Hindu temple architecture
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Temple architecture in the Hindu tradition is religious architecture connected to astronomy and sacred geometry. The temple is a representation of the macrocosm (the universe) as well as the microcosm (the inner space).
A basic Hindu temple consists of an inner sanctum, the garbha griha or womb-chamber, in which the image is housed, often with space for its circumambulation, a congregation hall, and possibly an antechamber and porch. The sanctum is crowned by a tower-like shikara. At the turn of the first millennium CE two major types of temples existed, the northern or Nagara style and the southern or Dravida type of temple. They are distinguishable by the shape and decoration of their shikharas (Dehejia 1997).
- Nagara style: The tower is beehive shaped.
- Dravida: The tower consists of progressively smaller storeys of pavilions.
The earliest Nagar temples are in Karnataka (e.g. Galaganath at Pattadakal) and some very early Dravida-style temples (e.g. Teli-ka-Mandir at Gwalior) are actually in North India. A complex style termed Vesara was once common in Karnataka which combined the two styles.
This may be seen in the classic Hindu temples of India and Southeast Asia, such as Angkor Wat, Brihadisvara Temple, Khajuraho, Mukteshvara, and Prambanan.
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[edit] Design and history
The Magadha empire rose with the Shishunaga dynasty in around 650 BC. The Ashtadhyayi of Panini, the great grammarian of the 5th century BC speaks of images that were used in Hindu temple worship. The ordinary images were called pratikriti and the images for worship were called archa (see As. 5.3.96-100). Patanjali, the 2nd century BC author of the Mahabhashya commentary on the Ashtadhyayi, tells us more about the images. Deity images for sale were called Shivaka etc., but an archa of Shiva was just called Shiva. Patanjali mentions Shiva and Skanda deities. There is also mention of the worship of Vasudeva (Krishna). We are also told that some images could be moved and some were immoveable. Panini also says that an archa was not to be sold and that there were people (priests) who obtained their livelihood by taking care of it.
Panini and Patanjali mention temples which were called prasadas. The earlier Shatapatha Brahmana of the period of the Vedas, informs us of an image in the shape of Purusha which was placed within the altar.
The Vedic books describe the plan of the temple to be square. This plan is divided into 64 or 81 smaller square, where each of these represent a specific divinity.
Amongst the foremost interpreters of Indian art and architecture are Lokesh Chandra and Kapila Vatsyayan.
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[edit] See also
- Sthapatya Veda
- Vaastu Shastra
- Vedic altars
- Indian architecture
- Hoysala architecture
- Chola art
- Indonesian architecture
- Rock-cut architecture
- Indian rock-cut architecture
[edit] References
- Dehejia, V. (1997). Indian Art. Phaidon: London. ISBN 0-7148-3496-3.
- Mitchell, George (1988). The Hindu Temple, University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL. ISBN 0-226-53230-5
- Rajan, K.V. Soundara (1998). Rock-Cut Temple Styles. Somaiya Publications: Mumbai. ISBN 81-7039-218-7
[edit] External links
- Tamil genius engineering
- Indian Temples
- Brihadishvara Temple from Indira Kalakendra
- Mukteshvara Temple from Indira Kalakendra
- Dravidian Temple Architecture
- Space and Cosmology in the Hindu Temple
- Hindu-Buddhist Southeast Asian Temples
- Gedung Songo Hindu Temple in Java
- Hindu Javanese Temples
- Temples of India - A cultural synthesis
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