Complete Art & Culture - Lec-3- Temple Architecture - Nagara Style - UPSC - GS History By Aadesh - YouTube

Friends, today we will talk about the temple architecture of India. These temples have spread from massive structures to small-scale in every corner of the country. These temples are not only symbols of faith and religion, but also represent India's rich historical past and its architectural marvel. Through this video, we will see how temple architecture evolved in India, what are its basic elements, their classification and importance. Before knowing the structure of the temples, let's first know their evolution. Evolution of Temple Architecture It is believed that in Vedic times, most of the worship in India was based on fire. In the 3rd century, structures were built on the basis of stones and wood. In the 4th century, the establishment of rock-cut cave temples, which are found mostly in mountainous areas, such as Badami Cave Temple in Karnataka and Udayagiri-Khandagiri Caves in Odisha. In this way, complex structures evolved from these simple structures. In this video, we will see how we acquired mastery over these aspects over time. But as society advanced, the importance of temples changed. Temples became the hub of educational institutes, social gatherings, festivals and marriages. Eventually, temples became the nucleus of ancient cities, where markets, palaces and military garrisons began to settle near them. Madurai's Meenakshi Amman Temple, Puri's Jagannath Temple emerged as an ancient city temple. The development of complex structures began in the 5th century in the Gupta period. Guptas were the first artists of India who evolved complex temples from rock-cut shrines. Due to their architectural marvel, the Gupta period is also called the Golden Age of India. Where temples were evolving in northern India, the development of temples began in southern India in the 7th century under Pallava dynasty. Many monuments were established in Mamallapuram by Pallava ruler Rajasimha Varman. Among them, Ratha Temple, Varaha Kava Temple, Krishna Temple, Mahishasura Mardini Mandapa, Shore Temple Complex are considered architectural beauties. For this reason, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. After the rule of Pallavas, Cholas created architectural marvels in Dravidian style in the early 11th to 12th century. Brihadeshwara Temple in Tanjavur was constructed by Raja Raja I, Gangai Konda Cholapuram Temple by Rajendra I, and Airavateshwara Temple by Raja Raja Chola II. All these temples are called Great Living Chola Temples. Along with this, many regional styles were also developed, like Vaisara style under Chalukyas of Badami and Hoyasalas. Rastrakutas also inspired by Dravidian style in the 8th century and created many temples, like Kailash Temple, Ellora. Finally, in the late 14th century, Vijayanagar Empire became dominant in southern India. And they introduced distinctive Raya, Gopurams or gateways in temples and developed a unique style. Vitthalaswamy Temple in Hampi depicts the Vijayanagar style. Friends, this was the evolution of temple architecture. Now let's talk about the basic elements of a temple. The construction of Indian temples is based on the architectural principles of Shilpa Shastra and Vastu Shastra, where the relation between cosmic values, directions and alignments is explained. Before classifying temples, let's know the basic elements of Hindu temples. The first important element is Garbhagriha or Sanctum Sanctorum. Next is Mandapa. This is the entrance hall of the temple, where worshippers assemble. Then comes Shikhar or Viman. This is a mountain-like projection above the temple. In northern India, these are curvilinear and called Shikhar. In southern India, these are stepped pyramidal and called Viman. Next is Amalaka. This is a stone disc that can be seen above Shikhar. It is mostly found in northern Indian temples. Next is Kalash. This is the topmost part of the temple, which rests above Amalaka. This is a common feature in north Indian temples. Next element is Antarala. This is a narrow passage connecting Garbhagriha and Mandapa. Next is Jagati. This is a raised platform found in northern temples, on which devotees can sit and pray. The final element is Vahana. This is the vehicle of the main deity and is positioned right in front of Garbhagriha. Friends, these were the basic elements of Indian temples. Let's talk about the classification of temple architecture based on this. Classification of Temple Architecture Temple architecture can be seen in different forms at different places. The details and carvings of temple design are quite different in northern and southern India, which reflect their culture and values. Broadly, there are three types of temple architecture. First is Nagara style. Second is Dravidian style. And third is Vaisara style. First, let's talk about Nagara style. Nagara style Around 5th century AD, Nagara style temples were developed around cities. Nagara style roughly extends from the Himalayas to the Vindhyan ranges. In the Gupta period, Nagara style temples evolved in five stages. First stage Sanchi's temple number 17 is its best example. In this stage, temples were flat-roofed and square-shaped. Platforms were at lower elevation and the pillars were also very shallow. Second stage Parvati temple of Nachana Kothura in Madhya Pradesh is a good example of this. Raised platforms and covered ambulatory passage or Pradakshina path were distinct features of this stage. Third stage Dashavatar temple in Deogarh, UP is a good example of this. Shikhar was developed instead of a flat roof. Panchayatan style was developed with this. According to this style, the main temple was square-shaped with an elongated mandap in front of it. Four subsidiary shrines were placed on the opposite sides of this mandap. Fourth stage Ter temple in Sholapur, Maharashtra is a good example of this. Here, the main temple was rectangular-shaped from square. Fifth stage Rajgir's Maniyar Math reflects this stage. During this stage, temples were circular-shaped with rectangular projections. There are many important features of Nagara style. Like Temples are built on upraised platforms and Panchayatan style temples are groundworked. With this, mandapa or assembly hall is built right in front of the principal shrine. Garbhagriha is located directly below the tallest Shikhar. Outside the Garbhagriha, images of Ganga and Yamuna goddesses are made. Shikhar can be one or many and there are three types of Shikhar. Rekhaprasad or Latina, Phamsana and Vallabhi. A fluted disk or amlak is present on top of the Shikhar. Spherical-shaped pot tops the amlak. In temples, the wall is divided into three vertical planes, which are called Rathas. From Tirathas, Pancharathas, Saptarathas and Navarathas also came into existence. Narrative sculptures were made on these walls. Garbhagriha is enclosed by a covered Pradakshina path or ambulatory passage. There are no water tanks and gateways here compared to Dravidian style. Now let's talk about how Nagara style developed in different regions. Nagara style in various regions. Central India In Central India, Nagara style is found in UP, MP and Rajasthan. Temples are made here with the help of sandstone. The classical examples of this region are as follows. The first is Dashavatar Vishnu Temple in Devgarh, Uttar Pradesh. This is a classical example of the temple architecture of the late Gupta period. This temple built in Panchayatan style is topped with Rekha Prasad Shikhar. This is a west-facing temple, while majority temples were north or east-facing. Vishnu has been depicted on the temple walls in three forms. First, Shesh Shayana in the southern wall. Second, Nar Narayan in the east. Third, Gajendra Moksha in the west. It is said that the subsidiary shrines were also in the form of Vishnu. That's why this temple is called Dashavatar. The second important architecture marvel is Khajuraho temple of MP. This temple built in 10th century is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by Chandela rulers and it is made of sandstone. Inspired by Vatsayana's Kama Sutra, many erotic sculptures are present here. Temples are dedicated to Hindu and Jain region. Along with this, some temples like 64 Yogini temple is dedicated to Yogini, which is a part of Tantric worship. There are many important temples in Khajuraho, such as Kandariya Mahadev temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Lakshmana temple is considered to be the grandest temple of Khajuraho. It was established by Chandela King Dhanga in 954 AD. Now we will talk about Western India. Western India Nagara style temples built in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Western MP are mostly made of sandstone. Temples were built in this region by Solanki rulers. A classic example of this is the Sun Temple of Gujarat's Modhera. This temple was built by King Bheemdev I of Solanki dynasty. The most special thing about this temple is Suryakund. Suryakund is a rectangular stepped tank, which used to be a sacred water body. Apart from this, toran or decorated gateways lead to the assembly hall. Central shrine wall is plain. An interesting feature of this temple is that it is east facing. Because of this, every year during equinoxes, sun rays directly fall on the central shrine. Now we will talk about Eastern India. Eastern India Nagara style is found here in Northeast, Odisha and Bengal. Let's start with Assam. Assam Gupta influence is seen in Assam till 10th century. Ahom is a mixture of Pala style of Burmese and Bengal. For example, Kamakhya temple of Guwahati. This is a Shakti Peeth, which is dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya. Now let's see Bengal. Bengal Between 9th to 11th century, Pala rulers, who were Buddhist patrons, developed Pala style. And made many Viharas, Chaityas and Stupas. With this, between 11th to 13th century, Sena rulers, who were Hindu patrons, developed Sena style. An important example of this is Siddheshwara Mahadev temple of Barakar. This temple was made of burnt bricks and clay mixture, which is called terracotta bricks. Curved or sloping roof is present on the buildings, which is also called Bangla roof. Mughals utilized this in their architecture. Figures were polished a lot, which made them look metallic and lustrous. Now let's talk about Odisha. Odisha In Odisha, a distinct style developed, which is also called Kalinga style. Here, the peak or dual is almost vertical and suddenly goes to the top while taking an inward curve. Right in front of the dual is Mandap or Jagmohan. Exterior wall is intricately carved, but inner walls are plain. Temple is surrounded by boundary walls. Jagannath temple of Puri and Lingraj temple of Bhuvaneshwar reflect this style. But the best example of this style is Konark, Sun temple of Konark. This temple was built in 1240. This architectural marvel was made by Narsinghadev I of Eastern Ganga dynasty. Temple is built on a raised platform and detailed carvings are present. Here, 12 pairs of gigantic wheels are sculpted, which represent the chariot wheels of Sun God. This temple is also called Black Pagoda. Because according to folklore, when European sailors used to travel, the Sun temple looked completely like a black rock. In 1984, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To signify its cultural heritage, Konark Sun Temple has been depicted on the reverse side of Rs. 10. In this way, we can see how Nagara style gave a new form to the temple architecture of India. The development of these complex structures from a simple rock-cut cave temple reflects India's rich cultural heritage. And gives us a new perspective to understand the culture of those regions. In the next video, we will see how Dravidian and Visara style of architecture evolved. And how various regional variations developed there. See you in the next video.