SOUTH INDIAN TEMPLE FORMS

Shweta Kardam

Syed Asif Furqan

Syed Imran Imamuddin

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
HISTORY
COMPOSITION & STRUCTURE
FEATURES
EXAMPLES
TYPES OF SOUTH INDIAN TEMPLES &
EXAMPLES

INTRODUCTION
Dravidian architecture was a style of architecture that emerged
thousands of years ago in the Indian subcontinent. They consist
primarily of pyramid shaped temples which are dependent on
intricate carved stone in order to create a step design consisting
of numerous statues of deities, warriors, kings, and dancers. The
majority of the existing buildings are located in the Southern
Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and
Karnataka.
Various kingdoms and empires such as the Pallavas, Cholas,
Chalukyas, Pandayas etc amongst the many others have made a
substantial contribution to the evolution of Dravidian architecture
through the ages.

HISTORY
The architectural history of the Dravidian country starts only with the
beginning of the seventh century A.D .
The earliest temples were built with perishable materials like timber
and clay. Cave-temples, temples carved out of the stone or built with
bricks came later. Heavy stone structures with ornate architecture
and
sculpture
belong
to
a
still
later
period.
The building of temple has progressed more or less on a set pattern.
This is because there is a basic philosophy behind the temple, its
meaning and significance.
The Dravidian style, has its towers in the form of truncated pyramids.
In its later evolution the circular or stellar plan was retained for the
vimana.

 The Dravidian school of architecture mainly belongs to the Tamil region which were
both rock-cut and structural. The later rock-cut temples which belong roughly to the
period 500-800 A.D, patronised by three great ruling dynasties of the south, namely
the Pallavas of Kanchi in the east, the Chalukyas of Badami in the 8th century A.D,
the Rastrakutas of Malkhed came to power and they made great contributions to the
development of South Indian temple architecture.

The Dravida style became very popular throughout south India only from the
Vijayanagar times onward. The prasada or vimana of the Dravida style rises like a
stepped pyramid, tier upon tier.
During the next thousand years (from600 to 1600 A.D.) there was a phenomenal
growth in temple architecture both in quantity and quality.

COMPOSITION & STRUCTURE

In South India the temple is a massive & complex structure,
often covering large areas. It is usually conspicuous because
of its gate towers or the main central tower, which can be
seen dominating the landscape for miles around.

Dravidian style temples consist almost invariably of the four following parts,
arranged in various manners, as afterwards to be explained :

The main Sanctum (garbhagraha)

An open or closed hall (mandapam)
In front of the mandapam is offering
platform (balpitha)

 A surrounding courtyard enclosed by a

wall (prakara) with a axial doorway in line
with the sanctum.
This doorway is surmounted by a large
stepped tower structure (gopurams)
For shiva temples the vehicle is a bull
(nandi), for Vishnu it is a winged man
(garuda), for ganesha a rat, for durga
by the figure representing this vehicle
placed on the corners of the towers.

Types of South Indian Temples

The South Indian style of temple architecture is very distinct
from that of the rest of India. It is convenient to resolve the
types of architecture into four periods corresponding to the
principal kingdoms that ruled in southern India down the
centuries i.e. the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas and the
Vijayanagara rulers.
According to the plan -- four sided, polygonal or curvilinear -- the
southern Vimanas are classified in the southern Silpa and
Agama texts as Nagara (distinguished by the curvilinear
towers), Dravida (having truncated pyramids) and
Vesara(square, octagon and the apse or circle in the plan).

PALLAVAS
(600-900 AD)
The earliest examples of temples in
the Dravidan style belong to the
Pallava period.
The temple architecture of the
Pallavas is divided into two groups:
rock-cut
(610-690 AD) and
structural (690-900 AD).
Pallavas
greatest
constructed
accomplishments are the single Rock
temples in Mahabalipuram and their
capital Kanchipuram, now located in
Tamil Nadu.

 The greatest accomplishments

Of the Pallava architecture are
the rock-cut temples at
Mahabalipuram. There are
excavated pillared halls and
monolithic shrines known as
rathas in Mahabalipuram.
The five rathas were built by Narasimhavarman I (625-645 AD) and are
named after Draupadi, Arjuna, Bhima, Dharmaraja and Sahadeva. The
Dharmaraja ratha is the longest and most complete of these rathas.
Some fine examples of the Pallava temples are The Kailasanatha temple
also called Rajasimha Pallaveswaram in Kanchipuram built by
Narasimhavarman II Shore Temple constructed by Narasimhavarman II near
Mahabalipuram.

The Shore Temple at Mamallapuram

The Shore Temple (700-728 CE) is so named
because it over looks the Bay of Bengal. It is a
structural temple, built with blocks of granite,
dating from the 8th century AD.

Architecture

The Shore Temple is a five-storeyed structural Hindu

temple rather than rock-cut as are the other
monuments at the site. It is the earliest important
structural temple in Southern India. Its pyramidal
structure is 60 ft high and sits on a 50 ft square
platform. There is a small temple in front which was
the original porch. It is made out of finely cut local
granite.

The entrance is through a transverse barrel vault

gopuram. The two shikharas have a pyramidal outline,
each individual tier is distinct with overhanging eaves
that cast dark shadows. The outer wall of the shrine to
Vishnu and the inner side of the boundary wall are
extensively sculptured and topped by large sculptures
of Nandi. The temple's outer walls are divided by
plasters into bays, the lower part being carved into a
series of rearing lions.

The temple has a garbhagriha in which the deity, Sivalinga, is enshrined, and a small
mandapa surrounded by a heavy outer wall with little space between for circumambulation.
At the rear are two shrines facing opposite directions. The inner shrine dedicated to
Ksatriyasimnesvara is reached through a passage while the other, dedicated to Vishnu, faces
the outside. The Durga is seated on her lion vahana. A small shrine may have been in the
cavity in the lion's chest.

Virupaksha Temple
This temple was built by
Lokamahadevi, the Queen of
Vikaramaditya II in about
A.D.740 to commemorate her
husbands victory over the
Pallavas of Kanchipuram. It closely
resembles the Kailasanatha temple at
Kanchipuram on plan and elevation and represents a fully developed and
perfected
stage
of
the
Dravidian
architecture.

Facing east, this temple has on

plan a square sanctum (garbhagriha) with a circumambulatory
path (pradakshinapatha), an
antarala with two small shrines for
Ganesa and Mahishamardini facing
each other infront, a sabha-mandapa
with entrance porches on the east,
north and south and a separate
Nandi-mandapa in front. The complex
is enclosed by high prakara walls.
Against the inner faces
of these walls there were small
shrines (originally 32)
dedicated to the subsidiary
deities (parivaradevatas)
of which only a few are
extant now. The enclosure has been
provided with ornate entrance gates
((pratolis) on both east and west.

Plan

CHALUKYAS
AD 543 - 753

The Badami Chalukyas also called the Early

Chalukyas, ruled from Badami, Karnataka
and spawned the Vesara
style called Badami Chalukya Architecture.
The finest examples of their art are seen in
Pattadakal, Aihole and Badami in northern
Karnataka. Over 150 temples remain in the
Malaprabha basin.
The most enduring legacy of the Chalukya
dynasty is the architecture and art that they left behind. More than one hundred and fifty
monuments attributed to the Badami Chalukya, and built between 450 and 700, remain in
the Malaprabha basin in Karnataka.
The rock-cut temples of Pattadakal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Badami and Aihole are
their most celebrated monuments.
Here we would like to discuss in detail of its these two examples:
LADKHAN TEMPLE, DURGA TEMPLE

AIHOLE
Aihole (Kannada) is a temple complex in the
Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It is a
very popular tourist spot in north Karnataka.
Aihole is to the east of Pattadakal, along the
Malaprabha River, while Badami is to the
west of both.
Aihole was the first capital of the early Chalukyas. The village of Aihole contains
over 125 temples from the Early Western Chalukya and later periods (6th - 12th
century).
Aihole has its own historical significance and is called as cradle of Hindu rock
architecture. Many temples and caves of historical importance can be found at
Aihole.

LADKHAN TEMPLE
The north face of the temple is shown.
The temple's sloping two-tiered roof,
which imitates wood construction, is
furnished with stone "logs" that cover
the joints between the roofing slabs.

The temple's design

(plan). contains other
unusual
features
The porch fronts a
square
mandapa.
In the center of the
Mandapa , a Nandi
Faces
the
small
interior shrine, which
abuts the rear wall of
the mandapa. Instead
of the usual tower ,
a roof top
shrine
(the structure on top
of the roof in this
photo) is positioned
over the center of the
mandapa.

PLAN

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Porch
The porch, which faces
east, is decorated with pot
motifs and couples.

Balcony Decoration
Decoration on the outer balcony
of the porch includes pots
(center), river goddesses (left),
and couples (right)

Chalukya Emblems
Emblems of the Chalukyas found on
the temple include a boar, a curled-up
lotus stem (behind the boar), a solar
disk above , and a circular object
(mirror?) on a stand to the right.

Column Decoration
The decoration combines motifs of kingship
and fertility. Below a canopy with royal
symbols (parasol and crossed chauris) are
two registers with lotus flowers. Beneath
those, a design with dwarf pipers (ganas)
and
kirttimukhas.

Nandi
As usual, Nandi faces the temple's
shrine.

Couple
The affectionate pair is framed
by a lunette, with a maid at their
feet. The composition is well fitted to its defined space. The
man's back and head conform
to the
curve of the lunette. His
rear leg extends into one corner of the arch, while the figure of the maid
fills the opposite corner.

DURGA TEMPLE
The name "Durga" refers to a fort,
not to the goddess ; apparently at
one time the building was used as a
military outpost (durg). It is not known
to which deity the temple
was originally dedicated. The photo
was taken from the southwest
corner. It shows the south wall and
curved west end (rear) of the temple.
The entrance is from east.

Sculpture Key
A = Shiva,
B = Narasimha,
C = Vishnu,
D = Varaha,
E = Durga,
F = Harihara
The temple's unusual apsidal form is thought to imitate the
earlier Buddhist chaitya halls. An inner wall of similar shape
encloses the sanctuary (plan). An incomplete tower (closeup)
perches on the roof above the sanctuary.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
Entrance Porch
The porch faces east. Entrance
stairs run up sideways, behind
the frontal barrier wall in the
foreground.

Column Decoration
Entrance Porch, Durga Temple, Aihole
The columns are decorated with couples.

Ceiling Medallion
The medallion depicts a stylized lotus
pond. A school of fish, encircled by a
band of lotus plants, converges radially
to a central nub. The design is symmetric,
with plants arranged in alternating closed
and open views. The formal pattern is
much enlivened by the naturalistic
rendering of its fish and plant motifs.
A naga king , his body coiled into a
Circle , is accompanied by female
attendants. In his right hand, the naga
carries a garland (not his tail, as it may
seem at first). In his left hand, he
bears an offering platter which like
those of the attendants, is filled with
fruits of the earth.

Celestial Couple
These exquisite flying divinities
emerge like a dream from the
much-damaged ceiling.

Celestial City
This paradise scene is from
the lintel above the sanctuary
entrance. Its foundations are
supported by a gana bearing
elaborate garland.

Shiva with Nandi

Eight - armed Shiva poses with Nandi in a
sculpture from one of the niches in the
colonnade. The location of this and the
following sculptures , which are seen by
proceeding through the colonnade in the usual
counterclockwise direction, is indicated in the
plan of the temple.

Narasimha
The man- lion form of
Vishnu lounges in
tribhanga posture, his
front right forearm
casually supporting a
club (missing) .

Vishnu with Garuda

The mount of Vishnu appears here in an oddlooking, dwarf-like form. Some wing feathers
are visible to the right of the figure.

Varaha
Vishnu's Boar avatar lifts Bhu Devi on the
crook of his arm, while suppressing the
snakes with his foot.

Durga
Durga attacks the buffalo demon, as her lion
grimaces fiercely from the side. The
goddess's left leg and several arms are
missing. As mentioned earlier, the temple is
not named after this goddess.
Harihara
Although many attributes are missing on
right side, this figure can be identified by
the gana at his lower right. Ganas are
attendants on Shiva, but his opposite side is
Vishnu ( with conch and discus attributes ,
and
attended by a female) , so taken
together this
figure must be Harihara.

CHOLAS
850 CE - 1250 CE

The period of the Cholas was an age of continuous improvement and refinement of
the Dravidian art and architecture. They utilised their wealth in building long-lasting
stone temples and exquisite bronze sculptures. Most of these still stand proudly.
Architecture
The Cholas continued the temple building traditions of the Pallava dynasty. The Chola
kings built numerous temples throughout the kingdom. The evolution of the temple
architectural styles can be divided into three phases - the early phase starting with
Vijayalaya Chola, the middle phase of Rajaraja Chola and Rajendra Chola when the
achievements scaled heights never reached before or since and the final phase during
the Chalukya Chola period of Kulottunga Chola I and after.

BRIDESHVARA TEMPLE
The Brihadeswara or Rajarajeswara Temple
of Shiva in Tanjore built by Rajaraja
Chola in 1010 A.D. is the largest and
highest of Chola temple. Undoubtedly,
the most impressive aspect of the
temple is the square tower that rises
some 66 metres above the ground,
directly over the sanctuary. This is built
of granite blocks laid without any mortar,
cantilevering inwards and hollow on the
inside. The tower is carried on walls
divided into two storeys, each marked by basement mouldings,
Pilastered walls with sculpture panels, and overhanging eaves, the upper
storey being completed by a parapet of model vaulted roof forms. The walls
are rhythmically divided into alternating recesses and projections, the latter
punctuated by niches to house carved images of Shiva in different aspects,
including Nataraja. They are replaced by guardian figures beside the
window openings in the middle of each side.
.

The tower above is a steeply pyramidal

composition of thirteen storeys, each with
pilastered walls and a parapet of model
roof forms, diminishing gradually in scale
to create an impression of limitless height.
This notion of a multi-storeyed
pyramidal tower is, in fact, an essential
The 13-stoned pyramidal tower
feature of the Dravida style, dating back to the
earliest South Indian temples of the seventh and eighth centuries. At the top is a
massive octagonal-to-dome roof, once though to consist of a single piece of
stone, but actually fashioned from several
tightly fitted sections

View of the gopura (portal) and the temple

The temple stands in a vast

Rectangular compound,
entered on the east through
a towered gateway known
as a gopura.
This entrance structure is
aligned with the temple
itself, the core of which
consists of a square linga sanctuary surrounded by a passageway
on two levels. Windows on three sides admit light into the
passageway, while at the same time giving expression to the
luminous energy of the linga radiating outwards. The shrine is
approached from the east through a vestibule with side doorways reached by flights of
steps. Further to the east are two spacious columned halls, intended for
congregational gatherings and public ceremonies

PANDYA ARCHITECTURE

1100-1350 AD
Pandya architecture includes both rock-cut and structural temples. The
early rock-cut temples have monolithic vimanas. The structural ones are
small stone temples and have all the features of bigger temples i.e.
vimana, mandapa and sikhara. Groups of small temples are to be seen at
Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu. The Shiva temples have a Nandi in
front of the maha mandapa.
The period of the latter Pandya rulers saw the development of elegant
vimanas with finely sculptured idols and the gopurams or portals of the
temples. The rectangular entrance or portals of the temple are called the
gopurams. The portions above the entrance is pyramidal in shape.
Gradually the gopurams were given more importance than the sikharas.
While the former were higher and more imposing, the latter declined in
height. Lofty gopurams of great proportions with lavish decoration were
constructed by succeeding dynasties.

Meenakshi Temple at Madurai

1. The Meenakshi Sundareswarar
temple (twin temples) is one of the
biggest temples in India. The plan for
the current temple structure was
laid by Viswanath Naik and was
completed by Tirumalai Nayakar.

2. There are 12 massive gopurams in

the temple, the four tallest gopurams at
the outer walls (The tallest is the southern
gopuram, measuring 49 metres). There are
four entrances. The main entrance is to the
Meenakshi Amman shrine.

 Ashta Shakthi Mandapam is

reached from the eastern gateway. It was built
by Thirumalai Nayakar's wives Rudrapathi
Ammal and Tholimamai. The scenes from the
Thiruvilayadals of the Lord and from Meenakshi
Amman's life as a princess are depicted on the
pillars of this mandapam.

The thousand pillared hall is an architectural &

engineering marvel, built in the 16th century. The
pillars have the Yazhi figure sculpted on
them. There are musical granite pillars just outside
this mandapam, which when struck yield different
musical notes.

The Meenakshi temple was designed

as a series of concentric courtyards,
or parikramas. The outermost ring
had buildings of a more practical
nature - accounts, dormitories,
kitchens, shops selling items for
rituals, maintenance areas and
'parking' for the increasing number of
chariots. The inner circles contained
parikramas for singing and religious
tales, bathing tanks and guest houses.
And in the innermost courts were the
pavilions for the dancing girls and the
treasury .
With temple building losing its
architectural challenge and becoming
more a town planning exercise, the
craftsman was restricted to working
on pavilions, halls and Gopurams, the
last of which grew ever larger and
imposing. The huge hall in the
Meenakshi temple needed 985 pillars
to support its roof. This is the famous
'Hall of a Thousand Pillars'.
Unfortunately its size cannot
compensate for its architectural
mediocrity,

Rameshwaram
Rameshwaram Temple is a famous Hindu
temple dedicated to god Shiva located in the
island of Rameswaram in the state of Tamilnadu,
India.
Like all ancient temples in South India, there is a
high compound wall (madil) on all four sides of
the temple premises measuring about 865 feet
furlong from east to west and one furlongs of 657
feet from north to south with huge towers
(Gopurams) at the east and west and finished
gate towers on the north and south. The temple
has striking long corridors in its interior, running
between huge colonnades on platforms above five feet high.

Temple Structure
The junction of the third corridor on the
west and the paved way leading from the
western gopuram to Setumadhava shrine
forms a unique structure in the form of chess
board and it is popularly known as
Chokkattan Madapam where the Utsva
deities are adorned and kept.
The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the word being
about 400 feet in each in the east and west and about 640 feet in north and
south and inner corridors are about 224 feet in east and west and about
352 feet each in north and south. Their width varies from 15.5 feet to 17
feet in the east and west about 172 feet on the north and south with width
varying 14.5 feet to 17 feet. The total length of those corridors is thus 3850
feet. There are about 1200 pillars in the outer corridor. Their height is about 30
feet from the floor to the center of the roof.

 Outer WingEast-West690
feet North-South435
feetInner wingEast-West649
feet North-South395 feet
Total number of pillars1212
Height of corridor is
22 feet 7.6 inch