Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

ARCHITECTURE

The attics which are at angles of the temples are called 'kama-kudu'. They have a roof of a square or circular section and are surrounded by a single stupi. Those which are placed in the middle are called 'salai'. They have an elongated roof and have three stupi. Between the 'karnakudu' and the 'salai' are found some kind of little windows called 'panjaram'. Note : The size of the Karnakudu is double that of the Panjaram but it is only of the size of the Salai.

Panjaram

Kama Kudu

The following factors should be kept in mind. The upapitha is sometimes simple and sometimes ornamental. In the adhistana the moulding called padma is not indispen- sable. Similarly the kumuda sometimes has a blunt corner but sometimes is also represented as a tore. There are two kinds of ornamentation of temple walls viz. (i) the 'gosta panjara' which contain images of the subsidiary deities, done in high relief and (ii) the 'kumbha panjara' which is a pilaster and the role of which is purely decorative. Architecture of entrance Gopura and Mandapa This is a solid stone structure. The style of the pilasters on the outer walls indicates the Chola style. There are inscriptions of the Yadava King of 1217 A.D. There are some more inscriptions on the Gopura basement belonging to 13th C A.D. There are quite a number of figures of Hanuman, Narasimha etc. in this. This Gopura has been almost totally rebuilt. Pratima Mandapa This contains the bronzes of the Vijayanagar King Krishnadeva Raya and his two consorts. The mandapa is exquisite and full of sculptures. Dhwajastamba Mandapa A very narrow mandapa in the western part of the temple has two rows of five pillars each in the north and the south. The pitha or base of this mandapa is covered in glittering gold plates. This has panels depicting Vishnu in the Matsyavatara, Kaliyamardana (Krishna dancing on the serpent Kaliya), Venugopala (Lord Krishna playing on the flute). Gajendra Moksha (elephant caught by a crocodile praying to Lord Vishnu), Lord Srinivasa's marriage scene, Mohini (Vishnu as damsel), Lord Vishnu on Garuda etc. Tirumalaraya Mandapa Pillar Mandapa built in the typical Vijayanagar style. This has a central pillar surrounded by a smaller one, the main pillar having rearing horses with mounted warriors. There is a pavilion in black granite in the middle of the mandapa. Kalyana Mandapa The spacious Kalyana mandapa is very famous for its exquisite sculptures. It has a 4 pillared central mandapa. It is made of highly polished black granite. It is the greatest masterpiece of Vijay- anagar workmanship.

Pavitrotsava Mandapa The architecture of the mandapa is the same as the Kalyana mandapa. Ranga Mandapa It is in the south-east corner of the courtyard with a small portico. The mandapa proper contains 9 pillars. The front part of the shrine consists of an entrance flanked by a salakoshta on either side. The kapota decorated with nasikas surmounted by simhala- latas surmount the entire front.

Glossary of Temple Architecture

Amalaka

: Crowning, lotiform member of shikhara

Antarala

: Vestibule, chamber in front of shrine or cella.

Bh.ad.ra

: In Orissan architecture, a structure with a roof in the form of a terraced pyramid; flat face or facet of the shikhara.

Bhavanam

: Temple

Bhoga Mandapa

: Literally the ground on which all things are founded; in architecture, the successive planes or divisions of a Dravidian temple or the horizontal courses of a shikhara. : Originally, a tumulus (chita) but subsequently a sanctu- ary of any kind; sanctuary in the form of an apsidal hall. : In Bengal & Orissa, generic name for a temple as a whole but it is also used to signify the sanctuary only such as cella and its tower, the vimana.

Chaitya

Deal

Devagara

: Temple