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HinduTempleArchitecture

HinduTempleArchitecture

BrihadeswarTemple
Architectureatitsbest!!
TheHindutemplesinIndiafollowsomefundamentalrulesforitsconstructionfromancienttimestotilldate.
CentreofthetempleissanctumsanctorumorGarbhagriha,usuallysquaresized,housesthetempledeity.Apyramidalstructure
risesabovethesanctumsanctorumwhichsymbolizestheMeruparvath(orMerumountain)theabodeofGodsasperHindu
belief.
BythepassageoftimetheIndiantemplesevolveditselfintotwomainstylesNagaraandDravidian.Thesestylescanbe
distinguishedbytheshapeoftheirShikharasandontheplanofitslayout.
InNagarastyle,prevalentinNorthIndia,thetowerorShikharaisbeehiveorcurvilinearshaped.InDravidianstyle,prevalentin
SouthIndia,theShikhara(pleasenotethatShikharasarenottobeconfusedwithGopurawhichisonlyagateway)consistsof
progressivelysmallerlayersofpavilions.
Inplan,Nagarastyletemplelayoutisasquarewithanumberofgraduatedprojectionsinthemiddleofeachsidegivinga
cruciformshapewithanumberofreentrantanglesoneachside.TheKhandariyaMahadevatempleofKhajurahoisthespecimen
ofthisstyle.
Inplan,Dravidatemplelayoutinvariablycomprisesofthreeparts.FirstistheGarbhaGrihawhichhousestheidolofthedeity.
OvertheGarbhaGrihatherewillbealoftypyramidalstructureknownasVimanaorShikhara.
ThesecondoneMandapamorporchinfrontoftheGarbhaGrihaisapillaredhallusedforvariouspurposesandathirdGopuram
orGatewayprotectingtheouterwallsofthetemplestructureandservingastheentrancetothetemple.TheMeenakshitempleat
Maduraiisthespecimenforthisstyle.
Meanwhile,athirdarchitecturestyleknownasVesaraalsogainedpopularityinDeccan.ItisthefusionofNagaraandDravidian
style.TheLaterChalukyaDynastyandtheHoysalasuseditextensively.Itgaveprominencetoelaboratesculpturesonthewalls,
depressedceilings,latheturnedpillarsandfullysculpturedvimanas.TemplesatBelur,HalebidandSomanathpuraarespecimens.
TheculturaldiversityofthecountryisalsoreflectedinitsHindutemplearchitecturalstyles.Therearemanyregionalarchitectural
stylesdistinctfromNagaraorDravidianstyles.
1.TerraCottaTemplesinBengal:DuetothelackofsuitablestoneinthealluvialGangeticdelta,thetemplebuildershadtouse
othermaterialsinsteadofstone.Thisgaverisetousingterracottaasamediumfortemplebuilding.
Lateronmanystyleswereevolvedwithintheterracottastyle.ForexampletheNavaratnastyleorPancharatnastyle.The
DakshineswarKalitempleinKolkottaisagoodexampleoftheNavaratnastyle.
2.TheKeralaStyle:TemplearchitectureofKeralahasauniquestyle.Itismarkedbytheextensiveuseofwoodandredstone.
InfacttheancienttemplesofKeralahasmorewoodthanstoneonit!.
Thesewoodpanelsareusuallyrichinsculpturesdepictingpuranicandnaturalthemes.Totakecareoftheheavymonsoonrainfall,
theroofgenerallyslopesdown.

SreeVallabhatempleatTiruvallanearKottayamisagoodspecimentothetraditionalKeralaHindutemplearchitecture.
3.MaruGurjaraTemplearchitecture,Rajasthan:Thisstylecameintoprominenceinthe6thcenturyaroundthepresentday
Rajasthan.ManyscholarsareoftheviewthatthisstylehasadistinctexistenceindependentoftheNagarastylethatispopularin
NorthIndia.
4.GoanTemples:DuetothedestructionofHindutemplesbythePortuguese,idolsofthedeitiesweretakenoutofthe
Portugueseruledarea.ManynewtempleswereconstructedoutofPortugueseGoamakingtheseidolstheprincipaldeity.
ThusmostoftheGoantemplesarelessthan500yearsold.ThearchitectureofthesetemplesareauniqueblendoforiginalGoan
templearchitecture,theDravidian,NagaraandHemandpantistylewithatouchofIslamicandPortugueseonit.
But,ifyoustillwanttoseetheoriginalGoantemplearchitecture,pleasevisittheSaptakoteswartemplewhichescapedthewrathof
thePortugueserule.
BesidesthoselistedabovetherearemanyotherregionalvariationstotheNagaraandDravidianstyleofarchitecture.