3. Hinduism
Polytheistic religion (worship many
gods and goddesses)
Goal is to achieve moksa--by
praying, worshipping (darsana) and
giving offering to gods
Each god has a female companion
and rides on vehicle such as bull
(Nandi), lion, goose; each holds
some attributes (Siva: tridents and
Vishnu: conch shell and wheel)
4. Triad
Brahma-God of Creator
Vishnu-God of Preserver (has many
incarnations such as Rama and
Krishna)
Shiva-God of Destroyer (also the
protector of animals)
Devi-goddess (e.g., Laksmi (“Good
Fortune”) and Parvati); symbolizing
beauty, benevolent, and wealth as
well as power and wrath
8. Vastu-purusa mandala
A myth explains the symbolic diagram (mandala): the
gods in seeking to impose order on chaos, forced the
primeval man, Purusa, into a square grid, the vastu-
purusa mandala, whose basic unit is the square pada
Hindu temple is the dwelling of the gods. It is based on
the grid systems of 64 (8x8) and 81 (9x9) squares.
Square is the prefect shape for the ground plan.
Priests perform ritual of consecrations which connect
between sexual rites and fertility in Hindu architecture.
9. Hindu temples
The temple is a holy site (tirtha), where they
practitioners can perform circumambulation
(pradaksina). They also perform the pious act of
gazing at the deity (darsan) and offering prayers,
flowers and food (puja). The temple is never a
meeting place for a congregation, but it came to be a
focal point of the community.
The heart of the temple is the dark hall called garbha
grha (womb hall), where the most important icon is
placed. It is the most important area.
Pillared halls (mandapa) and porticos were added to
the garbha grha, which was surmounted with a tower
(sikhara)--center of the universe (axis mundi).
11. Media and ornaments
Many varieties: wood, brick, terracotta, and variety of
stone (e.g., schist, chlorite, marble)
Temples required to be heavily ornamented (things lacking
in ornament were considered imperfect or incomplete.
Motifs: narrative reliefs, animal motifs, floral and
vegetation motifs.
12.
13.
14. Dravidian architecture
Stone used as medium for funerary monuments
Religion developments, particularly bhakti cult,
played an important role
Early phases of architecture consisted of rock-cut
monuments
Later phase is dominated by structural buildings;
Gopuras became larger than the main building
The emphasis is on horizontality lines; one or
more stories, topped with stepped-pyramidal
shikhara and a mushroom cap
15. Mamallapuram
Large remains of Pallava period, 7th century
Most of the monuments are rock-cut, carved out of the
boulders and cliffs in the area.
Descent of Ganges River or Arjuna Penance
Rathas
Kailasanatha temple (Ellora 16)
16. The Descent of Ganges
Mid-7th century, Mamalla I at Mamallapuram
30 meters in length; 50 meters in height
Contains animals and other objects
Approximately life-size scale
Sculptures were done in realistic manner
17. 3.20 The Descent of the Ganges (or the Penence of Arjuna)
Mamallapuram. Pallava period, 7th century
18.
19. Rathas, Mamallapuram
Mid 7th C, Mamalla I period
Consists of five free-standing rock-cut structures:
Draupadi (dedicated to Durga), Arjuna, Bhima (to
Vishnu), Dharmaraja, and Nakula-Sahadeva ; three free-
standing animals: lions, bull, and elephant
26. Rajareshvara Temple (Great Temple),
Thanjuvar (Tanjore)
Chola period (9th-13th centuries)
Centered at Thanjuvar (Tanjore)
Rajarajeshvara or Brihadevara temple to
Shiva at Thanjavur (Tanjore), c. 1000 CE
Temples made of bricks and stone (for
base)
Rectangular enclosure
Large gateways (Gopuras)
Niches: 30 representations of Siva in his
Tripuramtaka (Destroyer of three Cities)
34. Minakshi Temple at Madurai
Nayak period (16th-18th centuries)
Dual shrines dedicated to Siva (known
locally as Sundaresvara, “Handsome
One,” and Minakshi “Fish-Eyed One”
Hall of thousand pillars
Gopuras (gate): S was built by a wealthy
landowner (197 feet) is covered with over
1500 plaster figures of gods and demons
