Temple Architecture

Gupta period marks the beginning of Indian temple architecture. They wrote manuals on how to form temples. There are five main types;


  1. Square building with flat roof shallow pillared porch; as Kankali Devi temple at Tigawa and the Vishnu Varaha temples at Eran. The nucleus of a temple – the sanctum or cella (garbhagriha) – with a single entrance and a porch (Mandapa) appears for the first time here.
  2. An elaboration of the first type with the addition of an ambulatory (pradakshina) around the sanctum sometimes a second storey; examples the Shiva temple at Bhumara(M.P.) and the ladkhan at Aihole. Another noteworthy example is Pārbati temple at Nachna Kuthara (M.P.).
  3. The square temple with a low and squat tower (shikhara) above; pillared approach, a high platform at the base; notable examples are the Dasavatara temple (Deogarh Jhansi) and the brick temple at Bhitargaon Kanpur. The most unique achievement of this stage was "Curvilinear tower" i.e. "Shikhara". "Nagara Style " temple making is said to be the success of third stage of temple making.
  4. Rectangular temple with an apsidal back and barrel-vaulted roof above such as the Kapoteswara temple at Cezarla (Krishna district).
  5. Circular temples with shallow rectangular projection at the four cardinal faces; the only monument exemplifying the style is the Maniyar Math shrine at Rajgir, Bihar.

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