Famous Temples in India

Architecture

Temple plan - The temple is in trikuta style (three shrined, each with a superstructure or shikhara) with the shrines facing east, north and south. The western shrine has a vestibule where as the other two shrines have a "half hall" (ardhamantapa). All shrines open up to a six-pillared hall called mahamantapa which is preceded by a large ornate open "gathering hall" called sabhamantapa, a style popular with both Western Chalukys and Hoysalas. The layout of the gathering hall is "staggered square" which has the effect of creating projections and recesses. Each projection of the wall has a complete "architectural articulation" (achieved by repetitive decoration).The gathering hall has entrances from the north, south and eastern directions.

Decoration - The outer walls of the shrines are quite austere save for the pilasters that are capped by miniature decorative towers (aedicula). The superstructures over the shrines are 3-tiered (tritala arpita) vesara (combination of south and north Indian style) with the sculptural details being repeated in each tier. The temple exhibits other standard features present in a Hoysala style temple: the large decorative domed roof over the tower; the kalasha on top of it (the decorative water-pot at the apex of the dome) and the Hoysala crest (emblem of the Hoysala warrior stabbing a lion) over the sukhanasi (tower over the vestibule). The dome is the largest sculptural piece in the temple with ground surface area of about 2x2 meters and is called the "helmet" or amalaka. Its shape usually follows that of the shrine (square or star shape). The tower over the vestibules of the three shrines appear as low protrusions of the main tower and is hence called the "nose".