Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture)
by Bhagyashree Sarma | 2021 | 59,457 words
This page relates 鈥楾he Vishnudharmottara-purana and Temple Architecture of India鈥� of the study on the elements of Art and Architecture according to the Vishnudharmottara Purana: an ancient text whose third book deals with various artisan themes such as Architecture, Painting, Dance, Grammar, etc. Many chapters are devoted to Hindu Temple architecture and the iconography of Deities and their installation rites and ceremonies.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
4. The Vi峁ａ箛udharmottara-pur膩峁嘺 and Temple Architecture of India
Ancient Indian scriptures on Architecture state about three major styles of temple architecture viz. 狈腻驳补谤补, 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 and Vesara.[1] Though the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 haphazardly states the types of some temple such as himav膩na, m膩lyav膩na, 艣峁涐箛驳补惫腻苍, 腻驳腻谤补, bhavana, 驳峁沨补 etc.[2] This work does not divide them in any particular categories. But if we see the lists of three types of temples i.e. 狈腻驳补谤补 etc., stated in the 厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补 and Mayamata, it can be noticed that the types of temple mentioned in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 can be included under these three categories of types of Temple.
The 厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补 gives a list of 狈腻驳补谤补 type of temples and the list goes as:
- Meru,
- Mandara,
- 碍补颈濒腻艣补,
- 痴颈尘腻苍补肠补苍诲谤补,
- Nandana,
- Samadga,
- Padma,
- 骋补谤耻岣峚,
- 狈补苍诲墨惫补谤诲丑补苍补,
- Gaja,
- 骋峁沨补谤腻箩补,
- 痴峁涐梗补,
- 贬补峁僺补,
- Kumbha,
- Sarvatobhadra,
- 厂颈峁僪补,
- Vartula,
- Caturasra,
- 颁补迟耻峁辞峁嘺,
- 峁岣峚艣膩艣raa and
- 础峁ａ弓腻艣谤补.[3]
Some of the temples such as 碍补颈濒腻艣补, Nandana, Padma, 骋补谤耻岣峚, 狈补苍诲墨惫补谤诲丑补苍补, 骋峁沨补谤腻箩补, 痴峁涐梗补, 贬补峁僺补, Sarvatobhadra etc. as mentioned in the list of 狈腻驳补谤补 type of temples are also mentioned in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺. Moreover, the 厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补 says that the temples having storeys should be included under the category of 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 style of temple.[4] Thus the temples having storeys as mentioned in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 can be included under the 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 style of temple. The 厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补 states that the 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 style of temple consists of storeys up to twelve in number[5] which the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also seems to accept.[6] Again, the Vesara style of temple architecture is an admixture of 狈腻驳补谤补 and 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 type of temple architecture.[7] According to the Mayamata, the Vesara type of temples should be in round shape.[8] In the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 also the references of temples in circular or round shape are found.[9]
The temples of Northern, North-Western, North-Eastern and Eastern regions of India basically fall under the category of 狈腻驳补谤补 style of temple architecture.[10] The following figures show some pictures of 狈腻驳补谤补 style of temple.
Figure: Kedarnath Temple[11]
Figure: Lakshmana Temple[12]
Figure: Jagannath Temple[13]
The 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 style of temple basically denotes the temples of Southern India. Geographically the 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 style of temple belongs to the regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and some parts of Andhra Pradesh.[14] The following figures show some pictures of temples of 顿谤腻惫颈岣峚 style.
Figure: Brihadiswara Temple[15]
Figure: Ekambareswara Temple[16]
Figure: Padmanabhaswamy Temple[17]
Figure: Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple[18]
The temples of central parts of India i.e. between the Vindhyas and the river Krishna basically belong to the group of Vesara style of temple. The Vesara style of temples were built by the later Calukyas, in the Kanarese Districts, and by the Hoysala Dynasty, in Mysore.[19] The following figures show some pictures of temples of Vesara style.
Figure: Yellamma Temple, Badami[20]
Figure: Dodda Basappa Temple[21]
Figure: Keshava Temple[22]
Moreover, some fundamental parts of a temple viz. 箩补驳补迟墨, 产丑奴尘颈办腻, 办补峁璱, 办奴峁璦, 艣颈办丑补谤补, 办补濒补艣补, garva驳峁沨补, 尘补峁囜笉补辫补, 肠补苍诲谤补艣腻濒腻, 尘别办丑补濒腻, 惫补濒补产丑墨, 诲惫腻谤补 etc. are also discussed in the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺. The Hindu temple architecture reflects a close association with these fundamental parts of a temple. Here, the famous Kamakhya temple of Assam can be taken as a glaring example.
The following figures show the main parts of Kamakhya temple of Assam.
Figure: 闯补驳补迟墨 of Kamakhya temple[23]
Figure: 碍补峁璱 of Kamakhya temple[24]
Figure: 碍耻峁璦蝉 of Kamakhya Temple[25]
Figure: 艢颈办丑补谤补, 膧尘补濒补蝉腻谤补办补蝉 and 碍补濒补艣补蝉 of Kamakhya Temple
Figure: Garva驳峁沨补 of Kamakhya Temple from the outside
The Kamakhya temple comprises three 尘补峁囜笉补辫补s which are locally known as 肠补濒补苍迟腻, bhoga尘补峁囜笉补辫补 or 辫补帽肠补谤补迟苍补 and 苍补峁璦尘补苍诲颈谤补[26] . The pictures of the three 尘补峁囜笉补辫补s are shown below.
Figure: 惭补峁囜笉补辫补蝉 of Kamakhya Temple
Moreover, having 产丑奴尘颈办腻s i.e. storeys are the speciality of temples of southern India. The temples of south India are also associated with all the parts of temple architecture mentioned above. The pictures of some temples of south India with their different parts are figured here.
Figure: 叠丑奴尘颈办腻蝉 of Rameswaram Temple[27]
Figure: Garbha驳峁沨补 and 惭补峁囜笉补辫补 of Shore Temple from outside[28]
Figure: Garbha驳峁沨补 of B膩l膩j墨 Temple from inside[29]
Again, the 痴颈峁ａ箛耻诲丑补谤尘辞迟迟补谤补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 suggests that there should be two statues of lion in the both sides of the steps of a temple which is seen to be followed in many of the Hindu temple architecture. In the Sun temple of Konark and Kamakhya temple of Assam the statues of lions can be noticed in both sides of the front steps of the main building. The following pictures can be the proof of this expression.
Figure: Statues of lions in the Sun Temple[30]
Figure: Rock cut carvings of lions in the Kamakhya temple[31]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Vide, ch.4, f.n.103
[3]:
[...] 厂补尘补谤腻峁単补峁嘺蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补, Vol-2, 63,1-34
[4]:
Ibid., Vol-1, Introduction, p.cxiv
[5]:
Ibid., Vol-2, 62.1-219
[6]:
Vide, ch.4, f.n.109
[7]:
Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Vol-2, p.291
[9]:
. Vide, ch.4, f.n.108
[10]:
Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Vol-1, p.295
[11]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: Dr. Sushma Shallakaul, Date of picture taken: 29.12.2020, Venue: Kedarnath Temple, Uttarakhand. https://insider.in/kedarnath-trek-ex-pune-mumbai-jun42021/event.
[12]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: Christopher Voitus, Date of picture taken:13.10.2003, Venue: Lakshman Temple, Khajuraho, Northern Madhya Pradesh.
[13]:
[15]:
[16]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: Ram Prakash, Venue: Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, https://www.reddit.com/r/hinduism/comments/i9qrsd/the_ekambareswarar_temple_in_kanchipur am_is_a/
[17]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: PTI photo, Venue: Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/padmanabha-swamytemple-treasure-rights-travancore-royal-family-thiruvananthapuram-kerala-supreme-courtverdict-633805
[18]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: https://www.rvatemples.com Venue: Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna, Mysore.
[19]:
Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Vol-2, p.291
[20]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: Dinesh Kannambadi, Date of picture taken: 1.08.2008, Venue: Yellamma Temple, Badami,
[21]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: Dinesh Kannambadi, Date of picture taken:21.07.2007, Venue: Dodda Basappa temple, Dambal, Karnataka.
[22]:
Source: Google, Picture Credit: Raggi Mudde, Date of picture taken: 20.07.2011, Venue: Keshava Temple, Somanathapura, Mysore.
[23]:
Picture is taken by myself. Date of picture taken: 06.02.2021
[24]:
Picture taken by myself, Date of picture taken: 06.02.2021
[25]:
Picture taken by myself, Date of picture taken: 06.02.2021
[26]:
Design for Tomorrow, Vol-1, P.623
[27]:
Source: Google, Photo Courtesy: templepurohit.com, Venue: Rameswaram Temple, Tamil Nadu, https://acmaain.wordpress.com/2019/05/14/arulmigu-ramanathaswamy-temple-rameswaram/
[28]:
Source: Google, Photo Credit: Sakthibalan, Date of picture taken: 18.01.2012, Venue: Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu,
[29]:
[30]:
Picture Credit: KEVINSTANDAGEHOTOGRAPHY, [email protected], Posted on: 13.03.2020, Venue: Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha.
[31]:
Photo is taken by myself. Date of picture taken: 06.02.2021, Venue: Kamakhya temple, Guwahati, Assam.