the principal architectural features of the temple architecture.

1. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
PRESENTED BY:
SMIT PANCHAL
HARESH PRAJAPATI
SARYU A. PATEL

2. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
The principal architectural features of the
temple are as follows:
1. The sanctuary is known as “VIMANA”
2. Upper tapering portion of VIMANA is called
the “SHIHARA” – the shrine.
3. Inside the VIMANA there is a small chamber
which is called “GARBHAGRIHA.” This is
entered by a doorway from its inner eastern
side.
4. In the front of the doorway there is a
pillared hall called “SABHAMANDAPA.” This
mandapa is a place for worshipers.
5. Later on uniting the two buildings became
the custom; in such a way that an
intermediate chamber was formed
vestibule which is known as “ANTARALA.”

3. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
6. There is a porch in front of the main hall
mandapa, which is called “ARDHA
MANDAPA.”
7. Generally there were a transept on each
side of this central hall known as “MAHA
MANDAPA.”
8. Most of these temples have a processional
passage i.e. an enclosed corridar around the
garbha griha known as “PRADAKSHINA
PATHA.”

4. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
The temple had originally only two apartments,
the Deul and Jaga – Mohan, and the Nat –
Mandir and Bhog Mandir are added probably a
century later, all enclosing in a court-yard
measuring 142 M x 158 M. The entrance is
flanked by two large stone statues of lions.
The most attractive feature of this temple is the
great tower of the Deul or sri Mandir richly built
entirely of stone. Its base measures 17 M side
but due to projecting faces it is not square. The
‘bada’ ot lower storey is vertical one third of its
height and above, it has parabolic curve rising to
a height of 38 M from the ground.
The outer surface is exuberantly carved with
god, goddesses, nymphs. A Shiva Linga 3 M high
and 2.5 M in diameter is installed in Grabhgriha.
The Shiva Linga is said to have emerged from
the earth here and hence it is called
Bhuvaneshwar.

5. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
The Jagamohan is 22 m long and 17 m wide,
with its lower story ‘bada’ rising to a height of
10 m and its ‘pida’ a pyramidal tower attaining a
height of 30 m from the ground.
The nat-mandir and bhog-mandir are of smaller
dimensions but are of the same style.

6. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR

7. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
Situated on the bank of the river pushpavati, 25
km from mehsana and 102 km from
Ahmedabad.
The temple comprises of three separate, axially
aligned and integrated elements. That are:
SURYA KUND
SABHA MANDAP
GUDA MANDAP

8. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
SURYA KUND
This Surya kund, also known as Ramakund, is a
large rectangular stepped tank measuring 53.6 X
36.6 Mts under the east face of Sabhamandap
used to store pure water.
SABHA MANDAP
This hall of religious gatherings is a magnificent
pillared hall. It is open from all sides and has 52
intricately carved pillars representing 52 weeks
in a year. The carvings depict episods from the
Hindu epics of Ramayan, Mahabharat and
Krishna Lila.
GUDA MANDAP
This is called the main temple or the sanctum
sanctorum. Lotuses open with sunrise and close
itself with sunset and is considered to be the
sun’s flower. It was designed so that the rays of
the rising and setting sun on the day fell on the
bejewelled pure gold idol of sun.

9. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA

10. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE,
KHAJURAHO
Located in the medieval temple group found at
Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, India. The
temple was built around 1050 on hindu beliefs
dating back 1000 BC.
The temple built by king Dhanga is 33 m long ad
18 m wide and rises to a height of 35.5 m. it
stands on a high platform and has only one
entrance to east with high flights of steps.
The porch opens to the rectangular portico or
‘ARDHA – MANDAPA’ followed by a main hall or
‘MAHA – MANDAPA’, a vestibule or ‘ANTRALA’
and finally the ‘GARBHA – GRIHA’ with conical
roofs rising from lowest to the highest over the
cella.

11. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE,
KHAJURAHO

12. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
PALLAVA DYNASTY (600AD TO 900 AD)
ROCK CUT (1ST PHASE)
1. Mahendra group (610 AD to 640 AD)
Pillared halls (mandapas)
2. Mamalla Group (640 AD to 690 AD)
Mandapas and Rathas (Monolithic
temples)
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
The building art developing in southern india
has been referred as the Dravidian style. It has
been divided into five periods, corresponding to
the five principal kingdoms which ruled in the
south of india.
1. Pallava (600 AD to 900 AD)
2. Chola (900 AD to 1150 AD)
3. Pandya (1100 AD to 1250 AD)
4. Vijayanagar (1350 AD to 1565 AD)
5. Madura (Upto 1600 AD)
STRUCTURAL (2ND PHASE)
1. Rajasimha group (690 AD to 800 AD)
Temples
2. Nandivarman Group (800 AD to 900 AD)
Temples

13. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
ROCK CUT ARCHITECTURE of the first phase has
two forms:
MANDAPAS – A Mandapa is an excavation. It is
an open pavilion and as excavated in the rock,
takes the shape of a simple columned hall with
one or more cellas in the back wall.
Each rock cut mandapa consists of a pillared hall
serving as a kind of portico to one or more
cellas deeply recessed in the interior wall. The
exterior presents a faced formed of a raw of
pillars, each pillar averaging seven feet in height
with a diameter of two feet.
The mandapas are of the same simple plan, but
it is in the design of the façade, specially in the
elaboration of the pillars.

14. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
RATHA – A Ratha is a monolith (free standing)
temple and in reality it is a chariot provided by
the temple authorities to transport the image of
the deity during processions.
All example of this group are found on one side
i.e. the town of mamallapuram, which is about
32 miles south of Madras.
These rathas are widely known as “SEVEN
Pagodas” these rathas are measuring 42’ long
35’ wide and the tallest is 45’ height.

15. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
RATHAS PLAN

16. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
These 7 rathas are placed together so
look like one group.
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
Basically there are eight rathas:
DRAUPADI’S RATH is a smallest of the all. It is
also the simplest and the most finished. Its base
is supported by animals figures. These animals
are a lion and elephant alternatively placed.
The other seven rathas are of the vihara or
monastery style. These are square in plan and
pyramidal in elevation varying in size and in
there details but all treated in the same
architectural manner.
The location of these rathas are:
NORTH WEST : Valaiyankuttai, Pidari
SOUTH : Draupadi, Arjuna, Bhima, Dharmaraja,
Sahadeva
NORTH : Ganesh

17. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
The VIHARA RATHAS have been evolves out of a
building composed of cells arranged around a
square courtyard, the inner court being
afterwards covered in with a flat roof on pillars.
As the number of monks occupying them
increased, one more storey was added on
Rathas.
Then the whole structure was finished off with a
domical roof.
The transformation of a Buddhist monastery of
a Vihara into a Hindu Shrine is best indicated in
the largest of these Rathas known as the Ratha
of Dharmaraja.
In the elevation there are two parts:
1. A square portion with pillared Verandah
below.
2. The Sikhara formed of the converted cells
above.

18. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
EVOLUTION OF THE TEMPLE
LINGRAJ TEMPLE, BHUBANESHWAR
SUN TEMPLE, MODHERA
KANDARIA MAHADEV TEMPLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE
The Rathas of bhima, Sahadeva and Ganesh are
based on various types of Chaitya hall or
Buddhist temple. They are oblong in plan and
rise up into two or more stories and each of
them has a barrel roof with a Chaitya gable end.
The Ratha of Sahdeva is Apsidal.
Bhima’s ratha is more similar to a Chaitya hall
has two stories with the upper storey displaying
a barrel roof with the gable at one end.
The remaining rathas are combination of rathas
of sahdev and bhima.
The only difference is in the entrance which has
a pillared portico on its long side.
These rathas were prototypes of temples from
which evolve an important later development
based on the oblong plan, diminishing stories
and the barrel roof with gable ends.

19. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
SUN TEMPLE, KONARK

20. HINDU TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
KAILASH TEMPLE, ELLORA

21. THANK YOU