The document provides information on Hindu temple architecture styles across India. It discusses the principal features of North and South Indian temple designs including shikhara towers, vimanas, and gopurams. The three main styles described are Nagara, Dravida, and Vesara. Specific temples highlighted include Lingaraja Temple with its tall shikhara, Konark's chariot-style design dedicated to Surya, and the large Brihadeeswara Temple complex near Thanjavur with its tall vimana.

1. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
-Hindu Architectures rests in the heart of temples. Besides being a place of worship,
the temples stand as a witness to the magnificence and splendour of art.

3. THE PRINCIPAL FEATURES

4. SIKHARA
 Śikhara, a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to
the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture in North India.
 The North Indian shikhara is basically of two types:
(1) the phamsana, rectilinear in outline and capped by a bell-shaped
member, the form more usually found above the mandapa.
(2) the latina, curvilinear in outline, the type most usually found above the
sanctuary; and
(3) the sekhari,consists of a central Latina with one or more rows of half
Spires.

5. VIMANA
 Refers to the tower above sanctum in
the Hindu temple architecture in South
India.
 It is always square in plan and
surmounted by a pyramidal roof of one
or more stories; it contains the cell
where the image of the god or his
emblem is placed.

6. Gopurams
Towering, massive &
impressive
Importance of the temple
within the city precincts
without altering the form of
the temple
Buddhist origin
Rectangle dynamic form

8. • The Shastras, the ancient texts on architecture,
classify temples into three different orders;
The Nagara or ‘northern’ style
The Dravida or ‘southern ‘ style
The Vesara or hybrid style which is seen in the Deccan
between the other two.
There are also dinsinct styles in peripheral areas such as
Bengal, Kerala and the Himalayan valleys.

10. NAGARA STYLE

12. LINGARAJA TEMPLE

13.  The temple had originally only 2 appartments
 Deul and jaga-mohan, and the nat-mandir(dance hall) , bhog
mandir(offering hall) are added a century or more later
 The entrance is flanked by two large stone statues of lions
 Most attractive feature of this temple is the sri mandir richly built entirely of
stones

14.  It has parabolic curve rising to a height of 38
m from the ground
 Over it is a necking or beki above which rest
the melon shaped fluted disc or amal-sila and
crowned with ‘kalasa’
 Outer surface is carved with gods , godesses ,
nymphs.
 A shiva linga 3m height and 2.5m diameter is
installed in grabhgriha

15. SUN TEMPLEThe name Konark is derived from a Sanskrit word Kona (meaning
angle) and word Arka (meaning sun) in reference to the temple which
was dedicated to the Sun god Surya.

16.  The temple of sun god , surya, the source of life, origin of light, the
dispeller of darkness, and sin, the source and instrument of purity and
health is unique in its construction.
 The temple is formed like a ‘ratha’ or wheeled chariot being carried by
seven horses symbolizing the seven rays of the sun who blazes his way
through the heaven and proceded by the charioteer arun.
 The temple resting on a large platform with twelve gaint wheels
 It is carved with erotic sculptures and decorated with medallion on the
spokes and hub.
 On its 3 sides , in the middle segments there are 3 subsidary shrines with
stairways leading to niches each containing the life-size image of sun
god minutely carved

17.  The wall fully sculptured with beautiful dancers
playing on musical instruments
 Two gracefully carved elephant guard its
entrance.
 The width of the cubical portion or‘bada’ of
jaga mohan is twice its own height
 Upper tapering part ‘pida’ and which is
crowned with a melon shaped ‘kalasha’ or
‘amlaka’ is fluted
 Outer surface of bada sculptured with as many
as fifteen hundred elephants in different
patterns , along with soldiers riding on horses in
the bottom row.

18.  The temple is provided with a
covered ambulatory passage, a
vestibule or an antrala and open
portico in front.
 The pillar and beams are exquisitely
carved and decorated with incidents
from ramayana and mahabharata.
 The temple is characterised by
rekha- nagar shikhara, i.e. A
beehive- shaped curvilinear
somewhat conical tower.
PAPANATH TEMPLE,PATTADKAL

20. PARASU,RAMESHWAR TEMPLE

21. RAJARANI,TEMPLE

22. DRAVIDIAN STYLE
Dravidian style temples consist almost invariably of
the four following parts
The principal part, the temple itself, is called
the Vimana
The porches or Mandapas (or Mantapams), which
always cover and precede the door leading to the
cell.
Gate-pyramids, Gopurams, which are the principal
features in the quadrangular enclosures that
surround the more notable temples.
Pillared halls or Chaultris—properly Chawadis --
used for various purposes, and which are the
invariable accompaniments of these temples.
Besides these, a temple always contains temple
tanks or wells for water (used for sacred purposes or
the convenience of the priests), dwellings for all
grades of the priesthood are attached to it, and
other buildings for state or convenience.

23.  The temple stands on
a high moulded
plinth 3m high and
consist of pillared hall
 2 flights of steps one
from north and
another from south
are provided in front
of the porch
 There is garuda over
the shrine door
which is elaborately
carved.
DURGA TEMPLE,AIHOLE

24.  Light is admitted into the hall and passage through ‘stone grills’ of
perforated pattern
 2 rows of Columns separate the temple hall into a central nave and two
side aisles
 The inner columns are beautifully sculptured.
 There are several inches in the wall s containg beautiful images of god
and goddesses.
 The roof of mukha mandapa is flat.
 Upper portion has fallen down.

25.  These temples are situated on the
eastern edge of the lake
 These temples stand on high plinths,
two to three metres high.
 The big temple has a
mukhamantapa or pillared hall, the
door frame of which consist of
sculptures of ganga and yamuna
flanked by ‘dwarpalakas’.
 A shiva-linga is enshrined in the
temple, over which rises a ‘vimana’
of kadamb nagar style which is
characterised by receding tiers
resembling a stepped pyramid
culminating in a final or kalasa.
BHUTANATH TEMPLE,BADAMI

26.  The entrance to the temple is by the
Malaprabha river in which the pilgrims
usually take bath before entering the
temple to worship the deity.
 The temple has a large pillared hall
approached through porches, in the
front and either side with a “Nandi”
mantapa on its axial plan.
 It has a covered ambulatory round the
cella on which rises a vimana of
Dravidian style.
VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE ,PATTADKAL

27. BRIHADEESWARAR TEMPLE
Temple complex
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channelled to make a moat
around the complex's outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made
up of many structures that are aligned axially.
The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access
directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram.
The massive size of the mainVimanam (Shikhara) is
ca. 60.96 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle.
Pilaster, piers(a raised structure), and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface
of the Vimanam.
The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana.
It is unusual in the dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and
taller than the vimanam

29. Meenakshi Temple.
The Meenakshi temple is believed to be founded by Indra (king of Devas,
celestial deities) while he was on a pilgrimage to cure his misdeeds. He felt
his burden taken off nearing the swayambu lingam(self formed lingam, a
representation of Shiva used for worship in temples) of Madurai.

30. The Kailasanath temple is the oldest temple of Kanchipuram. Located in Tamil
Nadu, India, it is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva and known for its
historical presence. The low-stung sandstone compound is a chock-a-block with
fascniating carvings, including many half-animal deities that were in vogue
during the period of early Dravidian Architecture.
The Kailasanath Temple,Kanchipuram

31. VESARA STYLE
is a type of Indian
architecture primarily used
in temples lying in the
region between the
Vindhyas and the river
Krishna (VK Agnihotri,
Indian History, p. B-34). The
two other prominent styles
are Dravida and Nagara.
Vesara is a combination of
these two temple styles.

34. Vaishno Devi ,Jammu & Kashmir
Vaishno Devi Mandir (Hindi: वैष्णोदेवी मन्ददर) is one of the holy Hindu
temples dedicated to Shakti, located in the hills of Vaishno Devi,
Jammu and Kashmir, India. In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as
Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.

35. It is home to the Harmandir Sahib (referred to as the "Golden
Temple" in the western media), the spiritual and cultural center for
the Sikh religion. This important Sikh shrine attracts more visitors
than the Taj Mahal with more than 100,000 visitors on week days
alone and is the most popular destination for Non-resident Indians
(NRI) in the whole of India. The city also houses the Sikh temporal
and political authority, Akal Takht, as well as the Sikh Parliament.
Golden Temple, Amritsar

36. The temple is dedicated to Shantadurga, the goddess who mediates between
Vishnu and Shiva. The deity is also called 'Santeri' colloquially. This avatar of
Shree Jagdamba Devi which had come to make peace (Shanti) between Shree
Vishnu and Shree Shiva, came to be known as Shree Shantadurga Devi.
Shree Shantadurga Devi,Goa

37. Ranakpur is widely known for its marble Jain temple, said to be the most
spectacular of the Jain temples.There is also a small Sun temple which is
managed by the Udaipur royal family trust.
Jain Temples,Ranakpur

38. Kedarnath is named after honor of King Kedar, who ruled
in the Satya Yuga. He had a daughter named Vrinda who
was a partial incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
Kedarnath,Uttrakhand

39. Tirumala Venkateswara temple is a well known temple of Hindus, located in
Tirumala in the hill town, near the town of Tirupati which belongs to the
Chittoor district of the state Andhra Pradesh.
Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh

40. ISKCON TEMPLE, JUHU