DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE:
Monuments in south India through the times of the Pallava, Chola and Pandya
INTRODUCTION
HINDU STRUCTURAL TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
IN ANCIENT INDIA(FORMALISED DURING
THE 5TH AND 6TH CENTURIES C.E)
NAGARA (NORTH INDIA)
DRAVIDA (SOUTH INDIAN)
VESARA
(KARNATAKA DRAVIDA)
NAGARA
DRAVIDA
DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE- ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
Origins: Traced from Ajanta and Buddhist traditions in Andhra to rock cut architecture
(6th century) in the south.
Development of structural temples: A Dravidian language:
7th and early 8th century C.E North Karnataka with capital at Badami-patronage: Chalukyas
Parallel Tamil version under Pallavas
Kerala, Tamilnadu under Cholas (9th century C.E) and further to Sri Lanka
Tamil Dravida tradition: attained high degree of scale, complexity in planning-however
conservative in architectural form and detail.
Karnataka Dravida/ Vesara style: spread to Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and died out
under the invasion of Muslim rulers.
SIMPLEST DRAVIDIAN TEMPLE FORM
ELEMENTS OF A DRAVIDIAN TEMPLE: SHRINES
Alpa Vimana Minor shrine ( roots from certain
Buddhist Gandhara shrine type )
Wood and thatch prototype transformed into moulded base
-walls-with pilasters enclosing the square sanctum
- overhanging canopy/roll cornice(kapota)
- a crowning domed pavilion (kuta) usually a square
Alternative Alpa vimana forms:
a) Rectangular with barrel roofed
pavilion(shala)
b) Apsidal(Gajaprishtha/elephant
backed) crowned by apsidal shala
ELEMENTS OF A DRAVIDIAN TEMPLE:VIMANA
The vimana of a Dravidian temple is
square on plan and pyramidal on
elevation unlike that of a Nagara
temple which is square on plan and
curvilinear on elevation.
Most dominant feature in Dravidian
(Chola ) temples
The vimana is divided into various
tiers or storeys by the arrangement
of miniature shrines of three types,
namely, the sala (rectangular), kuta
(square) and panjara (apsidal). The
arrangement of the pillar elements
improvise from their Pallava
examples in terms of elaboration
and additional elements.
1) BRIHADEESWARA TEMPLE, THANJAVUR
Architecturally, it is the most ambitious structural temple built of granite & grandest
creation of the Chola emperor Rajaraja - landmark in the evolution of building art in
south India
The temple with its massive proportions and simplicity of design provided inspiration
for future designs in constructions not only in south India but also in south-east Asia.
BRIHADEESWARA: LAYOUT &PLANNING
F
- Situated within spacious inner
prakara(240.9 X 122 m inside) & (270
X 140 m) on the outside
- Gopuram (30 m high) at the east and
three other ordinary torana entrances
one at each lateral sides and the third
at rear
B
C
- There is a big statue of Nandi
(sacred bull), carved out of a single
rock, at the entrance measuring about
16 X 13 high.
-
Axial symmetrical in layout
D
- Measurement system: 1 3/8-inch
called an angula (24 units equalling
33 inches called a hasta, muzam)
A- Garbhagriha B- Ardhamandapa C-Mahamandapa
D- Nandi pavilion E- Gopuram F- Subsidiary shrine
BRIHADEESWARA: MAIN TEMPLE
Sanctum sanctorum/ Garbhagriha: The most important
part of the temple- inner mandapa,surrounded by
massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply
cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and
recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay
emphasising the principle cult icons.
The circumambulation winds around the massive
lingam in the garbhagriha and is repeated in an upper
storey
The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular
mandapa and then to a twenty-columned porch
with three staircases leading down.
The majestic upapitha and adhishthana are
common to all the axially placed entities like the
ardha-mahamandapas and linked to the main
sanctum but approached through a north-south
transept across the ardha-mandapa which is
marked by lofty sopanas.
BRIHADEESWARA: SCALE AND PROPORTIONS
- The solid base of the temple raises about 5 metres (16 feet), above which stone deities and
representatives of Shiva dance. presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall.
- The vimanam (or temple tower) is 216 ft (66 m) high- one among the tallest of its kind. ,
with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers,
and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam
- The Kumbam (Kalasha , the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is
carved out of a single rock and it weighs around 80 tons (raised to its present height by
dragging on an inclined plane of 6.44 km.)
BRIHADEESWARA: ICONIC & DECORATIVE ELEMENTS
- The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 81
dance karanas postures of Bharathanatyam, the
classical dance of Tamil Nadu
. - Life-size iconographic representations on the wall
niches and inner passages include Durga, Lakshmi,
Sarasvati and Bhikshatana, Virabhadra, Kalantaka,
Natesa, Ardhanarisvara and Alingana forms of Siva.
- The mural paintings on the walls of the lower
ambulatory inside are finest examples of Chola and
later periods which depict the contemporaneous
scenes with legendary ones.
2) KAILASNATHA TEMPLE, KANCHIPURAM (705 C.E)
It is the first structural temple built in South India by Narasimhavarman II, faade
and gopuram completed by his son.
Capital of the great Pallava kingdom as well as an important city during Chola, Vijaynagara
& Nayaka rulers.
Simple and tasteful, free of the gaudy decorations of later temples during the reign of Cholas
& Vijayanagaras
KAILASANATHA: LAYOUT
An example of a complete temple complex, consisting of a garbhagriha, antarala, mandapa
enclosed by a cloistered enclosure wall with an entrance gopura
The plan layout : a typical Pallava
sanctuary.
The temple's foundations are made
of granite, which could withstand the
weight of the temple, while the super
structure including the carvings are
all made of sandstone.
The vimana of the temple, above the
main shrine (sanctum sanctorum), is
square in plan and rises up in a or
pyramidal shape.
The pillar elements with mythical
animal shapes (lions on the base) are
extra features in Pallava [Link] the
entrance, the gopuram walls are
plastered. Its entrance wall has eight
small shrines and a gopura, precursor
to the main gopura.
Located and seated comfortably at the eastern end of the temple area placed on a
raised platform.
Lion pillars are found at the corners which originally supported the mandapa, the
superstructure of which has fallen down.
Courtyard of the temple complex
surrounded by smaller shrines framed by
pillars rising from the heads of rampant
lions, typical of the Pallava style.
The sanctuary enshrining the linga is
covered by a four-storeyed vimana. In front
of it stands a pillared pavilion (mandapa)
decorated with sculptures of rearing yalis
and Shaiva figures. This leads to another
hall before the cell surrounded by a
circumambulatory passageway.
KAILASNATHA TEMPLE:
DECORATIVE FEATURES
The walls of the vimana and the
attached shrines are a house of
absolute riches of aivite
iconographic forms. This can be
called as the richest of all Pallava
shrines in terms of figural
decoration..
Parts of the temple including the
vimana were painted however only
patches now remain. They were
composed in bright colors. Not only
on the inner walls of the cell shrines
but also the sculptures have the
paintings. The paintings on the plain
walls show various aspects of iva.
