The Nagara or North Indian temple style: Entire temple is generally built on a stone platform with steps leading to it. No grand boundary walls or gateways (unlike the Dravida style). Earlier temples had one shikhara whereas latter temples had many. The garbhagriha is located directly beneath the tallest shikhara. Subdivisions of Nagara Style Rekha-Prasada/Latina: …
Nagara or North Indian Temple Style – UPSC Prelims Read More »
Dravidian Architecture Two broad orders of temples in the country are known as: Nagara in the north and Dravida in the south. At times, the Vesara style of temples as an independent style created through the selective mixing of the Nagara and Dravida orders is mentioned by some scholars. Features of Nagara and Dravida Orders of Temples: Unlike the …
Basic elements of a Hindu Temple: Garbhagriha: Literally means womb-house. It is a cave-like sanctum which houses the main icon of the temple. In earlier times, it was a small cubicle with one entrance. In later periods, it grew into a larger chamber. Mandapa: It is the entrance to the temple. It could be a …
It is the building style developed under the rule of the Hoysalas between 11th and 14th century and is mostly concentrated in southern Karnataka. Hoysala temples are sometimes called hybrid or vesara as their unique style seems neither completely dravida nor nagara, but somewhere in between. They are easily distinguishable from other medieval temples by their highly original star-like ground-plans and a profusion of decorative …