HINTU TEMPLES ELEMENTS OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE STYLES OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE VASTUPURSHA MANDALA LADH KHAN TEMPLE DURGA TEMPLE KANDARIYA MAHADEVA TEMPLE

1. HINDU TEMPLES
HISTORY OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE

2. • HINDU ARCHITECTURE
• ELEMENTS OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE
• STYLES OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE
• VASTUPURUSHA MANDALA
• LADH KHAN TEMPLE
• DURGA TEMPLE
• KANDARIYA MAHADEVA TEMPLE
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OUTLINES

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HINDU ARCHITECTURE
•During Gupta Empire, when Buddhist practices began to fuse with the
surviving Vedic practices of pre Buddhist times, which lead to new and
well organized religion that we now call Hinduism
•Vedic institutions were reinvented to serve the purpose of their new
champions
•Old sacrifices were transformed into courtly rituals, oral Vedic literatures
were rewritten to integrate contemporary social and cultural norms
•Vedic gods were supplanted to new, more agential and personal gods-
particularly Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu
•Sanskrit became the language of the court and medium of an official
high culture that revolved around the reinvented institutions of the temples
INTRDUCTION OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE:-

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TEMPLES :-
• Every religion needs a place
where people may fulfill their
religion desire
•Temples is the sign of Hinduism
•Temple is derived from a Latin
word TEMPULUM
•TEMPULUM means a sacred
enclosed area which is made by
a presence of deity or a holy
symbol
•According to Indians it is a place
of GOD’S DWELLING

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PRINCIPLES :-
‘ALL THINGS ARE ONE, EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED’
• The presence of
DHARMA (virtues, ethical
life)
• The presence of ARTHA
(prosperity, wealth)
• The presence of KAMA
(pleasure, sex)
• The presence of
MOKSHA (release, self
knowledge)
DESIGN CONCEPT :-
A geometric design called
VASTUPURUSHA MANDALA,
where MANDALA means CIRCLE
and PURUSHA is the universal
essence at the core of Hindu
Temples

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ELEMENTS OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE
GARBAGRIHA (SANCTUM): It is the main sacred cell where
deities and images are placed for
worship
MANDAPA (ASSEMBLY HALL): It is the hall, porch and waiting
room in front of Garbagriha
ANTRALA (VESTIBULE):
It is the hall, corridor and porch
which connect the Garbagriha
with Mandapa
MAHA MANDAPA : It is the large hall which consists
of pillars

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BHOG MANDAPA : It is the hall of offerings which is seen
in Orrissan temples
KALYANA MANDAPA : It is the marriage hall which is a later
addition to the temples
NAT MANDAPA : It is the hall provided for dancing
purposes found in Orrissan temples

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PANCHARATHA : It is the meditation cell, smaller in
size and provided at the corner of
the platform of a temples
ARDHA MANDAPA : It is the closed hall jointed with main
shrine by an Antrala
VIMANA AND SHIKHARA : Both of these are the spire,
eurulinear and pyramidal roof on a
Garbagriha. It is diminishing or
tapering in shape for height. In south
India it is called as VIMANA and in
north it is called as SHIKHARA
BHUMI : The shikhara ceiling were provided
terraces which tapered upwards is
called BHUMI

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KALASA : It is the pitcher shaped crowning
feature on shikhara
ENCLOSURE WALL : The early temples have no enclosure
wall but it was provides to the later
age
PRADAKSHINA PATH (AMBULATORY) : It is the
circumambulation of
sacred places in Hindu,
Jain or Buddhist
context. It means
PATHA SURROUNDING
SOMETHING in Sanskrit

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STYLES OF HINDU ARCHITECTURE
 NORTHERN, NAGARA, INDO ARYAN
STYLE
The temples in these styles appeared in
northern India from Himalaya upto
Vindhiya. These have the most important
form of ceiling in shikhara, conical or
convex shape with dominant features
NAGARA STYLE – Nagara style temple
have eurulinear towers or against
Dravidian temples which have truncated
pyramids. Some of temples worth seeing
are Lingraja Temple at Bhubaneswar,
Jagannath Temple at Puri, Sun Temple at
Konark

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SOUTHERN, DRAVIDIAN
STYLE
The temples in this style
appeared in southern India,
spread from Vindhiya upto
Capcomorin. These temples have
a tower series which are crowned
bi shikhara. These have
monumental gateways or
doorways with decorative feature
which is called GOPURAM
DRAVIDIAN STYLE – The
southern style Dravidian temples
had its genesis the age of the
Palllavs or Kanchipuram. Some of
the temples are Mahabalipuram,
Meenakshi, etc

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VASTUPURUSHA MANDALA
VASTUPURUSHA :-
Vastupurusha is the god for
construction of structures and
buildings. Once upon a time, an
unknown person came into existence
and he obstructed the Earth and the
sky with his huge body. The Devtas
suddenly caught the person and threw
with his face down and whichever part
of the body of the person was held
by different Devtas, the Devtas
became the presiding deities of that
part of the body. The creator Brahma
had made the person as ‘God of the
House’- Vastu Purusha

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VASTUPURUSHA MANDALA :-
Vastu Purusha Mandala is a mathematical and
metaphysical square plan that illustrates how
the Vastupurusha was pinned down by Brahma
and 44 gods – face down, with his head to the
North-East and his feet towards the South-West.
The diagram is divided into 9x9=81 parts. The
function of the rooms placed in each area of
the house was according to the nature of the
deity ruling that particular area

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LADH KHAN TEMPLE
 LOCATION – Aihole, Karnataka
 PRIMARY DEITY – Shiva
 BUILT IN – 5TH Century
 CREATOR – Chaulukyan Dynasty
 NAMED AFTER – Ladh Khan, who turned this
temple into residence for short period
 ORIENTATION – Main axis is oriented towards
East-West, with entrance located in East
 COMMENTS – The temple signifies birth of
PAVILION typology of Indian temple architecture,
before there was Carved temples, it also marked
the beginning of ORDER of temple building, the
square shaft with expanding abacus holding
projecting brackets separation of Garbagriha and
Mandapa in elevation, and introduction of asana

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MATERIALS USED :-
The temple is built with locally available yellow sand stones
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES :-
The temple of Ladh Khan was a product of primitive
monument. It is shown by the nature of its masonry. The
masonry is composed of huge blocks dressed to level beds
and placed alternatively without any mortar. The crude nature
of the masonry shows inexperienced workmanship

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION :-
PLINTH : Situated on a high plinth of approx
7ft, with 6 stairs (having beautiful
eurulinear balustrade made of crude
stone) to reach the platform, having
surrounded by stone boundary, with
the deity placed on a raised platform
with semi enclosure, with columns
having double and single brackets
used in the Mandapa to raise the
level of the roof

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PLAN : Square plan of 50ft on each side,
three of which is completely
enclosed by walls (two of which has
perforated stone grilles), with the
eastern front of the temple having a
projected open pillared porch
ROOF : Large flat slabs, with each joints
chiseled to form grooves, long
narrow stones placed on the joints
fitting the grooves, with shape of
stone suggesting timber origin,
having eves of the roof which also
shows ribs underneath clearly
showing the wooden inheritance

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INTERIOR : Consists of a hall resembling a pillar
pavilion, containing two square
groups of columns (one within the
other thus providing a double aisle),
large stone effigy of Nandi fills the
central bay, with interior carving
reflecting the potential of the Indian
stone masons
EXTERIOR : Open exterior pillars are still visible,
with the space between the pillars
filled with masonry to provide
seclusion for worship, having
windows to provide little perforated
light

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COLUMNS : Made of plain square shaft with
bracket capital, having an elaboration
of this occurring in the pilasters
placed at each of the angles of the
building, with the shaft tapering
slightly at the upper ends above
which a cushion capital with an
expanded floral abacus support the
bracket, marking the beginning of the
CORDOR of the Dravidian style
ASANA : Sitting arrangement omitted inside
and retained outside the temple,
marking the beginning of ASANA
which later developed into
ornamental feature of many medieval
temples

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DURGATEMPLE
 LOCATION – Aihole, Karnataka
 PRIMARY DEITY – Shiva
 BUILT IN – Late 7TH – Early 8TH Century
 CREATOR – Chaulukyan Dynasty
 NAMED BECAUSE – Even though the temple
features Durga sculpture the origin of the temple
is not because of its dedication to goddess Durga,
but because Durga means protector
 ORIENTATION – Located in North-East direction,
with entrance located in East
 COMMENTS - Elevated plinth with a single
entrance and two stairs, apsidal sanctuary like
Buddhist Chaitya, Mortar less assembly, Pillared
gallery encircling the sanctum with two aisles and
two rows of column and one nave

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CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES :-
The architecture of the temple is predominantly
Dravidian with Nagara used in certain areas. The
temple belongs to Badami Chalukyas architecture
MATERIALS USED :-
The temple is built with locally available stones and by
rock cut techniques

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION :-
PLINTH : Elevated plinth with a single
entrance and two stairs, apsidal
sanctuary like Buddhist Chaitya,
steps to the south and north of the
Mandapa, with the parapet carved
with niches and animals

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PLAN : Oblong and apsidal, corridor with
pillars between the porch and the
heart of shrine encompasses the
shrine and allows the worshipers to
perform parikrama, with the shape of
the temple in Indian architecture is
known as Gaja Drasta (resemblance
of the back of the elephant)
ROOF : Mortar less assembly (typical feature
of Badami Chalukyan architecture),
emphasis on length rather than width
or height, flat roof, richly carved
ceiling and sculpturally an emphasis
on relatively few major features
which tend to be isolated from each
other rather than arranged in crowed
groups

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INTERIOR : Stone grilles with various geometrical
openwork patterns ventilous interior
from the ambulatory, heart of the
shrine surrounded by towers,
shikhara and vimanas
EXTERIOR : Ambulatory around itself, walls
carved with sculptures of different
gods or goddess, rounded end at
the sanctuary end including three
layers- wall of sanctuary, main
temple wall beyond a passageway
running behind this, and an
ambulatory as open area with pillars
running all around the building

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COLUMNS : Pillared gallery encircling the
sanctum with two aisles and two
rows of column and one nave, the
rows of pillar contains two
pradakshina pathas, the longish
sabhamandapa has been divided into
three portions by its pillars, the large
number of pillars in this temple have
been found to have mukhan and apa
as passionate couples in various
poses, another pillar is found of
Shiva dance
MANDAPA : The front entrance of Mandapa is
well carved with sculptures, inner
wall mukhamandapa has Ramayana
panel,Arya dhanarisvan and
Ugranaya simbha killing
Hiranyakashyapa, the porch gives
rise to Mukhamandapa leading to
Garbagriha

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KANDARIYA MAHADEVA TEMPLE
 LOCATION – Chhatarpur, Khajuraho, Madhya
Pradesh
 PRIMARY DEITY – Shiva
 BUILT IN – 1003-1035 CE
 CREATOR – Vidyadhara Dynasty
 NAMED AFTER – Lord Kandariya Mahadev,
meaning the Great God Of The Cave
 ORIENTATION – Located in North-East direction,
with entrance located in East
 COMMENTS – Largest among the three groups
of the Khajuraho complex of temples, temple
architecture is an assemblage of porches and
towers which terminates in a shikhara or spire, a
feature which was common during 10th century in
Central India

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MATERIALS USED :-
The temple is built with sandstone with granite foundation
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES :-
The architecture of the temple is shows Vidhyaran
architecture, being the largest and the tallest among
the Khajuraho group of temples

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION :-
PLINTH : Massive plinth of 4mts in height,
temple above the plinth is
dexterously planned and pleasingly
detailed, superstructure is built on a
steep mountain shape or form , with
richly decorated roofs which rise in a
grand form terminating the shikhara

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PLAN : Characteristically built over a plan of
31mts in length and 20mts in width
with the main tower soaring to a
height of 31mts (so called the
largest and grandest temple of
Khajuraho), a series of steps with
high rise lead from the ground level
to the entrance to the temple
ROOF : Richly decorated roofs which rise in
a grand form terminating the
shikhara, with main tower having 84
mini spires
COLUMNS : Columns and architraves are
composed of megaliths weighing up
to 20 tons, both on the exterior and
interior of the temple walls, pillars
and ceiling has depiction of four
basic pursuits of life: Moksha, Kama,
Dharma, and Artha

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INTERIOR : From entrance there are three
Mandapas, with successively rise in
height and width, which inclusively of
a small chamber dedicated to Shiva,
sanctum surrounded by interlinked
passage with side and front
balconies, elaborately carved
sculptures of gods and goddesses,
musicians, apsaras and nymphs,
main tower above sanctum and two
other towers above Mandapa
EXTERIOR : Exterior surfaces covered with
sculptures in three vertical layers,
there are horizontal ribbons carved
with images, which shine bright
sunlight providing rhythmic
architectural features

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