Lesson 1 of 2 | Art & Culture / Indian Architecture and Performing Arts
Temple Architecture: Nagara, Dravida and Vesara Styles
1 practice test
Basic parts of a Hindu temple
- Garbhagriha: sanctum housing the main deity.
- Mandapa: pillared hall for devotees.
- Shikhara / Vimana: tower above the sanctum (Shikhara in the north, Vimana in the south).
- Amalaka: ribbed stone disc on top of a Nagara shikhara; Kalasha is the finial.
- Antarala: vestibule connecting the sanctum and the mandapa.
Nagara style (North India)
- Curvilinear shikhara, usually no boundary wall or elaborate gateways.
- Built on a raised stone platform.
- Sub-schools: Odisha (Konark Sun Temple, Lingaraja), Khajuraho/Chandela (Kandariya Mahadeva), Solanki (Modhera Sun Temple).
Dravida style (South India)
- Pyramidal vimana rising in tiers; enclosed by a compound wall.
- Towering entrance gateways called gopurams (become dominant in later temples).
- Water tank inside the complex.
- Examples: Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram (Pallava), Brihadeeswara Temple, Thanjavur (Chola, Rajaraja I), Meenakshi Temple, Madurai (Nayaka).
Vesara style (Deccan)
- A hybrid of Nagara and Dravida features.
- Developed under the Later Chalukyas and Hoysalas.
- Examples: Hoysaleswara (Halebidu), Chennakeshava (Belur), star-shaped (stellate) plans.
Other highlights
- Pattadakal (Karnataka): UNESCO site showing both Nagara and Dravida temples side by side.
- Kailasa Temple, Ellora (Rashtrakuta, Krishna I): carved from a single rock.
Prelims tips
- Gopuram = Dravida; curvilinear shikhara with amalaka = Nagara.
- Associate each temple with its dynasty.
Analogy
Think of the three styles as three kinds of hats. Nagara is a tall, curved cone (beehive-shaped shikhara) with a round button (amalaka) on top; Dravida is a stepped, pyramid-like crown (vimana) with grand gates in front; Vesara is a designer hat that mixes both — a Deccan fusion of north and south.