INDIAN ART

Vijayanagar:

AND
CULTURE FOR
CIVIL SERVICES
EXAMINATION

Ceylon:

TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTH INDIA:

4 styles developed
Dravidian
Vesara
1) Nayaka
2) Vijayanagara
3) In pallava school, temple architecture developed
4)
PALLAVAS:
Mamallapuram cave temples - panchapandava, varaha
Descent of ganga and arjuna's penance
Pancha pandava raths and 2 pidari raths - Narasimhavarman II

Shore temple at mamallapuram and kailasanath temple at kanchi - structural temples

Kailasanth temple - barrel vaulted pyramidal tower

Pallava school of temple architecture emerged in 4 stages

STAGE I - MAHENDRA GROUP
Rock cut architecture
Word mandapa is used instead of temple

STAGE II - NARASIMHA GROUP

Decoration in rock cut caves
Mandapa became rathas
Biggest rath - Dharmaraja rath
Smallest - draupadi rath
Dravidian style - dharmaraj rath was a precursor

STAGE III - RAJASIMHA GROUP

Development of real structural temples
Shore temple and kailasanath temple
STAGE IV - NANDIVARMAN GROUP
Development of small temples
Dravidian style continued

DRAVIDIAN STYLE:
Oldest style of architecture
4 parts - differ according to ages in which they are executed
1) Principal part - temple > vimana - square in plan & pyramidal proof - image of god is
placed
2) Mandapas - covers and precede the door leading to the cell
3) Gate - pyramids, gopurams > principal features in quadrangular enclosures
4) Pillared halls or chaultris - various purposes
Dravida style of temples are founded more in southern India. Here the shikara reduces
in size along certain steps and not in a curve
Ex: Brihadeswara temple at tanjore - RAJARAJA I, Gangaikonda cholapuram RAJENDRA, SON OF RAJARAJA I
Shikara is a crowning element at the top of the temple - octagonal cupola - equal to
"AMALAK" & "KALASH" of nagara style
Dravidian - only one vimana, crucified ground plan, uprised platform
Dravidian style started during pallavas but flourished during the rule of cholas

FUNCTIONS OF TEMPLES:
Religious
Administrative centre
Controlling vast areas of land in terms of revenue collection
Centre of education
Various sources of revenues of temples - donation and revenue collection

CHOLAS:
Vijayalaya - choleswara temple at Narttamalai > earliest chola temple
Brihadeswara temple - great pyramidal tower (vimana) crowned by dome (kalasa) set
the style for dravidian shikhara
Rajendra I introduced the mahamandapa before the ardhamandapa in the
Brihadeswara temple at Gangaikondacholapuram

VESARA STYLE/ CHALUKYA STYLE/ KARNATAKA STYLE

Features of both Nagara and Dravidian style
2 principal components - vimana and mandapa > joined by
Antarala
Dont have covered ambulatory around sanctum
Pillars, door frames and ceilings are carved
Ex: dodda basappa temple at dambal
Lad khan temple at aihole and temples at badami
Developed in mid 17th century

NAYAKA STYLE
Best ex - meenakshi temple at madurai
Meenaksi was the daughter of a pandyan king who married
Sundereswara (Siva)
All the features of dravidian style are present
Additional feature - prakarns
Prakarn - huge corridors along with roofed ambulatory
passage ways
Interior carvings are seen - temple walls
Tank was added
Constructed with initiative of Tirumalai
Mid 17th century

VIJAYANAGARA STYLE:
Some variations from Dravidian style in temple architecture

1)
2)
3)
4)

Gopuram now enlarged

High enclosure walls
More decoration
Sculpture of motif of supernatural horse
God's chief wife AMMAN was provided with a separate shrine
Kalyana mandapam - god and goddesses married
Mandapa - 1000 pillared hall
Decorative motifs like prancing horses, leoglyphs and
monsteres were added.
These additions can be seen at vittalswami temple at hampi
Secular structures - vijayanagar throne room gateways in
rajasthan and entrances to wells in gujarat
Concept of secular buildings was introduced by vijayanagar
empire. Ex: lotus mahal