Began during Gupta Period. 5 stages :
| First Stage : Flat roof, square in shape, shallow pillars, low platforms. |
| Second Stage : platforms were upraised. two- storied temples and pradakshina path. |
| Third Stage : emergence of shikharas. Panchayatana Style (1+4). Elongated Mandap. |
| Fourth stage : Main Shrine more rectangular. |
| Fifth Stage : Circular Temples. |
BASIC FORM OF HINDU TEMPLE :
- Sanctum Sanctorum / Garbhagriha = houses principal deity.
- Mandapa = entrance to temple.
- Shikhara.
- Vahana = vehicle of main deity, placed just before Garbhagriha.
- Jagati = raised platform.
- Kalash = top most part of temple.
- Amalak = disc.
- Rathas = vertical planes on wall.
- Antarala = vestibular / Small entrance.
- Torans = arched gateways.
STYLES :
Nagara School of Architecture :
| Panchyatan style. |
| Presence of mandap / assembly halls. |
| No water tanks in temple premises. |
| Upraised platforms. Portico had pillared approach.
Shikara →Amalak →Kalash. |
| No boundary walls and gateways. |
| Odisha School : | Khajuraho School :
Central India – Chandelas |
Solanki School :
Maru – Gurjara Style. |
| Exterior walls decorated and plain interior.
No use of pillars, but iron girders. Shikhar = Rekha Prasad. Mandap is k/a Jagmohan. Base = Square. Boundary wall similar as Dravidian style. Eg : Sun Temple, Konark. Jagannath (White Pagoda), Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar. |
Exterior and Interior walls decorated.
Sculptures are erotic. Made of sandstone. Three Chambers :
Presence of Antarala. North and East Facing. Panchayatan Style, Rekha Prasad Shikhara. built on high platform. Kandariya Mahadeva, Lakshman temple. Chaturbhuj Temple – only temple lacking erotic image. |
Devoid of carvings.
Garbhagriha and Mandap connected. Decorative torans. Presence of step tank or surya kund. Most temples = East facing. Eg : Modhera Sun Temple, Gujarat. Dilwara temple, Abu. |
SIKH ARCHITECTURE : influenced by Mughals and Rajputs. multiple chhatris.
AWADH : Mortar made of : Brick dust, Urad Dal, Rice husk and tree gum. Eg: Bara Imambara, Chota Imambara, Rumi Darwaza.
RAJPUT STYLE : influenced by Mughals. Concept of Hanging balcony.
KASHMIR ARCHITECTURE :
- Martand Sun Temple : Karkota Dynasty (8th C) under Lalitaditya. Gandhara, Chinese and Gupta influence.
- Avantiswamin ( Vishnu ) and Avantisvara (Shiva) : Utpala Dynasty (9th C )
- Pandrethan Temple : Meru Vardha Swami. Carved out of single stone.
Developments during Islamic Rule : blend of Kashmir + Islam.
Mosque made of wood, brick and Stone masonry. Absence of cloisters and domes, Instead multi- levelled sloping roofs and tall spires.
Eg : Jama masjid, Srinagar. Aali Masjid, Srinagar by Shahmiri King (15th Cen)
PARSIS : Fire Temples / Atash Behram, Adarian, Dar – e- Mehr. Priests = Dasturs.
Temple Architecture in South India :
Began under Pallava ruler. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (port city ) – WHS in 1984.
| Mahendra Group : Rock cut temples and word Mandap used for temples. |
| Narasimha : Rock cut temples with sculptures. Mandap divided into Rathas. Pandava Ratha = Biggest Ratha = Dharmaraja ; Smallest Ratha = Draupadi rathas. |
| Rajasimha : development of real structural temples. |
| Nandivarman : similar to Dravidian style of Temple architecture. |
Dravidian style of Temple architecture ( under Cholas )
| High boundary walls. |
| Entrance gateway = Gopuram. |
| Sculptures at entrance of Garbhagriha – Dwaarpal, Mithun, Yakshas. |
| Panchayatan Style. |
| Presence of Vimana. ( spire in form of stepped pyramid ) only on main temple, not on subsidiary shrines. |
| Crowing Element in octagon shape = Shikhara ( Similar to Kalash ) |
| Assembly hall connected with Garbhagriha by Antarala. |
| Presence of Water tank inside temple. |
| NATARAJ : Tandava Dance posture. Earliest evidence = Ravana Phadi Cave at Aihole during Chalukyas. Reached peak under Cholas.
Features : Shiva. Small dwarf. Symbolises ignorance and ego. Upper right hand = drum. Upper left hand = fire. Lower right hand = abhaya mudra = assuring devotee not to be afraid. Lower left hand = towards upraised foot. salvation. Hair = Ganga. Ardhanarishwar. Snake around arm symbolises Kundalini power. Glowing lights = endless cycles of time. |
Nayaka School / Madurai School : Dravidian Style + Islamic Influence.
Eg : Meenakshi Temple, Madurai = 1000 pillars. |
Vesara School / Karnataka School : Later chalukyas. Hybridised Style.
Prominent Dynasties : Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysala. Nagara = Square Base. Curvilinear Shikhar. Dravidian = intricate carvings. Design of Vimana. Step Shikhar. |
Vijayanagara School : Chola + Hoysalas + Pandyas + Chalukyas + Indo Islamic art of Bijapur.
|
Hoysala Art : Karnataka region. Prominent seats = Belur, Halebidu, Sringeri.
Hoysaleswara temple, Halebidu. ( Shiva temple + Jain temples and stepped well. Chennakesava temple, Belur (Vishnu) – Star shaped. Keshava Temple, Somanathpura. (Vishnu) = 3 forms of Krishna. Janardhan, Keshav and Venugopal. |
Pala and Sena School, a.k.a. Vangas Style. Influence of Hinduism and Buddhism.
|
| Venkateshwar T. – Tirupati, Andhra. | Developed by Chola. Richest Temple. | |
| Varaha Narasimha Temple, Andhra. | ||
| Mallikarjuna Temple. Andhra. | Only temple = both as Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peeth. | |
| Ranganathaswamy Temple, Andhra. | Gaali Gopuram = wind tower. | |
| Kamakhya Temple, Assam. | Shakti Pithas. Menstrual goddess. | |
| Navagraha Temple, Assam. | For celestial bodies. | |
| Mundeshwari Temple, Bihar. | Octagonal plan, specimen of Nagara Style. | |
| Somnath Temple, Gujarat. | Jyotirlingas. Chalukyan Style of Architec. | |
| Dwarkadheesh Temple, Gujarat. | Pushtimarg Temple. Char Dham pilgrimage. | |
| Bahuchara Mata, Gujarat. | Patron of Hijra Community. | |
| Modhera Sun Temple, Gujarat. | Chalukyan Style. | |
| Bhoramdeo Temple, Chattisgarh. | Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh. | |
| Baba Balak Nath Temple, HP. | Women not allowed. | |
| Veerabhadra Temple / Lepakshi, Andhra. | Floating pillars + Mural paintings. | |
| Virupaksha Temple, KR. | By Vijayanagar. UNESCO WHS. | |
| Vittalaswami, KR. | Musical pillars. | |
| Hazara Ram Temple, Hampi. | Stories of Ramayana carved. | |
| Padmanabhaswamy, Kerala. | Laksha Deepam festival once in 6 years. | |
| Sabarimala, Kerala. | Pilgrims wear blue and black. | |
| Vithoba Temple. Pandharpur, MH. | By Hoysala. In 2014 – first temple in India to invite women and backward class as priests. | |
| Konark Temple, Orissa. | By Eastern Ganga Dynasty by Narismha Dev. Black Pagoda. Sun dial = Calculation of Time. | |
| Shore Temples, TN. | By Pallavas. Oldest Rock cut temple. WHS. | |
| Gujarat : | Somnath, Nageshvara. |
| Andhra : | Mallikarjuna. |
| Madhya Pradesh : | Mahakaleshwar. Omkareshwar. |
| Uttar Pradesh. | Kashi Vishwanath. |
| Uttarakhand. | Kedarnath. |
| Jharkhand. | Baidyanath. |
| Tamil Nadu. | Rameshwaram. |
| Maharashtra. | Grishneshwar, Trimbakeshwar, BhimaShankar. |
Temples Outside India :
ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA ( Vishnu ) : world’s largest Hindu Temple. Because of Chola and Kanling activities – hindu dynasties – Champa Civilisation, Vietnam. Khmer Empire, Cambodia. Majapahit Empire, Java.
These temples built by Khmer Rulers – Suryavarman II
PREAH VIHEAR TEMPLE, CAMBODIA : mountains gods. By Khmer Kings. WHS.
PRAMBANAN TEMPLE, INDONESIA : Trimurti Gods. Built by Sanjaya Kings of Medang Kingdom.
PASHUPATINATH, NEPAL : Nepalese Pagoda Style. Cubical shape. Two Garbhagriha.
KATAS RAJ, PAKISTAN : Kashmir architecture of Varma and Karkota dynasties. Pointed roofs. Trefoil arches ( gandhara influence ) Soft Sandstone. Sat-graha, Buddhist Stupa, Lake.
ADITYA SUN TEMPLE, MULTAN, PAKISTAN. Sun God of gold. Red rubies.
MUNNESWARAM TEMPLE, SRI LANKA.
Modern Architecture :
Portuguese : Ilberian Architecture. Main material = brick. Roof and stairs = wood. Introduced Patio houses and Baroque Style.
French : Concept of Urban planning using Cartesian grid and Anonymous Archi.
British : Gothic Style – usage of Red Sandstone and limestone.
Indo Gothic Style : Victorian style ( Indian + Persian + British ) = steel, iron and concrete to be used.
Post 1911, Neo – Roman / Neoclassical Style : Anonymous. Simple. Circular buildings. Concept of upturned domes.