PANDYAS

1100 – 1350 A.D

PANDYAS (1100 – 1350 AD)

BRACKET CORNICE
■ Pandyas took over after cholas.
■ Not a notable building dynasty.
■ Up till now, most importance given to treatment
of Vimana, but under pandyas, the skill was
PANDYA
diverted to give prominence to supplementary or
COLUMN outlying portions of the temple sceme.
• This was due to religious sentiment. As there were many existing
smaller shrines, which couldn’t be demolished. Enclosures build
around them and were elaborately carved to give these shrines
significance.
• This gave rise to a series of concentric walls enclosing courtyards or
‘prakarams’ giving the appearance of citadel or fortress.
• The Pandya order had the flower element or the idaie was more
foliated with a scalloped edge. The corbel of the bracket is converted
into a moulded pendant or ‘drop’. The plank or palagai also became
larger.
• The planning is similar to the concentric growth rings of a tree
• The walls were plain but the gateways were tall and made into
productions of considerable architectural character.
• In course of time, these pylons like entrances were used frequently
and they became the most striking feature.
PANDYAS GOPURAMS
This is called the ‘GOPURAM’ (cowgate of Vedic village). This is elementarily
found in Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchi and Virupaksha at Pattadakal.
• A typical example of a Gopuram depicts building oblong in plan rising
up into a tapering tower often over 150’0” in height and entered by a
rectangular doorway in the centre of it’s long side.
• The lower 2 storeys are vertical and built of solid stone to give stability
for the super structure composed of higher material like brick and
plaster.
• This is pyramid in shape and in composed of series of diminishing
zones.
• Average angle of slope is 25 degree.
• The width of truncated apex is ½ of the base width.
• The most significant is he barrel shaped upper most storey with gable
ends.
PANDYAS GOPURAMS
GOPURAM VIMANA
■ - Oblong plan - Square Plan
■ - Oblong Vaulted roof
(like keel roof of Chaitya hall) - Finial is a rounded cupola

■ The Goupram and the Vimana are the 2 main features of Dravidian architecture.
■ The Vimana is derived from Buddhist vihara and Gopuram from chaitya hall.

The Gopuram may be of two

types
1. Sloping pyramid with straight
sides. (Firm and rigid decoration MASCULINE
is conventional and architectural
consisting of pillars and pilasters FEMININE
SHAIVITE

2. Sloping pyramid with concave

curved sides (The entire building
has a soaring upward sweep,
which is very impressive) VAISHNAVITE
 GOPURAMS ARE SMALLER

PANDYAS GOPURAMS WHEN CLOSER TO SHRINE

EVOLUTION OF GOPURAM
•BASE IS RECTANGULAR
•IT HAS A TRUNCATED ELONGATED PYRAMID ON TOP
•IT IS CROWNED BY A BARREL VAULT

SECTION OF GOPURAM ELEVATION

VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY
(1350 – 1565 A.D.)
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY (1350 – 1565 AD)
■ Vijayanagar Empire dominated
for 2 centuries.

■ The Hindu Empire came into

being in response to a vital
need, that of preventing the
Mohammedan from
conquering and crossing the
dividing line of Krishna River.

■ The city of Vijayanagar was

hence made stable and strong
on the banks of Tungabadra CORNICE BRACKET

River.
• Unlike the Chola architecture, in this style buildings were not large
unified composition but were devised as groups of structures of
moderate proportions, distinguished by architectural embellishments.
• Extreme limit of florid magnificence.
• Due to the religious needs of the time in terms of ceremonies, many
separate shrines and pillared halls each with its own special purpose
were placed around the main shrine.
• Various kinds of intricately carved columns and pilasters.
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY (1350 – 1565 AD)

■ Mandapas with groups of

columns were the main
architectural scheme.
■ Most striking type of pillar is the
pillar in which the shaft is merely
a central core with statutory
around it, chiseled in the round
mostly of furious horse, rampant
hippo or an upraised
supernatural animal.
■ Another type shows encircling the
central column, a Chester of
miniature pillars.
HIPPOGRYPHS AT HAMPI
■ One more type has small scale
shrines, one above the other
around central shaft.
• Later Dravidian style has a common type of pillar with a cubical motif
alternating with wide bands and chamfered, so the shaft becomes 8
or 16 sided.
• Ornamental brackets.
• Below the bracket is the pendant (elaborated into a volute terminating
in an inverted lotus bud.
• The site of Vijayanagar itself ha rocks outcrops which could be
chiselled or modeled.
• Presence of Granite and dark green chlorite stone (more easy to
chisel). Structures in both these rocks found side by side.
• Principle Temples – HAZARA RAMA and VITTALA.
 VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY- VITTHALA TEMPLE
• Main temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, in
the centre. (Long low structure, 230’0” in
length and 25’0” in height). The
superstructure made of brick and plaster is
in decal.
• The main temple has 3 parts
- ardha mandapa (open pillared portico)
- mandapa (closed hall)
- graba griha is in the rear.
• The main ‘Maha Mantapa’ is raised on a
5’0” high plinth approached by elephant
guarded flight of steps on 3 sides. 56
pillars in number, placed such that 40 of
them form a colonnade 16 arranged in an
oblong manner in the inside. The pillars are
12’0” in height.
• The columns are carved exquisitely as
mentioned earlier and spread on top to join
each other to form a united capital and
exquisite statutory with a moulded base of
intricate carving. The flat curling is carved
with lotus flowers. PLAN
 VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY- VITTHALA TEMPLE

■ Most ornate temple on site.

■ Within a rectangular courtyard of 500’0” x 310’0”, surrounded by cloisters formed of triple
row of pillars.
■ Entrance from 3 gopurams, east and south more important.
■ At least 6 separate structures mostly pillared halls, within this enclosure.
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY- VITTHALA TEMPLE

The remainder of the central

temple, which consists of the
mandapa and the sanctuary, is
135’0” long and 67’0” wide. The
outside walls have the conventional
arrangements of pilaster, niche and
alcove combination. The mandapa
is reached from the ardha mandapa
and also has 2 side entrances. The
cella is within the vimana and is at
the far end of the assembly hall.
The cella itself has a processional
passage around it which is
approached by 2 flights of
descending steps.

COMPOSITE COLUMN
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY- VITTHALA TEMPLE

• The ‘Kalyana Mantapa’ is

an open pavilion with a
high plinth. There is a
voluptuous double flexure
cornice with a turned up
outer edge. There are 48
piers, 12 are placed
around the square throne
in the centre of the
pavilion, the remaining as a
double arcade on the sides.
• Aligned with the main steps
axis of the temple is the
‘Ratha’ or chariot – a
reproduction of chariot is
masonry. Stone wheels
with upper shikara of brick
and cement (which has
disintegrated). STONE CHARIOT
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY- HAZARA RAMA TEMPLE
■ Highly ornamental temple, but small.
■ For the royal family.
■ 24’0” high wall around courtyards.
■ Entered through the east with a finely proportioned flat roof porch.

PLAN
The porch leads to
assembly hall with 4
massive – black stone
pillars as the main
feature.

The 4 columns are at the four corners of the square hall. The design is
unsual as their shafts are build of contrasting geometrical shapes, a cube
alternating with a fluted cylinder, all carved and each capital is a substantial
4 – branched foliated volute, each volute term mating in a knop.
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY - HAZARA RAMA TEMPLE
■ Far end is the door way to the sanctuary.
The viman is remarkable with lower
storey of stone and pyramidal brick
shikara above.
■ The shikara has 3 tries with a
cupola.Totally 50’0” high.
■ To the side and rear of viman, is the
Amman temple dedicated to Mother
goddess – here the shikara has a keel
roof instead of cupola.
VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY - HAZARA RAMA TEMPLE

•Very intricate stone

carving in lower storey
and paint in different
colours for the brick
shikara.
•The horse motif was
most popular like the
lion of the Pallavas.

TEMPLE COMPLEX
NAYAK DYNASTY
(From 1600 A.D.)
 MADURA – FINAL PHASE
.

BRACKET DETAIL

MADURA ORDER
• 1565 fall of Vijayanagar Empire due to Mughal invasion.
• Hence Hindus moved further south to establish an empire in the city
of Madura under the Nayak dynasty.
• The Dravidian style now has assured its final form
• The ‘Madura style’ was a refinement of the ‘Pandya style’.
• This involved expanding the temple complex around an existing
shrine.
• The form and ceremonies of the creed generally dictate the temple
layout.
• Due to the ritual of processions around the cella. The temple can now
be distributed into 2 parts – an outer, less sanctified part and an
inner, more devout and sacred part.
• The inner portion is for the devout darkened mystery of spiritualism
the cella.
• The outside is for the God to be taken out in procession.
• The inner portion may consist of 2 flat roof courts, one enclosed
within the other.
• The sanctuary is in the inner court and crowned by a cupola to show
its significance.
 MADURA – FINAL PHASE

■ The outer part consists of open to

sky concentric courts, also called
‘prakarms’.
■ The process of enlargement of the
temple plan consists of starting
from the centre to make the
sanction and enclose the shrine
within a spacious flat roofed
structure.
■ This was done to protect the
sanctuary.
■ There is a forecourt with pillared
arises, and the entrance to the
whole through a GOPURAM on the
east.

MADURAI GOPURAM
• Slowly each concentric court was added around with gopuram growing
larger than the earlier one Ordinarily to the covered courtyard, there
were 2 gopurams, east and west.
• The next step was to the cover the whole composition within as
rectangle by means of a high wall. This again had gopurams.
• Within this enclosed space, there were many other structure, chiefly
mandapas and smaller shrines, granaries and stone rooms.
• All gopurams were aligned axially to the temple.
• This whole enclosure was enclosed again within a larger wall leaving
some space in between. This space has 2 important structures – a
throne and pillared hall and a square water tank for ablutions, lined
with steps and surrounded by an arcade.
 NAYAK PERIOD
MADURA – FINAL PHASE
(form in AD 1600)
■ Famous example is the temple of Srirangam.
■ The temple architecture is more related to spirituality than architecture. The effect of the gopurams was
to inspire awe and later the devotee moves on deeper and deeper into something sacred.
■ The main characteristics of the Dravidian style became the tall imposing gopurams (sometimes even
altening 200’0” high).
■ The gopurams began to have doorways with rooms on either side for the guards.
■ There is a staircase in one of these rooms, which leads all the way to the summit.
■ In the interior of later Dravidian temples, the pillars are the principle features. These pillars are usually
about 12’0” high, but in no other style, are hey found in such profession. (Eg. 1000 pillars in Madurai).
■ These could be of 4 types - square moulded.
■ - the rampant dragon
■ - the figure (usually of a deity)
■ - the portrait of the doman.
■ All of these support superstructures with crouching dragons and foliated brackets.
■ The Meenakshi temple at Madurai is the best example..
MEENAKSHI TEMPLE, MADURAI

GOLDEN LOTUS TANK

■ Double temple, one shrine dedicated to shiva and one to Meenakshi.

■ These 2 shrines occupy maximum space.

■ They are both under one roof.

■ The outer wall is approximately 850’0” x 725’0” with 4 large gateways in the center of all 4 sides.

■ There are many prakarams, and the last enclosure has t he sacred shrine, as structure with 3
compartments, an assembly hall, a vestibule and the cella.

■ The cella had a small shikara jutting out if the fat roofs.

■ All the courts, corridors and halls have colonnades of pillars.

MEENAKSHI TEMPLE, MADURAI

6
7 9

5 2 1
3
4
MEENAKSHI TEMPLE, MADURAI
MEENAKSHI TEMPLE,
MADURAI
MEENAKSHI TEMPLE, MADURAI
■ The Meenakshi shrine is similar
to the Shiva shrine, but ½ of it’s
size. It is entered by 2
gopurams and the cupola rises
above the flat roof above the
shrine.

■ This shrine is to the south of the

Shiva shrine.

■ The most important feature is

however the Tank (pool of
golden hikes) approached by
steps and a pillared portico.
This is between both the
shrines.
THOUSAND PILLARED HALL
• This artificial reservoir measures 165’0” x 120’0”, the southern
gopuram forms a backup and reflects in the water.
• There are totally 11 gopurams to the Meenakshi temple.
• The 4 outer ones are largest.
• The 1000 pillars hall is also a very striking feature in the north-east
angle of outer prakaram (totally 985). The pillars are symmetrically
arranged like a double row of columns with a central aisle. The roof is
flat and low. The piers are grotesquely carved.