Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

ARCHITECTURE

temples in India that are tied by history and period. The three sites are Aihole, Badami (originally Vatapi, capital of the early Western Chalukyas) and Pattadakal, where the three styles of architecture, Dravida (southern), Nagara (northern) and Vesara can be found. While some temples were built for the Jain relig-

Kailasa on which Shiva and Parvati are seated. Shiva overpowers the demon through the use of his big toe. On a sublime level, the story is an expression of faith in the power of Shiva, and the reas- surance that evil no matter how strong cannot suppress the great- ness of the God. An interesting feature is the addition of a separate shrine for the Saptamatrikas, showing increasing use of female symbolism, the female representing shakti, that is a necessary component for the achievement of release (moksa), i.e with the uni- versal reintegration. However, Hindus virtually abandoned the rock-cut technique in favour of structural buildings. Regional, cultural and artistic variations become increasingly discernible in North, South, Central (Deccan) India, especially ob- served in unique Kashmiri art which was dependent on influences from Bactro-Gandhara, Iran and Inner Asia. During the Karkota period (C 625-885 A.D.), the temple of Martand (the sun) depicts a Syro-Roman influence seen in the fluted columns and Hellenistic elements in the pediment motif, trilobate arches, surrounding per- istyle, vaulted arches and engraved columns. Other monuments in- clude the stupa at Parihasapura, Avantisvami temple in Avantipur (9th century) with great iconographic variations in Vaishnav sculp- tures. Artistic development of ivory and metal images from Ka- shmir follow the same patterns as those in stone, although divorced from any particular monument. Delicate images of Buddha from Karkota Utpala and Lohara periods are a continuum of stylistic trends which have an overlay of Gupta style. A standing figure of Buddha in brass is noteworthy with accentuated hips; the implicit movement in the figure bears a similarity to the walking Buddha of Thailand. The most elaborate known Kashmiri bronze is a crowned Buddha, seated on a lotus, flanked by stupas (dated 9 A.D) donated by a prince implying patronage by nobility. Worship of the Mother Goddess dates back to dim antiquity. In India worship of the Mother Goddess goes back to the time of the Indus Valley civilization that is about 3000 B.C. The goddess is a personification of the all-pervading power (shakti) of the all-pow- erful Lord. She is called by various names — Aditi (mother of gods), Lakshmi (goddess of fortune), Saraswati (goddess of wis- dom), Mahakali (destroyer of the evil), Prithvi (goddess of earth), Shailaputra (daughter of the mountains), Annapoorna (goddess of food), Siddhidatu (giver of success or perfection). She is the su- preme power responsible for the creation, preservation and de- struction of the universe. Sri Vaishno Devi is the most famous of the Shakti shrines in the country. It attracts lakhs of pilgrims from all Over India, and is situ- ated 39 miles north of Jammu. The shrine is located in the bosom of a mountain whose conical peaks rise up in a trinity, giving it the name of Trikuta. On this account the shrine is sometimes referred to as the Trikuta Devi. The mountain range is referred to as Devi dhar. The shrine is a natural cave in which on a raised rock platform, are three small images of Maha-Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Kali, representing the creative, preservative and destructive aspects of Divine Energy. The cave is nearly a hundred feet long. Inside it is a huge rock and a stream of crystal-clear cold water, issuing from a side of the cave. It is known as Charan Ganga.

ion, the majority are Hindu buildings but there is also a Buddhist temple. The chronology of these temples is a major problem for art historians as simple-to-elaborate structures is not necessarily the rule. The temples owe their debt to the Badami caves. An impor- tant cave is the Saivite Ravana Phadi at Aihole. A set of four caves at their capital Badami can be dated to 578 A.D. especially cave 3 which consists of a few Hindu paintings in Ajanta style. It consists

of three major units, the verandah, pillared hall of a small shrine at the rear, the arrangement based on a Buddhist vihara. The placement of the royal inscription next to a large sculptural relief showing Varaha was because Varaha was the dynastic symbol of the early Western Cha- lukyas and symbolised

their role as protector as the kings viewed themselves as incarna- tions of Vishnu. The sculptural programme of the cave consists of a number of gigantic panels showing various forms of Vishnu, while the Mithunas (couples) serve as bracket figures which becomes a motif in later Deccan style. Cave 1 has a unique figure of Shiva. Here is an extremely fine image of Nataraja, in a graceful pose. Cave 1 has an 18-armed dancing Shiva, a two-handed Ganesha, Mahishasuramardhini, Ardhanariswara and Sankaranarayana. Cave 2 has panels of Trivikrama and Bhuvaraha. Cave 3 has panels of Trivikrama, Narasimha, Sankara Narayana, Bhuvaraha, Anantasayana and Harihara. Cave 4 has an image of Mahavira adorning the sanctum. Other carvings are of Padmavathi and other Tirthankaras. Most early Western Chalukya temples may be con- sidered as 'regular' i.e categorised as being North or South with a conventional plan built. An example of northern type of sikhara may be seen in the Huchehimalli Gudi temple in Aihole. Once the capital of the early Chalukyan dynasty (6-8th C) it is a picturesque village on the banks of the Malaprabha river. It is historically famous as the cradle of Hindu temple architecture. There are about 125 temples divided into 22 groups scattered all over the village. The Durgagudi temple, dedicated to Vishnu appears like a Buddhist Chaitya. It is the most elaborately decorated monument in Aihole. There are panels from the Mahabharata and Ramayana and idols of

THE CHALUKYAS

The cradle of Hindu temple architecture may be said to be in the Deccan of the Chalukya empire with over 100 structural temples which constitute this earliest large corpus of extant structural