21AR210 – ARCHITECTURAL

PRINCIPLES – INDIAN
ARCHITECTURE
“UNIT II – INTRODUCTION TO TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE”
CONTEXT influencing
Role of ENVIRONMENT
CULTURAL aspects / beliefs
DECORATION- Semantic & symbolic relationships
Organization of FORM & SPACE
Principles – planning, façade, materials used, etc

EXAMPLES:
Temple 17 till vrukpaksha temple
Jeganath temple at Puri
Udayagiri Caves Temples

Not satisfied with caves, the Guptas were the first

dynasty to build permanent free-standing Hindu
temples. This lay the foundation of Nagara School of art.
Temple architecture with the development of a square
sanctum and pillared portico emerged during the Gupta
period.
 While construction of stupas continued, Brahmanical temples
and images of gods also started getting constructed. Often
temples were decorated with the images of gods. Myths
mentioned in the Puranas became part of narrative
representation of the Brahmanical religion. Each temple had a
principal image of a god. The shrines of the temples were of
three kinds—
(i) sandhara type (without pradikshinapatha),
(ii) nirandhara type (with pradakshinapatha), and
(iii) sarvatobhadra (which can be accessed from all sides).
 Among the 5
stages of temple
development you
will find a gradual
progression from
flat-roofed,
monolithic temples
in initial stage to
the sculptured
‘shikhara’ in the
later years.
 -Gupta temple 17 at Sanchi is the origin of the North
Indian Temple Style
 -Simple two unit plan ,
 A square cella with low pillared porch in front.
 Garbhagriha is plain and devoid of any decoration
from inside as well as outside-Flat Roof.
 Cella is placed over a low plain raised platform which is
approached by two steps trough Mandapa
 Rectangular Mandapa was raised separately., has four
pillars with wider intercollumantion space in the centre
compare side pillars to make the darshana of the
enshrined deity disturbance free.
 Pillars are square at base and
transforms through octagon to
16 sided section.
 No ventilation other than a
door in front.
 Ashlar or dressed stone
masonry without mortar.
 Provision of water spouts on
the roof top to prevent water
seepage during Monsoon.
 Top portion of cella decorate
with plain band of moulding as
well as projecting band of
cornice.
 Temple No. 17, at Sanchi is a small temple built about 400 A.D. and everything
attempted earlier, is done much better here. The stones are smaller and laid out in
regular neat rows; the roof has been separated so that the portico has a slightly less
prominent height - the Sanctum-Sanctorum being the main house of the God.
Gargoyles have been thoughtfully provided to drain off rain water and the four
back pillars are more slender and beautifully carved. This temple truly belongs to
the Classical Period and is marked by elegance, harmony, balance and dignity.
Decoration is minimal and is only used where one structural form joins another.
 An inverted lotus is placed where the top of
the shaft joins. The capital and little lions,
seated back to back, act as support where the
roof rests on top of the pillar. The entire
structure is simple, with no complication.
However, in the course of time the extremely
plain and simple temple architecture
becomes increasingly complicated, from a
simple quadrangle it evolves into salient and
re-entering angles, protrusions are added,
making the outline more and more involved,
till eventually it becomes almost like a star
with more than a hundred little corners on the
ground level.
 Temple was built in the 7th century and is still in
use. The temple is on the southern banks of the
River Tungabhadra
The Virupaksha temple is believed to have built over centuries. The temple is
dedicated to Lord Shiva, the guardian deity.
(i) The earliest shrine that dated to the ninth to tenth centuries, was substantially
enlarged with the establishment of the Vijayanagara Empire.
(ii) The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva Raya to mark his
accession. This was decorated with delicately carved pillars.
(iii) The halls in the temple were used for a varietyof purposes. Some were
spaces in which the images of gods were placed to witness special programmes
of music, dance, drama, etc. Others were used to celebrate the marriages of
deitics, and yet others were meant for the deities to swing in.
(iv) From the point of view of the rulers, constructing, repairing and maintaining
temples were important means of winning support and recognition for their
power, wealth and piety.
(v) The temple also functioned as a centre for learning The rulers and others
often granted land and other resources for the maintenance of temples.
(vi) Structures of immense scale that must have been a mark of imperial
authority, were best exemplified by the raya gopurams or royal gateways vthat
often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines, and signalled the presence of
the temple from a great distance. Other distinctive features include mandapasor
pavilions and long, pillared corridors.
 One of the most striking features of this temple is the
usage of mathematical concepts to build and
decorate it. The temple has repeated patterns that
demonstrate the concept of Fractals. The main shape
of the temple is triangular. As you look up the temple
top, the patterns divide and repeat themselves
 The temple has a shrine or the holy place of
worship, a hall with a number of pillars and 3
antechambers. There are courtyards, a pillared
monastery, few small shrines; and entrance ways
surrounding the temple..
 `The most important part
of the temple is the
18pillars in 4 rows at the
spacious mukhamandapa.
They contain fine
sculptures of Ramayana,
Mahabharata &
Bhagavatapurana. There
are also pictures
depicting the Illusions.
Poses of couples on
pillars & the Series of
amorous
couples in various
intimate poses.
  Among all the gateways, the eastern gateway is the
greatest. It is nine-tiered and 50 meters in length. It is
well built and has some previous structures.

The framework is of brick and includes a gravel

base giving way to the court outside. This court
contains various sub-sanctums. The inner eastern
gopuram is graced with three storeys while the
northern gopuram has five storeys.
 The columns play a major role in
vijayanagara architecture bringing out the
characteristic of vijayanagara style. The
columns are usually monolithic granite
stone with a single base, sculpture/pillared
shaft with a vallapoo capital (resembling
banana flower). The columns are made
complex by the addition of miniature
columns on two sides and three sides to the
core. Because of this character the mantapa
looks filled with crop of columns. But the
cloisters in the temple complex and bazaar
colonnade are kept simple
 Within the huge boulders of Hampi the large
gopuram of the Virupaksha Temple is seen
from a distance. Dating back to almost 1300
years, the magnificent structure consists of a
layer by a large group of Hindu deities and
symbols. It is one of the oldest functioning
temples in India.
 The temple is faced eastwards, aligning the
sanctum of Shiva and Pampa Devi to the
sunrise. The gopuram marks the entrance with
a height of 160 metres and it is repainted
during the renovations by the government.
 Temple is also known as Pampapati Temple
 The Jagannath Temple in Puri was
called the “White Pagoda”.

 The temple is believed to be

constructed in the 12th century by
King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva
of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.

 The temple is famous for its annual

Ratha Yatra or Chariot festival, in
which the three principal deities
(Jagannath, Balabhadra and
Subhadra) are pulled on huge and
elaborately decorated temple cars
The Puri temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or
chariot festival, in which the three principal deities are
pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars.
 The temple consists of four structures
called
 (a) the Vimana or Bada Deula
sanctum sanctorum)
 (b) the Jagamohan or Mukhasala (the
porch),
 (c) the Natamandir (the audience
hall) and
 (d) the Bhogamandap (the hall for
residuary offerings) built in a row in
an axial alignment in east-west
direction.
ARUNA STAMBHA
 Aruna, the charioteer of
the Sun God..
 Towering pillar
 The temple faces the east. The
Vimana is constructed in
Pancharatha (temple containing
five Pagas or segments) Rekha
order. Rekha is the name given to a
type of temple with a curvilinear
spire. Out of the five Pagas or
segments, the middle one is known
as Raha, the two feanking pagas as
Anuraha, and the two corners as
Kanika. Like a full-fledged Orissan
temple, it has four-fold vertical
divisions, i.e. the Pitha (pedestal),
the Bada (wall), the Gandi (trunk)
and the Mastaka (the head).
 When most of the deities in the temples of India are made of stone or metal, the
idol of Jagannatha is made of wood which is ceremoniously replaced in every
twelve or nineteen years by using sacred trees.