LATE DRAVIDIAN PERIOD

Submitted by:
AMULYA GUPTA 2016UAR1175
ARUSHI SHARMA 2016UAR1131
SHUBHAM GUPTA 2016UAR1693
DRAVIDIAN STYLE is an architectural style of lower deccan region

It evolved in 5 phases:

1.PALLAVA
2.CHOLA
3.PANDYA
4.VIJAYNAGAR
5.NAYAKS

Dravidian Region
HUMAN ANALOGY OF
DRAVIDIAN TEMPLES
 pandyas
(Cir. 1100 to 1350)
•Succeeded Chola dynasty
•Dominated South for more than 2 centuaries
•Most temples already built by previous dynasties like Cholas
and Pallavas
•Hence only Subsidiary structures and facilities added
•Instead of constructing new temples, builders’ skill diverted
to give importance to outlying
portion
•But main shrines and images were not altered due to
sacredness and sentiments
• Innovations brought by Pandyas
GOPURAMS
• Imposing entrance pylon called Gopuram

Reasons for adding Gopurams

•Gives a long distance look to temples
•Without hurting the mythological
sentiments
built in the form of temples by previous
dynasties they highlighted their own
architecture in this form
 PLAN
•Rectangle is more efficient plan for Gopurams, as
The transition between divinity and the outer world
` Is more evident which the square plan wouldn’t have
accomplished
•Entrance – from the longer side.
•It has staircases on both sides leading to the upper
floors
•Door- Huge, Solid , Thick paneled, Solid wood ,
Decorated with metal sheet and two shutters.
Geometry of a Gopuram
•Pinnacles in row

•Inspired from barrel vault roof of buddhist chaitya grah

•Like base, the topmost tier is also rectangle in plan
•Truncated pyramidal part rising tier by tier over cubical base

•Rectangular cubical bottom containing entrance door.

•Egyptians used pylons too, but

they
were wide bodied and gopurams
were
higher bodied.
•Gopurams were highly
ornamented
•Egyptians had triportal entrance
 Rectangular voids are made from front to back
On each floor because:
•It allows light inside
•It gives relief to the solid mass of superstructure
•It reduces wind pressure

External Elements:
•Solid masonary – Soap Stone , Sand Stone and granite.
•Supertructure- Light materials like brick and plaster
•The width of the apex is half of its base.
• High enclosing wall surrounding the temple.

Reason
•Provided platform during battlement
and security to premises
VIJAYNAGAR EMPIRE

•Structures having harmony between nature and art were introduced

The repetition of the horse motifs in the pillars of this

period is remarkable

•It is UNESCO’S world heritage site

•Around this time along with all the pavillions and halls Kalyan Mandapa was also added
to building complex

•Secular structures like lotus mahal were built

 Order of Pillars

•Each pillar is figurative drama in stone

•Small scale shrines
•Capital – Ornamental brackets; below the bracket is
pendant terminating in a lotus bud

Pillar comprising
of different
shapes

Pillar with
superimposed
facade
Vitthalaswami Temple
The east end of the temple complex, looking west from front to back we see a square
platform the east face, of a Garuda shrine which faces the temple and the star shaped
Mandapa or great pillared hall of the temple.
STONE CHARIOT
•The stone chariot is Garuda shrine, which is a
mount of Vishnu
•It is said that the wheels rotate about their axles
in the chariot

KALYAN MANDAPA

•Marriage hall
•Used for ceremonies involving the symbolic marriage
of temple divinities to his consort.
•It contains platform in the centre for the
performance of sacred dances.
•Massive pillars, decorted with soldiers riding yalis
carry large brackets and roof beams
PORTICO
•Chinese ‘S’ style curved roof which contains stone loops
at the corners for the insertion of flagpoles.

SPECIAL FEATURES
•Elephants were used as step guards
•Lotus like carving on ceiling in square and circle
•The base of temple consists a series of mouldings called
PITHA.
•Further subdivided as ADISTHANA at the base and PADA
next to it
 Background: The Nayak Dynasty
The Nayak Dynasty emerged in South India after the collapse of the
Vijayanagar Empire. The Nayaks, former military governors of the
Vijayanagar emperors, declared their independence in 1565 and
established their own kingdoms, ruling from the 16th through 18th
centuries. Nayak rule was noted for its administrative reforms, its artistic
and cultural achievements, and the creation of a unique style of temple
architecture. They also renovated temples that had been sacked by the
Delhi Sultans. Thanjavur painting, a famous South Indian school of
classical painting, also emerged under the Nayaks.
 Nayak Architecture

Temples
There are many distinguishing features of Nayak temple architecture
as pioneered by the Nayaks of Madurai and Tanjore. Among the
main characteristics are the long corridors; the carved hundred-
pillared and thousand-pillared mandapas (outdoor temple halls or
porches); and the high, multi-storied gopurams (towers adorning the
entrance of a temple), richly decorated with brightly-painted stone
and stucco statues of animals, gods, and demons.
Arguably the greatest example of the Nayak style is the Meenakshi
Amman Temple at Madurai that was built between 1623 and 1655
CE. The temple has 10 ornate gopurams and a hall with 985 pillars ,
each of which is a sculpture in the Dravidian style.
The temple complex also includes a sacred temple tank,
the PorthamaraKulam, or Pond with the Golden Lotus. A portico on
the west side of the tank contains remnants of Nayak paintings.
MANDAPA, SRIRANGAM TEMPLE
The culmination of the Dravidian style is to be seen in the period of
the Nayak Rulers of Madurai who continued the building style and
technique of the Pandyas and improved on it.  The notable features
of the Nayak architecture are the hundred pillared mandapas, the
lofty gopurams embellished with figures in their minute detail, the
closed prakarams with huge pillars on either side, the beautiful
corbel brackets as in Ramanatha temple in Rameshwaram and full-
sized figures of animals and riders on rearing horses in the
Srirangam temple. The Madura style as it is called is marked by
high concentric boundary walls around the temples, intervening
courtyards called prakarams which contain pillared halls, store
rooms, other smaller shrines and square water tanks for ritual
baths.  The tank is surrounded by a pillared cloister and has steps
leading down to the water.
EAST GATE , MEENAKSHI TEMPLE,MADURAI
LONG CORRIDOR , RAMESHWARAM TEMPLE
SOURCES:-
INDIAN ARCHITECTURE by vedula V.L.N.
Murthy
BUDDHIST AND HINDU ARCHITECTURE IN
INDIA by Satish Grover
PERCY BROWN
THANK YOU