Chapter III

HINDU TEMPLE STYLE

 Hindu Temples
• The Hindu temple architecture sub-divided into 3 styles:

- Nagara OR Indo-Aryan (Northern) Style

- Dravidian (Southern) Style

- Vesara OR Mixed (Central)Style

• There are also definite regional styles in peripheral areas like

Bengal , Kerala and the Northern Territories OR The Himalayan
areas.
 Temple Architecture of India

• The Hindu Temple architecture developed over 2000 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.

• The architectural elements and decorative details in the temple

had their origin in the early wood, timber and thatch buildings.
 Temple Architecture of India

• It had persisted for centuries in one form or another in stone

structures even though the original purpose and context was
lost. This can be studied from the horseshoe shaped window.

• The origin of this type of window can be traced from the Chaitya
arch doorway , first at Lomesh Rishi cave in the Barabar Hills
used in the 3rd century B.C

• It was transformed later into a dormer window known as a

Gavaksha and eventually it was used strictly as the decorative
design of interlaced forms seen on the towers of medivieal
temples.
 Northern Hindu Temple Style
• This style had spread over at least 3 to 4th part of northern
India.
• The earliest movement started in the state of Orissa, its ancient
name is Kalinga.
• It is offered strong resistance to mauryas but finally sudued to
Ashoka in 260 B.C
• After ashokas death kalinga regained its independence and later
become more powerful under kharavela.
• Beginning of this Orissa group is seen at Bhuvaneshwar where
there are thirty temples.
• The most important are the temple of Jaganath at Puri ,
Mahashivagupta Yayati , Sun temple at konark.
• The other groups are confined to some area such as at
khajuraho , the largest of entire series is Shiva temple of
kandariya mahadeva at khajuraho.(M.P.)