Be Mains Ready

Approach

• Give introduction of Indian temple architecture.
• Trace the growth of Indian temple architectural style through examples.
• Give conclusion.

Introduction

• The typical quality of early Indian architecture lies in the expression of spiritual contents through its temple architecture.

Body

Rock-cut Architecture

• The oldest rock-cut architecture is found in the Barabar caves, Bihar, which were built around the 3rd century BC. Other early cave temples are found in the western Deccan; these are mostly Buddhist shrines and monasteries, dating between 100 BC and 170 AD.
• The rock-cut Udayagiri Caves are among the most important early sites. The earliest preserved Hindu temples are simple cell-like stone temples, some rock-cut and others structural, as at Sanchi. By the 6th or 7th century, these evolved into high shikhara stone superstructures.

Gupta Age

• The Gupta period marks the beginning of Indian temple architecture. The Gupta period ushered in the practice of building with lasting materials, especially in dressed stone and brick.
• Their main characteristics of Gupta temples that had their bearing upon later developments, are flat roofed, square temple with a covered ambulatory around the sanctum and preceded by a pillared porch, sometimes with a second storey above, square temple with a low and squat sikhara (tower) above, rectangular temple with an apsidal back and a barrel vaulted roof above, circular temple with shallow rectangular projections at the four cardinal faces.
• Examples: Deogarh in Uttar Pradesh, Eran, Nachna-Kuthara and Udaygiri near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh.

Second Wave of Rock Cut Caves

• The construction of rock cut caves waned after the 2nd century CE, possibly due to the rise of Mahayana Buddhism and the associated intense architectural and artistic production in Gandhara and Amravati.
• The building of rock-cut caves were briefly revived in the 6th century CE, with Ajanta and Ellora caves, before finally subsiding under the rising influence of Hinduism that made stand-alone temples more prevalent.
• The Kailash Temple was created through a single, huge top-down excavation 100 feet deep down into the volcanic basaltic cliff rock.

Emergence of Medieval Temple Styles

• Medieval India had three main temple styles- Nagara, Dravida and the Vesara. In medieval India, it was common for an entire temple to be built on a stone platform with steps leading up to it. The ornate and fine carving on the rocks became more prominent during this time.
• Some of the examples are- Lakshmana temple and Kandariya Mahadeo temple of Khajuraho, the Shore temple at Mahabalipuram, the Brahadeeshwarar temple of Thanjavur, the Hoysaleshvara temple, at Halebid in Karnataka and Konark Sun temple.

Conclusion

• The temple architecture in India is unique and it reflects the traditional values of the Indian culture.
• The temple architecture gradually evolved from the simple rock-cut cave shrines to massive and ornate ones.