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32
The Structural Temples of Gujarat
from the lowest over the porch (ardha ma峁囜笉apa), to the lofty
spire over the sanctum. In some parts of the country it became
the practice to enclose the temple building within a rectangular
courtyard by means of continuous range of cells, facing inwards,
the whole forming a substantial surrounding wall, and this
ensuring seculsion. Most of the early temples have a processional
passage or pradaks岣�i峁嚹� patha consisting of an enclosed corridor
carried around the outside of the cella.1
(ii) The Different Forms Of The Sikhara And The
Classification Of Temples.
The early works like Brahatsa峁僪ita and Agni Pur膩峁嘺,
give the classification of temples on the norms of proportional
measure and are silent about the distinct styles and about their
geographical distribution or racial origin.
However, in temple architecture one type of structure is
distinguished and differentiated from other types mainly by
the shape of the Sikhara. By the shape of the Sikhara we have
to understand the inner shape that is to say the original shape
at horizontal section. The curvilinear lines are developed on
the outer face in a later day construction. Thus the curvilinear
and bulging aspect has no functional side and is chiefly
ornamental in design i. e. it is a subsidiary feature built into
the square Sikhara as a matter of ornamentation in the course
of the development of temple architecture. And so the shape
of the horizontal section of the Sikhara has become a deter-
mining factor in the classification of styles of temple architecture.
Taking the shape of the Sikhara as the fundamental basis
of classification, nearly all the ancient Indian writers and autho-
rities have laid down the three main styles of temple architetcure
known as 'Nagara' 'Dr膩vida' and 'Vesara'. If the shape of
1. IABH p. p. 75