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Gujrat Temple Architecture

1. Gujarat temple architecture is divided into pre-Solanki and Solanki styles. Pre-Solanki temples from the 6th-8th centuries like the Temple of Gop were simple structures. 2. Under the powerful Solanki rulers in the 11th century, peace was restored and grand temples like the Surya Temple at Modhera were constructed. 3. Solanki style temples have distinct features like a basement with decorative carvings, an ornate wall and roof section, and an elaborate shikhara tower over the inner sanctum.

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567 views22 pages

Gujrat Temple Architecture

1. Gujarat temple architecture is divided into pre-Solanki and Solanki styles. Pre-Solanki temples from the 6th-8th centuries like the Temple of Gop were simple structures. 2. Under the powerful Solanki rulers in the 11th century, peace was restored and grand temples like the Surya Temple at Modhera were constructed. 3. Solanki style temples have distinct features like a basement with decorative carvings, an ornate wall and roof section, and an elaborate shikhara tower over the inner sanctum.

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Adrish Naskar
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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NORTH INDIAN TEMPLE

ARCHITECTURE
GUJARAT STYLE
BY:
JHANKAR(024)
ARUN(025)
YASHASWINI(026)
SHREYA(027)
PRAVALIKA(028)
DAKSHI(030)
INTRODUCTION

 Natural artistic talent and good taste together with the affluence that came from its being on the
trade route between east and west made this region and its environs one of the richest and most
prolific centres of art in india
 Unfortunately, the ravages of climate invasions and destructive earthquake early in the nineteenth
century has ruined and destroyed many of its architectural monuments.
 In 1025 afghan ruler, mahmood of ghazini ravaged many temples, particularly somnath temple
 Under the powerful solanki rulers, peace and prosperity were quietly restored and the temples were
not only repaired but many others of excellent quality were added
Gujarat architecture is divided into
Pre solanki period
Solanki style
PRE SOLANKI
 These temples attributed to the Maitrakas of
Valabhi, are very simple and small
 The oldest known structural building is the
TEMPLE OF GOP, Jamnagar(6TH CENTURY
AD)
 Bileswar temple,junagarh(7th century AD)
 Varaha temple,kadwar(early 8th century)
 Surya temple,sutrapada(early 8th century)
TEMPLE OF GOP
 This ruined structure stands on basement of two terraces
 The upper slightly smaller level may have served as the pradakshina
patha
 The temple consists only of sanctuary.
 Its bare walls have a tower like appearance with no more than two
grooves at the top to relieve their plain severity
 The domical finial crowns the whole
 The pyramidal superstructure consists of stepped courses, the lower
one decorated with two chaitya dormers and the upper course with one
 More than 50 such temples with the roof comprising 3-5 tires have
been found in the coastal region of gujarat
TEMPLE OF GOP
LATE 7TH & EARLY 8TH CENTURY
 The temples of the late 7th and early 8th century such as
the Varaha temple and the Surya temple exhibit a
transition to the northen type with a rudimentary
shikhara in the triratha form, a garba griha with a
pradakshina patha and a closed mandapa with a porch
and a sloping roof
 They retain the chaitya ornaments of the gop type
 The temples of late 8th century have shikharas over the
garba griha, entrance porches and occasional mandapas
with simple pyramidal roofs
SOLANKI STYLE
 Under the solanki dynasty who became powerful in early 11th
century restored peace and order after the sack of mahmood of
ghazini
 The solankis ruled until the end of 13th century when they were
overthrown by the invasions of delhi sultans
 Example:
 Surya temple, modhera
 Rudresvara temple, prabhas pathan
 Navalakha temple, sejakapur
 Rudramala, sidhpur
SOLANKI STYLE
 The general plan of solanki style temple comprises the garbagriha, the
gudha mandapa(closed hall) and subha mandapa(porch)
 In addition the larger temples have a sabha mandapa, an open, detached
pillar hall
 In many cases this is preceded by a kirti torana and a kunda(tank) in the
very front
 Horizontally this temple is divided into three main sections :
the pitha(base)

mandovara(wall surface upto the cornice)


roofing
 The whole temple stands on kharasila(paved terrace)
 The pitha is composed of a series of mouldings and string courses
with repeating motifs arranged in a fixed order :
 raksasas(horned heads) on the garaspatti(lowest band)
 elephant front on the gajapitha, just above the former
 horses on the asvathara higher up
 The narathara(top row) is adorned with human figures
 The upper surface of the pitha forms the floor of the building
 This basement supports the second or middle division
 Its vertical wall face is reserved for deities enshrined in the niches
all around the building
TEMPLE COMPONENTS
 The mandapas are covered by a low pyramidal roof
composed of horizontal courses diminishing as they rise
and terminating in a vase shape finial
 A sanvarana roof is a special roof consisting of a
pyramidal composition of a diagonally arranged rooflets
crowned by bell members
 Urushringas, almost in ground surround the lower portion
of the shikhara over the garbagriha
 This shikhara is most distinctive feature of the western
temple
SURYA TEMPLE, MODHERA
 Built in 1026 AD
 Majestic even in its ruins, its setting and organic harmony give it a unique architectural
and aesthetic grandeur
 From its setting on a high platform it looks down upon a tank which mirrors its
magnificence
 The temple made of golden brown sandstone faces east so that the light of the rising sun
penetrates to the shrine of the sun god in its farthest end
 Small flights of step on either side interspersed with the miniature shrine give the
tank(on the western side of temple) an indescribable elegance
 The kharasila ( broad terrace) constructed of a solid brick faced with stone forms an
imposing courtyard all around the building
 At the top of the steps stands a majestic keerti torana
 Immediately behind begins the temple complex proper consisting of 3 separate but
axially aligned structures. These are harmoniously blended with the usual three fold
elevations, thus giving them a concerted relationship
SABHAMANDAPA
 The sabha mandapa (pillared hall) rises behind the keerti torana(a diagonally aligned
hall)
 At the four cardinal points of the hall are the entrance
 At the angles are short pillars forming an open arcade
 A wide continuous chajja projects all around the lowest part of the roof, and has a triple
cornice above it
 The ruins of a roof indicates that it was probably a low stepped pyramid with numerous
finials breaking up the horizontal lines
 Inside the sabha mandapa tall pillars form cross shaped aisles with an octagonal naïve in
the centre
 To uphold the domical roof while keeping the same size of the pillar, small attic pillars
each with its own bracket is superimposed on the sira of the eighth central pillars to
form an attic storey
SABHAMANDAPA
 The pillars richly carved from the moulded base to the capital have stambhas(shafts)
with bands of sculpture, each belt a little smaller and narrower than the one below it
 Small torana arches separate the figure sculptures on these bands
 The carvings especially those on the pillars are so deep and fine that they could have
been done only by the laborious process of abrasion rather than by cutting
 The joints of the overlapping courses forming the ceiling are so well hidden by delicate
carving that it seems to be made all of a piece
GUDHA MANDAPA
 Close behind the sabha mandapa, stands the budha mandapa(closed hall) which forms
one unit with the garbagriha and the pradakshina path around it
 The mandovara(wall) has niches in every way containing figures of sun god
 The superstructure has fallen to ruins
 A portico covers the sole entrance to the gudha mandapa on the east
 Balcony windows with side pillars project from the northern and southern sides of both
the gudha mandapa and the pradakshina path which has a third balcony window
projecting from the western side aisles
 The interior of budha mandapa resembles that of sabha mandapa aisles and octagonal
naïve and attic pillars above the central one to uphold the ceiling
 The temple has sandara plan
 The ambulatory is lit by balcony windows
 Horizontal bands similar to those decorating the pillar adorn the doorway to the garba
griha
 the treatment of the interiors of the northern temple reveals interesting variation while
everywhere the exterior decoration shows no restrain
 Only the dark innermost chamber and passage have no ornament
NEELKANTA MAHADEV TEMPLE, MEHSANA
 It is the most developed and best preserved among the late 11 th century solanki temples
and provides a good understanding of triple elevation namely pitha, mandovara and
roofing
 It consists of an open portico mandapa and garbagriha
 The shikhara with three rows of urushringha each with a double amalaka similar to that
of main shikhara has one of the most graceful outlines
 Twelve bracket figures of celestial nymphs adorn the mandapa ceiling
 During the 12th century the mandapa may have had more than one storey
 In the 13th century the elegance of the form and decoration of the 11th century solanki
temple had declined
 The keerti torana(temple archways) generally outside the temple entrance were erected
on the same principle as the temple design but much more ornate with spreading base,
figured shaft, bracket capital and covered super structure, all in graceful proportion
 Gujarat has the most artistic tanks, step wells which play an essential role in religious
and economic life.
 The passages to the well form a series of narrow galleries connected by flights of steps

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