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Building Science of Ancient Indian Temples Paper from Proceeding of the National Conference on Innovative Developments in Science, Technology & Management (NCIDSTM-2015) Organized by Ganga Technical Campus, Soldha, Bahadurgarh, Haryana (India) March 1st 2015 Published by International Journal of Engineering Sciences Paradigms and Researches (IJESPR) with ISSN (Online): 2319-6564, Impact Factor: 2.20 and Website: www.ijesonline.com Building Science of Ancient Indian Temples Surender Kumar1, Ashish Dalal2 and Sitender Chillar3 1,2Students of Structure Design, Ganga Technical Campus, Soldha , District – Jhajjar , Haryana 3Ganga Institute Of Technology and Management, Kablana , District – Jhajjar , Haryana Abstract remains the same. The temple in India as an Each culture and era has a distinctive construction architectural entity, emerged with certain concepts practice which is unique and represents the ideology, about God and gods (human beings). They started to development, art and architecture of that particular develop somewhere around 4500 years ago during era or culture. In this context, the Hindu Temples are the mature phase of Indus-Saraswati or Harappan epitome of knowledge, art, architecture, culture and Civilization (2600-2000 BCE) [1].The temples in represents the advancement of building science of the these periods were open air shrineskept under sacred ancient Indian subcontinent. The ideology and trees or near water bodies which changed with the tradition of Indian Temple exists not only in history onset of Mahajanapada period (700 BCE).In this but also in the present era which gives a sense of flow period, the concept of temple as closed structure to traditional Indian values and also creates a gained prominence with the ordinary thatched huts of profound impact on the socio-economic life of the the villages of Northern India in the period between people. This paper deals with the styles, design and 700 to 500 BCE providing an early model for the geometry, structural system and construction temple builders. The multi-storeyed temples began to technology of the Indian temples. The distinctive be constructed in the Sunga- Kusana period (200 architectural styles and elements of Hindu Temple BCE-200 CE) [1]. In 320 CE, the Gupta empire was are also presented in this paper. The structured established and the concept of Duality in Bhakti- the systems which were prevalent in the Indian temple god and the devotee, the former being the most construction are explained in this paper. The sacred entity, gained prominence. And due to this construction technology starting from the selection of concept, two spaces were provided in the temple, one the team to planning, carving and assembling of for the God (garbha-grha) and one for the devotees individual pieces are also detailed in this paper. The (Mandapa). An early example of such an relationship between structure stability and symmetry arrangement is Sanchi Buddhist temple [1]. The and proportion of Indian Temples is also presented limitation to vertical monumentality and height was here which explains the resistance of Indian Temples broken in late fifth and early sixth century in Gupta against Seismic forces and other environmental period with a second storey as well as shikhara or vimana becoming a common feature in Indian effects. temples. Also, one of the most interesting features of Keywords: Ancient Indian Temple, Geometry. these temples is that they were raised without the use of mortars. The development of temple architecture 1. Introduction or iconography took place prominently in this period as mythologies and deities were translated in stone The Hindu temples known as Mandir in Hindi. The and became ornating the entities of the temple word Mandir was derived from Sanskrit word structure. Upto the fifth century, there was a unilinear Mandira. Although the architecture of the Indian development in the temple architecture but with the temple varies across the India, its basic element onset of seventh century, the temple construction IJESPR www.ijesonline.com 98 Paper from Proceeding of the National Conference on Innovative Developments in Science, Technology & Management (NCIDSTM-2015) Organized by Ganga Technical Campus, Soldha, Bahadurgarh, Haryana (India) March 1st 2015 Published by International Journal of Engineering Sciences Paradigms and Researches (IJESPR) with ISSN (Online): 2319-6564, Impact Factor: 2.20 and Website: www.ijesonline.com took a turn for regionalization. The North Indian or technology of the Indian temples.The relationship the Nagara style adopted a curvilinear sikhara ending between structure stability and symmetry and with a pointed finial at the top whereas the south proportion of Indian Temples is also given here Indian or Dravida style developed stepped vimana which explains the resistance of Indian Temples ending in a round stupi. In modern times, the temple against Seismic forces. construction in North India became more confused whereas the temples of South, Gujrat and Orisaa ELEMENTS OF HINDU TEMPLE continued following the traditional temple The Hindu temples adopted a definite structure in the construction practices. th Several treatises on architecture and construction later half of the 7 century [9]. The common elements of the Hindu templesin their original such as theVedas, the Brahamanas, the Upanishads Sanskrit terms are as followed [2,8]: and the Bhagvad Gita gives surprisingly accurate details on pramana (measurement) techniques, materials and other structural specification of the The main compound of the temple is known as Indian temples[2-3]. The technical treatises in the Vimana which comprises of two parts. The top field of the architecture and sculpture which gives the portion of the Vimana is known as Sikhara and the lower portion which lies inside the Vimana is called basic layout for the construction of temples are Garbhagriha (cella or inner chamber), see also (Fig. Shilpa Shastras and Vastu Shastras.The Mayamata 1 and Fig. 2) and Mansara are the two most referred treatises of Southern India on architecture and iconography and the rules laid by these treatises are rigidly followed „Sikhara‟ refers to the spire or the tower. It is for the temple construction. It contained details about shaped as pyramidical and tapering representing the science of the accurately laying out the ground the mythological „Meru‟ or the highest mountain temple, keeping in mind the astronomical and other peak. cosmic movements and position which is also known „Garbhagriha‟ refers to the womb chamber as mandala[4-5]. The mandala is basically a sacred which is the innermost chamber of any temple form consisting of the intersection of the circle and where the deity resides. It is mainly square in the square [6]. layout and is entered through eastern side. „Pradakshina Patha‟ refers to the ambulatory The Indian temple is a depiction of macrocosm passageway for circumambulation and comprises (universe) as well as the microcosm (the inner space). of enclosed corridor outside the garbhagriha. The The idea behind the development of Hindu temple is devotees walk around the deity in clockwise to link man with the god. Hence, the temple with all direction, paying their respect to the deity. its architecture and decoration and rituals, is a place „Mandapa‟ is the pillared hall in front of the to get ultimate liberation which is the guiding garbhagriha, used as assembling point by devotees philosophy of Hinduism [7]. The Indian temples also for chant; rituals meditate or observe the priests act as a place for more intellectual and artistic perform the rituals. Sometimes, „Natamandira‟ is development. The temple complex housed schools, also provided in some temples which mean the hall hospitals and courts for general citizen and its for dancing. In some early temple structures, the spacious halls were used for the recitation of mandapa was isolated and separate structure from Mahabharat and Ramayana. The temple maintained the sanctuary. its sustenance through the income generated from the „Antarala‟ refers to the intermediate chamber cultivable land which was assigned to it by the king which joins the main sanctuary and the pillared [8]. It also provided livelihood for large number of hall of the temple premises. persons and greatly influenced the economic life of „Ardhamandapa‟ refers to the front porch in the the community. main entrance of the temple which leads to the The main objective of this paper is to give a main temple Some other essential structural elements found in the Hindu temples are: comprehensive view on the style, design and geometry, structural system and construction Mainly found in the south Indian temples, IJESPR www.ijesonline.com 99 Paper from Proceeding of the National Conference on Innovative Developments in Science, Technology & Management (NCIDSTM-2015) Organized by Ganga Technical Campus, Soldha, Bahadurgarh, Haryana (India) March 1st 2015 Published by International Journal of Engineering Sciences Paradigms and Researches (IJESPR) with ISSN (Online): 2319-6564, Impact Factor: 2.20 and Website: www.ijesonline.com „Gopurams‟ are the monumental and ornate entrance to the temple premises. „Pitha‟ or the plinths of the main temple. The gateways typical to north Indian temples are „Toranas‟. The „Amalaka‟ is the fluted disc like stone placed at the pinnacle of sikhara THE GEOMETRY OF HINDU TEMPLE The Hindu architecture was among the first ones that established a relationship between human figure and the system of proportion which was later studied
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