HINDU TEMPLES WITH DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

HINDU TEMPLES WITH DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

VARIOUS STYLE OF TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE

According to Michell, ancient Hindu architectural scriptures such as the Brihatsamhita classified temples into five orders based on their typological features: Nagara, Dravida, Vesara, ellipse, and rectangle. Square, octagonal, and apsidal plans are explained for each. The vertical form is governed by their horizontal plan. Each temple style has developed its own lexicon, with names that overlap but do not always imply the same thing in another style and may refer to a different portion of the temple. Early Hindu temples, up to the 7th or 8th century, are often referred to as classical or ancient temples, whereas those built following the classical period, up to the 12th or 13th century, are sometimes referred to as mediaeval temples.
The style of Hindu temple building is a product of innovation driven by regional raw material availability and the local environment, as well as religion, spiritual ideals, and early Hindu literature. Some construction materials were imported from faraway places, but the majority of the temples were constructed with locally available materials. The local availability of soft stone in some areas, such as South Karnataka, prompted Hoysala architects to develop architectural styles that are difficult to achieve with hard crystalline rock.  Artists cut granite or other stones to build temples and make sculptures in other places. The rugged environment of a location fostered monolithic rock-cut temple construction, while cliff faces permitted artists to sculpt cave temples.

Hindu Temples’ Most Significant Features

1. The Garbagriha is the temple’s primary structure. It is where the supreme deity resides. Garbagriha is a Sanskrit term that means “womb chamber.”
2. Pradikshina Patha – This is a path that circles the Garbagriha.
3. Mandapa – Devotees congregate in a columned hall for prayers. Temples may feature multiple mandapa structures of varying sizes. Ardhamandapa, Mandapa, and Mahamandapa are the names given to mandapas based on their sizes.
4. Shikara (north) or Vimana (south) – Shikara (north) or Vimana (south) is a spire that stands like a mountain (south). The Vimana is a pyramidal structure, whereas the Shikara is a curving shape.
5. The Kalash (Kalasha) sits atop an amalaka, which is a stone disc. It’s mostly seen in northern temples’ Shikaras.
6. The Kalash or Kalasha is a pot-shaped feature that rises above the Amalaka and serves as the temple’s summit.
7. The transitional path that joins the Garbagriha and the mandapa is known as the Antarala or vestibule.
8. The raised platform on which the temple is constructed is known as “Jagati.”
9. Vahana (vehicle) – Every god has one, and every temple has the Vigraha of the temple’s principal deity’s Vahana, as well as the Dhvaj pillar.

NAGARA OR NORTH INDIA ARCHITECTURE OF TEMPLES

Nagara is the name given to a type of temple architecture that gained prominent in northern India. It is usual in North India for a temple to be erected entirely on a stone platform with steps going up to it.
Another distinguishing feature is that it rarely has extensive boundary walls or gateways.
The garbhagriha is always found beneath the tallest tower.
Nagara temples are divided into numerous categories based on the shape of the shikhara.
Another distinguishing aspect of this temple style is the Amalaka or Kalash, which is erected on the Shikhara.
The Nagara style of temple architecture is exemplified by the Kandariya Mahadev Temple in Madhya Pradesh.Other examples of Nagara style of temples in India are- Sun temple, Konark, Sun temple at Modhera, Gujarat and Ossian temple, Gujarat.

DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE

Dravidian architecture, also known as the South Indian temple style, is a Hindu temple architectural idiom that originated in the southern Indian subcontinent, specifically in South India and Sri Lanka, and reached its pinnacle in the sixteenth century. It can be observed in Hindu temples, with the most notable distinction from north Indian forms being the use of a vimana, a shorter and more pyramidal tower over the garbhagriha or sanctuary, as opposed to shikharas, which are taller towers that bend inwards as they climb. The lofty gopura or gatehouse at the perimeter of the compound is the dominant feature for modern visitors to larger temples; huge temples have several, dwarfing the vimana; these are a much more recent development.There are numerous other distinct features such as the dwarapalakas – twin guardians at the main entrance and the inner sanctum of the temple and goshtams – deities carved in niches on the outer side walls of the garbhagriha.The bulk of current constructions are found in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, some areas of Maharashtra, Odisha, and Sri Lanka, and are mentioned in the ancient book Vastu shastra as one of three forms of temple building.  Various kingdoms and empires, such as the Satavahanas, Cholas, Cheras, Kakatiyas, Reddis, Pandyas, Pallavas, Gangas, Kadambas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas, and Vijayanagara Empire, among others, have contributed significantly to the evolution of Dravida architecture.

VESARA ARCHITECTURE

Vesara is a hybrid style of Indian temple building, combining a South Indian plan and North Indian details. This fusion style is thought to have evolved in the Dharwad region’s mediaeval architecture schools. It can be seen in the Deccan region, particularly Karnataka, in the surviving temples of the later Chalukyas and Hoysalas. Vesara was popular in central India, such as between the Vindhyas and the Krishna River, according to Indian scriptures. Along with Nagara, Dravida, Bhumija, Kalinga, and Varata, it is one of six major forms of Indian temple architecture mentioned in historical literature. 

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