Why in the News?

• The Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh will be inaugurated on January 22.
• Chandrakant Sompura, 81, and his son Ashish, 51, have designed the complex in the Nagara style of temple architecture.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About Nagara Style Architecture (Origin, Features, etc.)
• Comparison between Nagara & Dravida Style of Architecture

About Nagara Style of Temple Architecture:

• The Nagara Style of temple architecture emerged sometime in the 5^th century AD, during the late Gupta period, in northern India.
  • It is seen as a contemporary to the Dravida Style of architecture in southern India which too emerged in the same period.
• Temples classified as Nagara Style are found in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh (areas bordering Odisha) and West Bengal (southwest and Sundarbans areas).
• The sub-styles or schools are Orissa school, Chandel school and Solanki school.

Features of Nagara Style of Temple Architecture:

• The plan of a Nagara style of temple is four-sided.
• The garbhagriha is a perfect square whereas the whole temple plan could be oblong.
  • The garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum houses the image or idol of the main deity.
• The pathway leading to the garbhagriha is the mandapa where the worshipers accumulate to have darsana.
• In the early stage of temple construction, the roofs were flat.In the next stage of temple construction, the roof became pyramidal.
• This was the shikhara, a tall spire that tapered at the top.
• In the later stages, more additions were made to the temple complex.
• More mandapas were added and the garbhagriha was surrounded by a pradakshinapatha or a circumambulatory path.
• In some cases, gavaksa (windows) were added to allow cross ventilation for air and light.
• A Nāgara temple generally rests on a high platform- jagati over which is constructed a small platform called pitha.
• Rising above this is a smaller platform- adhisthana, which forms the base for the construction of superstructure of the temple.
• Among the other components of a Nagara temple are: bhadra, sirsa, amalaka, bijapuraka, rathika.
• When it comes to decorating the temples, the Nagara temples are intricately ornamented by carvings and sculptures.
• The entrance to the temple is highly decorated with images of gods and goddesses, floral and geometric designs.
• The bottom of the door frame depicts either dvarapalas or Ganga and Yamuna.
• On the walls and pillars of the temple, the sculptures and carvings depict devakanyas, apsaras, yaksas, yaksis, amalakas and floral garlands.

Key Differences between Nagara Style & Dravida Style of Temple Architectures: