One app for all your study abroad needs
The Nagara style of architecture is a type of temple architecture that is widely used in northern India. Nagara architecture includes the temple-style buildings seen in Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Assam, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. Each temple is recognised for its own special qualities, and Shikharas are among the main features that set the Nagara style of temple architecture apart.
One of the most crucial subjects for the UPSC IAS test is Nagara’s architectural style. For the UPSC Exam, we will study the Nagara style of architecture in this article, along with its characteristics and renowned Nagara temples across India.
Table of Contents
About Nagara Style of Architecture
In northern India, the Nagara style of temple architecture was widely used. Let’s take a look at what exactly Nagara style is:
- It is typical for a temple in northern India to be constructed entirely on a stone platform that has a staircase leading up to it.
- The absence of ornate boundary walls or gates is another distinctive feature.
- There is always a skyscraper higher than Garbhagriha.
- Depending on the shape of Shikhara, the Nagara temples are divided into numerous sections. The installation of Amalaka, or Kalash, in Shikhara is another characteristic that sets this type of temple architecture apart.
- One example of Nagara-style temple architecture is the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in Madhya Pradesh.
- The Sun Temple in Konark, the Sun Temple in Modhera, Gujarat, and the Ossian Temple in Gujarat are a few more Indian temples built in the Nagara style.
Also Read: Cave Architecture: Origin, Types and More
Classification of Nagara Style Temple Architecture
Let us look at different classifications of Nagara style temple architecture:
- Rekha-Prasad or Latina: The Rekha-Prasad or Latina temples are distinguished by their inwardly curving walls with pointed apexes and simple shikhara with square bases.
- Shekari: A Latina variant, the Shikhara is made out of the main Rekha-prasad Shikhara and one or more rows of his subsidiary towers arranged on either side of it.
- Bhumija: During the Paramara dynasty’s rule in Malwa, the Bhumija architectural style emerged as another variation of Nagara temples influenced by the Latina style.
- Valabhi: Temples of this type are rectangular and have barrel-vaulted roofs. Waggon vaulted building or construction is the moniker given to vaulted room roofs. In this style, the ninth-century Gwalior temple, Telika Mandir, was constructed.
- Phamsana: A short, wide building made out of a roof with many slabs that rise gently above a straight slope, like a pyramid that joins above the building’s centre.
Major Features of Nagara Style of Architecture
The following are some of the primary features of nagara style architecture:
- Shikhara: The temple’s tallest tower is called the shikhara. Usually pyramidal in shape, it becomes thinner at the top. A bulbous finial known as a kalasha sits atop it.
- Plan: Square or rectangular plans are commonly used in the construction of Nagara temples. The centre is where the shikhara is situated. The shikhara may be surrounded by a large number of lesser towers known as mukhamandapas at the temple.
- Walls: Stone or brick are commonly used to construct the walls of Nagara temples. They are adorned with reliefs and sculptures. The temple’s walls could also contain a number of windows that let light in.
- Pillars: Nagara temples are known for their elaborately carved pillars. The capitals that support the roof are atop them.
- Toranas: The entrances to the temple are known as toranas. Usually constructed of wood or stone, they are embellished with reliefs and sculptures.
- Mandapa: The temple’s main hall is called the mandapa. This is the location where followers congregate to honour the god. Usually supporting the mandapa, pillars have a lofty ceiling.
- Garbhagriha: The god is housed in the garbhagriha, the temple’s innermost sanctum. The priests are the only ones with access to this little, dim area.
Also Read: Samkhya Philosophy:Doctrine,Principles and More
Different Schools of Nagara-style Temple Architecture
There are three schools of the Nagara Style of Architecture: Odisha, Chandel, and Solanki. Let’s view them:
Orissa: The shikhara (deal), which rises vertically and curls inward at the top, is the most noticeable feature. The top type is circular, while the primary type is square. Its exteriors are exquisitely carved, while its interiors are often unadorned. Most Orissan temples have peripheral walls, unlike the northern Nagara temples.
Chandel: These temples were created as a single entity of him, with Shikhara bending from bottom to top, in contrast to the Odisha style. The arcades and halls are covered by towers that progressively ascend towards the main tower, and several shikhara miniatures emerge from the central tower.
Solanki: This school is comparable to the Chandel School, but it has a roof that is carved to resemble a true dome. These temples are characterised by tiny, detailed ornamental features. All around the walls, with the exception of the centre temple, are carvings.
Well-Known Nagara Temples in Different Indian Regions
3 locations in India are home to the Nagara Style of Architecture: Central India, Western India, and North Eastern India. Let’s go into more detail about the characteristics of each region’s nagara-style temple architecture.
Central India
Some of the earliest central Indian temples with Nagara architecture that date back to the Gupta period are still standing in central Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Central Indian temple architecture in the Nagara style is typified by the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple located at Khajuraho. Rich and sensual sculptures can also be found in the Khajuraho temples.
- The Chandela King constructed the Lakshmana Temple in Khajuraho, which is devoted to Lord Vishnu. Four miniature temples, each with a vertical thrust of the temple’s emphasis, are located at its corners. They all rise sharply in a curved pyramidal shape, finishing in a horizontal fluted disc known as an amalek that is crowned with a kalash or vase. Amalek and Kalash, the greatest elements, are present in every Nagara temple constructed during this time.
- His four pillars support a small mandapa, which resembles a straightforward square porch addition, in front of an equally small space that functions as a garbhagriha. These shrines appear to be somewhat humble.
- Built in the early sixth century AD, Deogarh (in the Lalitpur area of Uttar Pradesh) is a prime example of the late Gupta period temple type.
West India
It would be impossible to list all the temples in India’s northwest, particularly those in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and, very infrequently, western Madhya Pradesh. The temples were built using various kinds and hues of stone.
- These can be found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- Raja Bhimdev – I of the Solanki dynasty constructed the Sun Temple at Modhera around 1026, and it is believed to have been built in the early 11th century. This temple clearly shows the impact of Gujarati woodcarving culture.
Also Read: Terracotta: History, Types, Uses and How to Make It
East India
Bengal, Odisha, and the northeastern provinces of India are home to temples built in the Nagara architectural style in Eastern India. Bengal employed terracotta as a main building material and to mould plaques featuring Buddhist and Hindu deities until the seventh century. Many sculptures that have been found in Bengal and Assam attest to the development of important regional schools in those regions.
- As the patron saint of numerous Buddhist monasteries, Pallas is revered. The region’s temples are renowned for their depictions of the Vanga style. An early example of the Pala style is the 9th-century Siddheshvara Mahadev temple in Barakar in the Burdwan area, which has a tall, curved shikhara capped by a massive amalaka. It is similar to contemporary Orissan temples. The temple’s architecture, while still in the Nagara style, exhibits regional differences.
- Orissan temples constitute a unique sub-style of the Nagara Order. This shikhara, also known as the Odisha Deal, is nearly vertical up until it reaches the top before bending steeply inward.
- The magnificent remnants of the Surya or Sun Temple, which was constructed in stone in 1240, may be found in Konark, on the Bay of Bengal’s coast. His Shikhara was an enormous construction, reportedly standing 70 meters tall.
- Mukteshvara Temple, Rajarani Temple, Lingaraja Temple, and other well-known Nagara temples are located nearby.
Related Reads
FAQs
Beginning in the third century CE and lasting until 543 CE, the Nagara architectural style gained popularity throughout northern India until the beginning of the Muslim conquests in the 13th century CE.
The Sun Temple in Modhera, the Konark Sun Temple, the Ossian Temple in Gujarat, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in Madhya Pradesh, and the Lakshman Temple in Khajuraho are a few locations where one can find examples of Nagara architecture.
During the Gupta era, nagara architecture—styled after temples—developed. The architecture reminiscent of Nagara temples is found throughout Northern India.
This was all about the “Nagara Style”. For more such informative blogs, check out our UPSC Exams Section and Study Material Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.