Component-I (A) – Personal details: Prof. P. Bhaskar Reddy Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati. Ravi Korisettar, UGC Emeritus Fellow Karnatak University, Dharwad. Onkar Tendulkar Virasat E Hind Foundation. Bombay. Ravi Korisettar Karnatak University, Dharwad. 1 Component-I (B) – Description of module: Subject Name Indian Culture Paper Name Art and Architecture of India Module Name/Title Vijayanagara School of Architecture (Outside Hampi) Module Id IC / AAI / 07 Pre requisites Understanding the features of Vijayanagara empire’s Objectives architecture with examples from outside Hampi Dravida school of temple architecture, Vijayanagara, Penukonda, Chandragiri, Gingee, Varadaraja Perumal, Keywords Kanchipuram, Tadipatri, Kolar, Shringeri, Lepakshi, Gandikota, Vellore E-text (Quadrant-I) : 1. General Architectural Features of Vijayanagara Architecture Style: Sky soaring gopuras at the entrance of the temple known as Raya Gopuras. Concentrated on building temple complexes instead of stand-alone temples. Major temples often had long bazar streets along the main approach road and also a pushkarni (stepped well) close by for the fetching water for various uses in temple activities. Addition of kalyana mandapa to the newly built as well as existing temple complexes. Kalyana mandapas were vast halls with flat roofs supported by a number of pillars and used during annual festivities of marriage between the god and his consort. Presence of a separate Devi0Amma shrine- usually to the north-west of the garbhagriha of main temple. Usage of various types of pillars such as double pillars, composite pillars, round pillars etc. most famous of these pillars being the musical pillars present in the temples of Hampi. Pushpapotika- the inverted lotus flower bud shaped pillar brackets. Enhanced features on yali sculptures- mostly elephant faced and lion bodied mythical animals. A feature picked up from the Pallava dynasty which was not seen much during the Chola dynasty architecture (except for a few temples like Airavateswara at Darasuram) made a comeback in the Vijayanagara period temples but in much intricate and delicate form where riders are often shown controlling the rampant yali standing over elephants/makara. 2 Introduction of horse pillars. Pillars with miniature shrines on them. Monolithic stone chains hanging from the chhajja/ceiling. These fascinating stone rings can move freely though the entire chain is made of a single stone. The Pallava and Chola style shikhara (the capstone above vimana) was replaced by wagon vault shaped shikharas above the vimana. Sculptural narratives of stories from Hindu mythology on the temples’ external walls as well as pillars, Lord Hanuman being one of the most favorite subjects due to the belief that Hampi is the location of ancient Kishkindha kingdom of the monkeys (Vanaras) as mentioned in Hindu epic- Ramayana. 2. Newly Built Temples: 2.1 Someshwara Temple, Kolar, Karanataka Construction of this temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva has been traced to the 14th century. There is a tall brick and stucco rajagopura over the mahadwara adorning several statuettes of dancing apsaras and sculptural decorations. The temple structure consists of a large multi-pillared mukhamantapa, which leads to a mandapa (closed hall) and then to the garbhagriha through a vestibule. The pillars are adorned with beautiful sulptures and statuettes. Over the garbhagriha rises a tall decorated vimana (tower). A tall brass-plated dhwajasthambha and a rock-cut deepasthambha are located in front of the mandapa. On the left of the entrance to the garbhagriha, there is a statue of Veerabhadra and Ganesha, and on the right, Nagas and Kartikeyan with six heads. A huge Nandi is seated in front of the sanctum in the mandapa. The kalyana mandapa at the south west corner of the complex has intricately carved sculptures in granite resembling wood carvings. Many figurines of apsaras, gods and goddesses adorn all sides of the pillars of this mandapa. The base of the surrounding wall of the main shrine is decorated with miniature carvings of sages, apsaras, elephants, lions, children playing with lions, fighting elephants etc. The temple is enclosed by a cloistered wall (prakara). The base of the temple outer wall (adishthana) consists of decorative moldings, with friezes of elephants, dwarfs and lions embellishing the upper moldings. The outer wall of the temple has miniature decorative pilasters (kumbhapanjara). Being a piece of architecture from the early Vijayanagara period, it shows great influence of Chola architectural style. 2.2 Vidyashankara Temple, Shringeri, Karnataka The Vidyashankara temple was built in commemoration of the pontiff Vidyashankara in 1338 AD by Vidyaranya, patron-saint of Vijayanagara Empire. Inscriptions in the temple recorded contributions made by various Vijayanagara emperors. The temple was probably built on an earlier Hoysala site as it combines Hoysala and Vijayanagara architectural features. The temple architecture is also an example of the astronomical expertise of medieval south 3 Indian temple builders. The main temple hall features 12 pillars designated for the 12 signs of the zodiac in such a manner that the rays of the sun fall on each of them in the order of the twelve solar months. On the floor is a large circle, marked with converging lines to indicate the direction of the shadows. Windows and doors along the temple walls are arranged such that equinox (biannual event when the day and night are of an equal duration) sun rays reach the deity while the northern and southern gates enable the sunrise view from the hall during solstices (biannual event in summer and winter when Sun is at the highest level and the lowest level at noon respectively; making them the longest and shortest days). It is more or less a rectangle with apsidal east-west ends. On the western side is the garbhagriha, with Vidya Ganapati on one side and Durga on the other side of the entrance. On the other three sides of the garbhagriha are shrines to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva with their consorts. In the eastern half of the structure is a mandapa with twelve pillars. The central ceiling is an exquisite piece of workmanship with lotus and pecking parrots. The vimana over the garbhagriha rises magnificently with shikhara, mahapadma and stupi (finial). The rest of the roof is made up of a sloping channeled slab. The plinth is elaborately sculpted with animals, mythological tales, Shiva, Vishnu, Dashavatara etc. Hanging monolithic stone chains can be seen on the exterior of the temple. (Read more about these peculiar Vijayanagara stone chains in 4.2. Varadaraja Perumal temple, Kanchi). 2.3 Virabhadra Swamy Temple, Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh The temple was built in 1530 by Virupanna Nayaka and Viranna, governors under the Vijayanagar Empire during King Achyutaraya’s reign. The main temple is laid out in three parts: The assembly hall known as the Mukha mandapa, antarala and garbhagriha. The temple is circled by two enclosures. The outermost walled enclosure has three gates; the northern being the main entrance to the temple. The inner east gate is the entry to the assembly hall, which is a large sized open hall designed with a large space in its centre. The temple is home to a plethora of sculptures and paintings over every inch of space on the columns and ceiling. The images on the pillars and walls are of divine beings, saints, guardians, musicians, dancers and 14 avatars of Shiva. Figurines of the goddesses Ganga and Yamuna flank the entrance to the sanctum. The exterior columns of this hall are built over a decorated plinth; the decorations are in the form of blocks of carved images of horses and soldiers. In the columns in the northeastern part of the hall, there are images of Natesha flanked by Brahma and a drummer. In an adjoining column there are figurines of dancing Apsaras, flanked by a drummer and cymbalist. The column at the southwest part of the hall has an image of Parvati flanked by female attendants. There are also carvings of divinities such as Bhringi (sage devoted to Shiva) with three legs and Bhikshatana (Lord Shiva’s beggar form - begging to be washed off the sin of decapitating Brahma’s fifth head) carved in a dancing posture in the northwestern part of the hall. The ceiling of the hall is fully covered with mural paintings depicting the scenes from the epics, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas along with the life sketches of the patrons of the temple- including the paintings of Vishnu Dashavataras, Ardhanarishvara (half Shiva half Parvati) and Hari-Hara (half Shiva half Vishnu). These paintings are done over a plaster layer of lime mortar. The colour scheme consists of vegetable and mineral colours of yellow, ochre, black, blue and green blended with lime water; the background is generally painted in red colour. Particular emphasis seems to be given to costumes and facial expressions in these paintings. 4 The fresco in the ceiling of ardha mantapa measures 8 by 4 m. It has frescoes of the 14 avatars of Lord Shiva as: Yogadakshinamurthy, Chandes Anugraha Murthy, Bhikshatana, Harihara Ardhanarishwara, Kalyanasundara, Tripurantaka, Nataraja, Gouriprasadaka, etc. The Virabhadra image in the sanctum is, fully armed and decorated with skulls. The ceiling in the sanctum above the deity has paintings of the builders of the temple, Virupanna and Viranna. Within the temple complex, in the east, there is a separate chamber with Shiva and his consort Parvathi carved on a boulder. There is also a huge boulder of granite stone which has carving of a coiled multi-hooded serpant providing an umbrella cover over a Linga - known as Nagalinga. A huge monolithic granite Nandi bull, 6.1 m in height and 9.1 m in length, adorned with garlands and bells is located about 200 m (660 ft) from the temple, which faces the Nagalinga in the precincts of the temple. 2.4 Chintala Venkataramanaswamy and Bugga Ramalingeswaraswamy Temples, Tadipatri, Andhra Pradesh These twin temples appear a lot like the ones at Hampi but are built in black stone.