Complete Art & Culture | Lec- 4: Temple Architecture: Dravidian and Vesara Style | UPSC | GS History

In the last video, we learned about the evolutionary history, basic elements of temples, and saw how Nagara style temples were developed in Northern India. Along with this, we also saw how Nagara style temples were developed in Western India, Central India and Eastern India with regional variations. Today, we will take a look at the temple architecture of Southern India. Just like Nagara style temples were developed in Northern India with regional variations, in the same way, distinct temple styles were found in the Indian Peninsula. Predominantly, two important styles are found in Southern India – Dravidian style and Visara style. First, we will talk about Dravidian style. Dravidian style Dravidian style temples are found from the Krishna river to Kanyakumari. These temples reflect the stylistic taste and local culture of the rulers. Their important features are as follows. The temple is enclosed by a compound wall. Gopuram or entrance gateways are intricately designed. Apart from this, the Vimana is made in a stepped pyramidal shape. In Dravidian style, Vimana is the equivalent of Shikhara. Along with this, Nagara style pot is called Shikhar here. Next feature is Dwarapalas. At the entrance of Garbhagriha, the sculptures of Dwarapalas are present, which guard the temple. A water tank is also found inside the compound. Subsidiary shrines are found inside or outside the main tower. Finally, Garbhagriha is found in the smallest tower. This is the oldest tower. As the population of the temple town increases, additional boundary walls are added. For example, Sri Ranganathar temple of Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli. Seven concentric rectangular enclosure walls are found here. Gopuram is present in each wall and the main shrine is in the center. Now let's understand Dravidian architecture with the help of Pallavas and Cholas temples. Pallava Architecture Temples were built in the southern states under the rule of King Mahendra Varman of the Pallava dynasty. Temples under the Pallavas evolved in four stages. In the first stage, rock temples were built under Mahendra Varman between 610-630 AD. These temples were called Mandapa. In the second stage, rock temples were built under Narasimha Varman between 630-668 AD. Rock temples were decorated with sculptures and Mandapas were divided into Rathas. The big Rathas are called Dharmaraj Ratha and the small Rathas are called Draupadi Ratha. In the third stage, under Rajasimha Varman between 690-800 AD, Real structural temples were built in this stage. Lastly, under Nandi Varman between 800-900 AD, the final stage was developed, where the temples were of very small size. Mamallapuram was an ancient port city in the Pallavas' reign, where marvellous architectural monuments are present. The monuments of Mamallapuram were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Important monuments are as follows. Pancharathas or Panchapandava Ratha. Here, five earliest rock-cut temples are found, in which Dharmaraj Ratha is the largest. Shore Temple. This temple was built by Rajasimha Varman. Where neighbouring temples were built in rock-cut style, this temple was built with the help of granite. This is considered to be the earliest structural temple in South India. The shrines of Shiva and Vishnu are found here. Its unique feature is that three main shrines are present here. One Shiva shrine is east-facing, the second Shiva shrine is west-facing and the third shrine is dedicated to Anantashayana Vishnu. Nandi sculpture is made on the outer walls of the temple. In 2019, the 2nd India-China Informal Summit between PM Modi and Xi Jinping was held here. After the decline of the Pallavas, a new style developed under the Cholas. Chola style, which is a part of Dravidian style. Chola temples. The Cholas incorporated the features of the Pallavas and brought variations. The most important among them is the Brihadeshwara temple of Tanjore. This Shiva temple was built by Rajaraja Chola in 1090 AD. It is an example of architectural grandeur. It is the largest and tallest compared to the Indian temples. Its pyramidal plane is around 70 meters high. A dome-shaped peak is also present on this plane, on which images of Nandi have been made. The peak is topped by a 3.8-meter-tall pot. Shiva deity is kept in a double-storied sanctum in the form of a lingam. Mural paintings and sculptures of mythological stories are decorated on the surrounding walls. If we talk about the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, the construction of this temple was completed by Rajendra I in 1035 AD. This square-shaped temple is dedicated to Shiva. However, Hindu deities like Vishnu, Durga, Surya, Harihara have also been displayed here. Along with Brihadeshwara temple, this temple is considered the largest Shiva temple in South India. With this, the construction of Airavateshwara temple was done by Rajaraja Chola II in 12th century in Tanjore. This temple is dedicated to Shiva. Here, stories have been depicted by intricately carving Mandapa pillars, like Parvati's penance, Shiva's marriage, Shiva's fight with Asuras. While the miniature panels depict the stories of 63 Nayanar saints or Shaiva saints, which shows that the Cholas believed in Shaivism. Let me tell you that to show the importance of these three temples, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Along with this, many regional variations were seen inspired by Northern and Southern styles, like Visara style. It is also called Deccan or Karnataka style. This style developed in the middle 7th century is a hybridized version of Nagara and Dravidian style. This style incorporated the curvilinear peak and square base of the city and imbibed the stepped peak and intricate carvings of Dravidian style. These were developed by three dynasties, Badami and Kalyani Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas and Hoyasalas. The important examples of Visara style are as follows. Pattadakal Temples This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are a total of 10 temples here, 4 in Nagara style, 4 in Dravidian style, 1 in Jain temple and Pavanatha temple, which is built in Visara style. Queen Loka Mahadevi of Chalukyan King Vikramaditya II, in the Dravidian style in 733 AD, established Virupaksha Temple here. Durga Temple of Aihole and Larkhan Temple are classical examples of Visara style. Other Regional Styles Three more regional styles developed in the Karnataka region. Hoyasala Architecture After the decline of Cholas and Pandyas, Hoyasalas became prominent in the south. They designed temples in Belur, Somnathapuram and Halebidu between 1050 AD and 1300 AD. There is a distinctive feature of these temples built in Visara style, where predominantly Panchayatan style was adopted. Hoyasalas evolved a new style, stellate pattern or star-shaped ground plan. Chlorite schist was the main building material. Hoyasaleshwar Temple of Halebidu is a classical example of this. Rashtrakuta Architecture Rashtrakuta Dynasty was established by Danti Durga in 735 AD. They established their capital in Manyakheda. If we talk about the cultural aspect, Rashtrakutas showed religious tolerance and patronized all religions. They adopted Dravidian or Pallava style and created many architectural marvels. Like Kailash Temple at Ellora. This temple found in Aurangabad, Maharashtra is an architectural beauty. Rashtrakuta King Krishna I built this temple in 8th century AD. There are a total of 34 Buddhist, Jain and Hindu caves in Ellora Caves. But the largest Hindu cave temple is Kailash Temple. It is said that this temple is made from one big stone from top to bottom. Approximately 7000 workers took more than 100 years to build this temple. This Kailash Temple is 276 feet long and 154 feet wide. There is a small Gopuram at the entrance of this temple, inside which there are life-sized elephants. Around the main temple, there are 5 subsidiary shrines, which are dedicated to Goddess Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. The main temple has three floors, which includes Sabha Griha, Nandi Mandap and Garbha Griha. The idol of Shiva Linga is present in Garbha Griha. There are many beautiful carvings here. Like Shiva in the form of Ardhanari and Veerabhadra, Ravana shaking the Kailash mountain and Ramayana, Mahabharata's unique stories. Due to these features, Kailash Temple is considered the climax of India's rock-cut temples. The next important marvel is the Elephanta Caves. There are a total of 7 caves here. There are 2 Buddhist caves on the east and 5 rock-cut Hindu cave temples on the west. These caves were built by the Rastrakutas. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. At the entrance, there is a 7-meter-high Sadashiva or Trimurti, which depicts the three forms of Shiva. Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Here you can also see a large Mahishmurti sculpture, in which Shiva is depicted in the center and Uma, Bhairava, on his side. Vijayanagar Architecture The Vijayanagar Empire established its capital in Hampi, Karnataka. They combined the Islamic architecture of Cholas, Hoyasalas, Pandyas, Chalukyas and Bijapur to develop a new style, which we call Vijayanagar style. Gopurams or Raya Gopurams were massive and were built on all four sides. In addition to this, there were more than one mandap in the temples. The central mandap is called Kalyan Mandap. The concept of secular building came during this time. Hampi city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which hosts many temples, such as Vitthalaswamy Temple, Lotus Mahal, Virupaksha Temple and Raghunath Temple. Here there is also Narsimha Onshesh or Snake Rocket Idol, which is an architectural beauty. In this way, we can see how temples evolved as religious institutions, although their importance was not limited to religion. Role of Temples Temples were also the nucleus of socio-economic, artistic and intellectual functions. If we talk about the Brihadeshwar Temple of Cholas, it required skilled manpower such as artisans and craftsmen for its construction and priests, cooks, musicians and dancing girls for daily activities. Because of this, temples became the centerpiece of the source of employment. In addition to this, temples became a tool of urbanization by fostering commercial activities. In addition to urban settlement, markets gave a new impetus to inland trade. Temples were given land as a gift. Irrigation facilities such as water tanks, canals and land reclamation activities also contributed to the agricultural sector. The Uttara Merur inscription of Kanchipuram mentions the educational functions of temples. Traditional subjects such as Vedas, grammar, mathematics, astronomy and astrology were also taught. Schools and colleges were attached to the temples and free boarding and lodging facilities were provided for students. Musicians and dancers were appreciated as an artistic hub and this art was passed on from generation to generation. In addition to these positive features, there were also many negative features. Temples helped to perpetuate the caste system. Brahmins were given the right to perform religious inscriptions and rituals and a hierarchy was established in the society. Brahmins were given the highest social status. With this, the Devadasi system was prevalent in ancient temples, which Kalidas has mentioned in Meghdoot. Under this system, a girl was dedicated to the worship and service of the deity. In addition to temple activities, she also practiced dance and music and was kept in a high social status. After the proliferation of the caste system, only lower caste girls were kept as Devadasis. Menial jobs such as cleaning the temple and exploitation by upper caste men began from them. Presently, the Devadasi system has been banned So friends, this was the aspect of our Indian history which still exists like a continuous tradition. Preserving these places of history is our responsibility because we are the protectors of our prosperous past and it is our duty to protect it for our future generations.