Temple Architecture of the Marathas in M aharashtra Volume One: Text Ashutosh Sohoni A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 1998 De Montfort University Leicester Contents Volume One Maps Abstract . .page 3 Acknowledgments..................................................................................................page 5 Listof Illustrations.................................................................................................page 6 Listof Plates.........................................................................................................page 12 1 Introduction......................................................................................................page 20 2 Historical Context of the Maratha Tradition....................................................page 36 3 Architectural Sources.......................................................................................page 46 4 Basic Characteristics of Maratha Temples.......................................................page 69 5 Early Phase.......................................................................................................page 94 6 Middle Phase..................................................................................................page 107 7 Late Phase.......................................................................................................page 129 8 Temples of Nagpur.........................................................................................page 145 9 Nature of the Maratha Tradition.....................................................................page 157 Conclusion..........................................................................................................page 178 Appendix Gazetteerof Select Maratha Temples.................................................................page 181 Bibliography.......................................................................................................page 207 Glossary..............................................................................................................page 211 Volume Two: Illustrations and Plates 'Delhi Bombay dffrRA BAY OF BENGAL ARABIAN SEA Napur 'kPogiJau1atabad MAP INDIA \ •Pme MAHARASHTRA & NEGHB0URING REGIONS. Live Temple traditions in 1 7th/18 L century. C Sources of Islamic architectural r r influences. GOA NAT. PEH ARABIAN SEA MADHYA PRADESH / J--- I'.' NAGPUR RAv.. DHULE/ GUJARAT Mqpr BHANDARA x wADHA '. '•" •-ss• r '-,-J\ (•• 7'L5-.'. ( NAS,X YAVAAL CHANDPUR P4uik $ C' •Qfl.1C Dkiib.&D ® C' • AURANGABAD Thnjd MAHARASHTRA AHMEDNAG BOMBAY •Beed j a BEED - Bh ARABIAN SEA .Dtom / •Bop ni OSMABAD C' )• Sh*kh5 BDA1( • MAP2 sj SAT MAHARASHTRA SPill S (JR ANDHRA PRADESH ._. r-' a P.ATNAGIRI ' C GULBARGA C' B.h :;;; Tupon .1k. SANGLI MODERN DISTR' T BOUNDARIES & 9 ptiba •11 NEIGHBOURING\EGIONS. • Si C' BUAPUR' • • Mi • Selected KARNATAKA temple sites in the C KOHAPUR c Capitals/States in the Deccon. C*3mi Important Rivers. — — - — — — Dtct Boundaries. Abstract Temple Architecture of the Marathas in Maharashtra. Volume 1: Text Volume 2: Illustrations and Plates ASHUTOSH SOHONI The temple tradition of the Marathas flourished between the 17th and 19th century, evolving in three phases corresponding to the major political developments. Products of a disrupted tradition, the Maratha architectural vocabulary developed two temple types. The 'Indigenous' type temples are an original contribution of the Marathas to the mainstream of temple traditions in India. They developed out of an early 'hands onlunselfconscious' approach of Maratha architects, leading to a deliberate mixing of disparate vocabularies of Yadava and Indo-Islamic architectures. The 'Revivalist' type temples resulted out of the patron's desire for grand stone temples as built by their ancestors and comparable to those in other parts of India. This study is the first to treat Maratha monuments as part of a tradition. It provides a systematic record of the architectural characteristics of the temples and discusses the principles underlying their compositions and the symbolism embodied in them. 3 Developments in the architecture are illustrated through drawings and photographs, and are substantiated through a detailed historical analysis of the tradition. A summarised account of the monuments is given in the form of a Gazetteer of Select Maratha Temples. The chapter on the Nature of the Maratha Tradition discusses the significance of the two temple types and develops theories behind the creation of forms, elements and their compositions. It is shown that the morphological transformations within the Maratha temples were influenced by contemporaneous culture and political ideologies of the patrons. It is argued that the mixing of different styles led to an architectural sophistication comparable to other temple traditions in India. In conclusion, Maratha temples are another manifestation of a cultural phenomenon typical of India, where strands of survival and revival of the past traditions co-exist within the layers of India's cultural identity. 4 Acknowledgements Thanks are due to Adam Hardy for his inspiration and supervision which has made this study possible, and to professor M. A. Dhaky for his expertise and knowledge of Indian architecture. I am grateful for their kindness and warmth that has seen me through this study. The list of scholars whose views and appreciation were instrumental to the research is endless. Thanks to Sita Ramamurthy for proof reading. The early part of this study was carried out at the University of Central England in Birmingham under the supervision of Adam Hardy. PRASADA and the Charles Wallace Trust provided financial support when it was most needed. I offer deepest appreciation to my family and friends for their support and encouragement during the years of this study. Thanks to Adam Hardy for Plates Yl - Y21 and Illustrations I/l -114. Illustrations 115 -119 have been taken from Henry Cousens's Architecture in the Deccan. Illustrations 1/22 - 1/24, 1/31 - 1/37 and 11130 - 11132 have been taken from Indian Architecture by Claude Batley. Other illustrations and photographs are the author's. 5 List of Illustrations Yadava temple architecture in Maharashtra 111:Bhumija temples - typical elevation showing kuta composition and cardinal band. 112: Shekhari temples in the Yadava tradition. 113:Plan geometry of uniform stellate sanctuary. 1/4: Plan geometry of semi-stellate sanctuary. 115: Yadava temples in Maharashtra - plan. 116: Yadava temples in Maharashtra - plan. 117: Yadava temples in Maharashtra - plan. 118:Bhuinya temple elevation - Gondesvara, Sinnar. 119:Bhu,nija temple elevation - Balsane temple II. 1/10: Cardinal bands and gavaksha elements in bhumija shikhara. 1111: Cardinal bands and gavaksha elements in bhuma shikhara. 1112: Kuta elements and wall mouldings in Yadava temples. 1113: Kuta elements and wall mouldings in Yadava temples. 1/14: Plinths and wall mouldings in Yadava temples. 1/15: Typical moulded plinths of Yadava temples. 1/16: Colunm types in Yadava temples. 1/17: Column types in Yadava temples. 1118: Decoration in Yadava temples - carved stone panels in Ambernath temple. 1/19: Carved stone panels and grills in Yadava temples. 6 Islamic architecture in Maharashtra 1120: Gol Gumbad - Plan type at two levels. 1121: Gol Gumbad - section. 1/22: Plan and elevations of a Bijapur tomb. 1/23: Plan, section and patterns of decoration in Deccani Sultanate buildings. 1/24: Plan, section and elevations of a Bijapur tomb. 1/25: Charminar - view and composition of surface decorative elements. 1126: Ibrahim rauza, Bijapur - elevation. 1127: Facade of Bijapur tomb. 1128: Elevation - symmetry and intense decoration. 1/29: Mihitar Mahal - elevation. 1130: Roof plan - composition. 1131: Decoration in Deccani Islamic architecture - examples of stone panels and stucco work 1/32: Decorative schenies of walls and ceilings in Deccani Islamic buildings. 1/33: Bijapur buildings - construction details. 1/34: Details of stone eaves and brackets. 1/35: Elevation composition and eaves detail. 1/36: External decorative stone work in Deccani Islamic architecture. 1137: Islamic kuta in Sultanate buildings. Maratha temples in Maharashtra 1138: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1139: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1/40: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1/41: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 7 1/42: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1/43: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1144: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1/45: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1146: Maratha temples: Indigenous type - typical features of composition, decoration and structure. 1147: Mahadev temple - Bahadurwadi. 1/48: Ramling temple - Bahe, plan. 1/49: Bahuleshvar temple - Bahule, plan. 1150: Mahadev temple - Bavdhan, plan. 1/51: Mahadev temple - Bopardi, plan. 1/52: Group of Jyotirlinga temple - Devrashtre, plan. 1153: Dhomeshvar temple - Dhom, plan. 1154: Atibaleshvar temple - Mahabaleshvar, plan. 1155: Temple