII).
(kumbha) variety. The bricks were set in Another place called Harni. not too far
mud mortar. (Yazdani 1939; 41, XVII).
from Parinche had an almost totally ruined
In all probability, the roof was a timberbrick structure (Fig.4). Like Parinche. this
and tile affair, one part covering the eastern place was mentioned in the Vinayaditya
chamber and the other two parts havinginscription of 687 A.D. as Haraniyiga. Only
separate but connected roofs, in the case ofthe plan could be made out and brick sizes
the first structure. For the second, a singlemeasured as only a few courses had
sloping or conical roof would suffice (seeremained. (See Kapre 1961: 138. IX). The
figures 5 and 6 for conjectural extant remains measured 34' EW and 15'
reconstructions). The tiles were flat, one side
NS, the apsidal garbhagriha measured at the
being slightly raised to fit into the extremities 16' x 15' while the mandapa
neighbouring ones. The tiles had a couple of measured 18' x 15'. The two were
holes used to nail them to the timber support externally joined by a couple of offsets.
below. Such tiles have been found at all the southern side of the pitha was visible
Satavahana sites. Paithan must also have the height of two and a half feet and had
same components. (Sankalia et a/, 1960: padma mouldings on it, wrought in mou
29). bricks. The bricks measured 17" x 9 x 3".

The third structure to be noted comes These structures naturally bring to mind
from an óbscure village called Parinche in the famous Trivikrama temple at Ter
Pune District (Fig.3). This place has been (Cousens 1904: 195 and Mate 1957: 1-4).
mentioned as Parincika in an inscription ofTill recently it was treated as a sort of island,
the Chalukya King Vinayaditya dated Saka as an isolated example of a brick structure,
609, i.e. 687 A.D. (Bhandarkar 1928: 62). almost as a freak. However, the remains
The remains of a brick structure (a temple) noted above make it amply clear that it was
have been recorded by Kapre (1961) in his a part of and the result of a very old tradition
Ph.D. dissertation. The author of this paper of building in brick. It is to be noted further
was present when the structure was that the sizes of bricks used at Pannche,

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 M.S. Mate 245

Harni and
applied Ter
not only to give a smooth surface to
far removed from those of the structures at the stupa but also to make it waterproof.
Paithan. The use of moulded bricks at Further a thin coat of lime was applied to the
Paithan, Parinche and Hami speaks of a
sculptures on the gateways (toranas) and
continuous tradition of building in brick.uedikas
The ; the one on the eastern side had
plan of the Harni temple with an apsidal retained the coat when Marshall examined it
garbhagriha and a squarish mandapa in in its
1903. The use of lime in construction is
front is very similar to the plan of the further
Ter corroborated by the Sanskrit term
temple. "sudha-jivin", sudha meaning lime and jivin
The Parinche temple had a thin coat of meaning one who lives by. The Ter temple
lime plaster over its walls, as the Ter temple has a coat of lime plaster as also the
has. The non-use of lime mortar in the stone Parinche shrine, both indicating that lime as
temples led earlier scholars to believe that a water-proofing agent was deliberately used
lime mortar was unknown to Indian builders in the construction of brick temples.
of the pre-lslamic period. But there is The evidence adduced so far indicates
considerable evidence to show that lime, that (a) from the third century B.C. to
lime-mortar, lime-concrete and lime-plaster seventh century A.D. construction in very
were in common use. Excavated remains of
well-made bricks (often moulded) was
the Chalcolithic period (1300 to 900 B.C.) at commonplace in the Deccan; (b) the
Nevase have revealed that a thin layer ofcementing material was mud cement but
lime was used while preparing floors oflime-plaster was used to make these walls
houses. (Sankalia et ai 1960: 29). waterproof, (c) structures with various plans,
Excavations at Besnagar in Madhya Pradeshrectangular halls for chaityas, apsidal halls
have revealed the use of specially for made
chaityas/ temples and square-shaped
lime-mortar in the foundation of a templeones for temples were in common use; and
dated to the Maurya period (A.S.I. (d) -A.R.,
elaborations like mouldings ( tharas ),
1913:1914, I, 20-21). The Great Stupa at
projections (rathas) and rows of pilasters
Sanchi was given its final shape sometimewere introduced. Conjectural
during the first-second centuries A.D. This
reconstructions of some of these remains are
consisted of a stone envelope or casing. The
included in this paper. These are based on
stone veneer was covered by a coatfinds
of from excavations such as tiles and
concrete varying in thickness between 7bricks
ancl etc. and laterday temples, keeping in
16 cms. According to Marshall (1989, mind requirements of brick construction
Volume I: 70), this concrete was a mixture of where timber is used in large quantities. (Fig.
stone chips, brickbats and lime. It was 5 to 8).

REFERENCES

A.S.I A.R.. 1913-14. (Archaeological Survey of India.

the Deccan. (Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis. Deccan
Annual Report. Vol.1 College. Pune Library).
Bhandarkar D.R.. 1928. "Jejuri Plates of Vinayaditya
Marshall. Sir John, and Foucher A.. 1989. (Reprint).
Saka-Samvat 609", Epiqraphia Indica. Vol.19. The Monuments ©f Sanchi. 3 Vols.
Cousens H.. 1904. Ter Tagar". ASI-AR. 1902-03.
Mate M.S.. 1957. "The Trivikram Temple at Ter .
I.A.R. - 1973. (Indian Archaeology - A Review).
Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute.
1966-67. Vol.17.

Kapře K.R.. 1961. Archaeology of the place-names of Sankalia. et. al.. 1960. From History to Prehistory at

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246 Bulletin of the DCPRl 53

Nevasa. Pune : Deccan College

Yazadani G., 1939. Annual Duxxe Congress,
Report Bruxelles. 17
of the Archaeology
Department of H.E.H. Nizam's Government,
Hyderabad.

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M.S. Mate 247

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