Essay name: Arts in the Puranas (study)
Author:
Meena Devadatta Jeste
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Pune
This essay studies the Arts in the Puranas by reconstructing the theory of six major fine arts鈥擬usic, Dance, Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Literature鈥攆rom the Major and Minor Puranas. This thesis shows how ancient sages studied these arts within the context of cultural traditions of ancient India.
Chapter 3 - Architecture in the Puranas
32 (of 62)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
The Hindu Temple is the pride of Indian architecture
and the art of supreme perfection. The majestic and marvellous
temples in Southern and Northern India are truly astonishing.
Their architectural technique and superb perfection are also
remarkable.
The remains of the Hindu temples in and after
the Gupta period, have exhibited the developed form, but it is
evident that long before the Matsya Purana and the Brhat-
Sadhita, Hindu temples had not only originated but had their
various forms.
Among the Puranas, the Matsya Purana, the Agni Purana,
and the Visnudharmottara Purana have given very valuable
information about the features and characteristics of the
temples and also the various types of temple architecture.
The Bhavisya Purana and the Garuda Purana have also contributed
to the subject.
Prasada is the common word used to denote a temple.
The Matsya Purana devotes two Chapters (Chs. 269 and 270)
to temple-building. Here 'Prasadas' are described with their
architectural details such as plans, measurements and
classifications. The Hindu temples were usually laid on the
plan of squares. The process of drawing the initial square is
described in the same way throughout the Vastusastra.
Four kinds of proportionate measurement of the Prasada
are given in the Matsya Purana (Chapter 269).
(1)
The first plan is according to the division of the area
of the Prasada into 16 squares. This is the simplest form
