SOUTHERN KINGDOM

SOUTHERN ARCHITECTURE IS
DIVIDED INTO 5 PERIODS
CORRESPONDING TO 5 PRINCIPAL
KINGDOMSPALLAVAS (600-900)
CHOLAS (900-1150)
PANDYA (1100-1350)
VIJAYNAGAR(1350-1565)
MADURA(FROM 1600)

PALLAVA DYNASTY(A.D.600-900)
PALLAVA DYNASTY WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES

TWO
PHASES
FIRST PHASE
(7th CENTURY)
- ROCK CUT
ARCHITECTUE

SECOND PHASE
(8th AND 9th ) STRUCTURAL
ARCHITECTURE

PALLAVA KINGDOM
THE CENTRE OF KINGDOM LAY ON LOWER
REACHES OF PALAR RIVER, AND CHIEF
EXAMPLES OF PALLAVA ARCHITECTURE WERE
FOUND AROUND THE TOWN OF
CONJEEVARAM (KANCHIPURAM).

ROCK ARCHITECTURE
CENTURY)
ROCK ARCHITECTURE HAS
TAKEN TWO FORMS
MANDAPAS (EXCAVATION)
RATHAS (MONOLITH)

(7th

MANDAPA

MANDAPA IS AN
OPEN PAVILION, AND,
AS EXCAVATED IN
THE ROCK
IT TAKES THE SHAPE
OF SIMPLE
COLUMNED HALL
WITH ONE
OR MORE CELLAS IN
THE BACK HALL
EXTERIOR- A FACADE
FORMED

PILLARS
EACH PILLAR AVERAGING7 FT IN HEIGHT
2 FT IN DIAMETER
SHAFTS BEING SQUARE IN
SECTION EXCEPT FOR THE
MIDDLE THIRD WHICH IS
CHAMFERED INTO AN
OCTAGON
AN IMMENSE AND HEAVY
BRACKET PROVIDES THE CAPITAL

620A.D.
MAMALLAPURAM

625 A.D.
TRICHINOPOLY

625 A.D.

700 A.D.

FEATURES OF ORDER
PILLAR REST ON SEDENT

ANIMALS (LEONINE
FIGURE)HEAD
FLUTED AND BANDED
SHAFT(STAMBHAM)
THE REFINED NECKING (TADI)
THE ELEGANT CURVES OF
MELON CAPITAL (KUMBHA)
LOTUS FORM (IDAIE)
WIDE ABACUS (PALAGAI)

KUDU-IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE BUDDHIST

CHAITYA-ARCH MUCH REDUCED AND AND
CONVERTED INTO AN OBJECT OF
DECORATION.
ROLL CORNICE WAS ORNAMENTED AT
INTERVALS WITH MOTIF KNOWN AS KUDU

RATHA (SEVEN PAGODAS)

RATHA(SEVEN PAGODAS)
A RATHA IS IN REALITY A CAR

OR CHARIOT, PROVIDED BY
THE TEMPLE AUTHORITIES
FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF
THE IMAGE OF THE DEITY
DURING PROCESSIONS
IT REFERS TO A SERIES OF
MONOLITHIC SHRINES ,
WHICH ARE EXACT COPIES
IN GRANITE.
THEY ARE BUILT OF WOOD,
AS SHOWN BY BEAM-HEADS
RAFTERS AND PURLINS.

EIGHT PAGODAS
NORTH WEST- VALAIYANKUTTAI

PIDARI
SOUTH

DRAUPADI
ARJUNA
BHIMA
DHARMARAJA
SAHADEVA

NORTH - GANESHA

PANCHA RATH

PLAN OF PANCH RATHA

DRAUPADI RATH
SAMLLEST , SIMPLEST AND

MOST FINISHED
MERELY A CELL
ROOF LIKE THAT OF
THATCHED ROOFS OF HUTS IN
VILLAGES
BASE IS SUPPORTED BY
FIGURES OF ANIMALS
SQUARE IN PLAN
FULL SIZE SCULPTURES

ARJUN RATH
2 STOREYED
ON THE SAME
PLATFORM AS THAT
OF DRAUPADI RATHA
OCTAGONAL DOME
SIMILAR TO
DHARMARAJA RATH
BUT 1 LESS TIER ON
ITS TOP

DHARMARAJ RATHA
ELEVATION IN 2 PARTS
BELOW-SQUARE
PORTION WITH PILLARED
VERANDAH
ABOVE-PYRAMIDAL
SHAPE SIKHARA
LION PILLARED
PORTICOS
ALL SIDES HAVE SAME
BLOCKS SO SAME
ELEVATION FROM EACH

 KALASH
ABOVE
BLOCKS OF
ROCK CUT
THESE
REPEATED IN
ALL SIDES

NAKULA-SAHDEV RATHA
BASED ON BUDDHIST
CHAITYA HALL
OBLONG IN PLAN
APSIDAL FORM
BACK RESEMBLING THAT
OF AN ELEPLANT
ALSO A HUGE ELEPHANT
CARVED ON ITS SIDE

BHIM RATHA

AESD ON CHAITAYA HALL OR BHUDDIST TEMPLES

0 LONG AND 16 HIGH-OBLONG IN PLAN
INGLE STOREYED
EEL ROOF WITH GABLE AT EACH END
ERANDAH ON SIDES

HERE ANIMALS ARE ALSO CARVED IN ROCKS

WHICH REPRESENTS1. LION-DURGA
2. ELEPHANT-INDRA
3. BULL-SIVA

GANESH RATHA
BASED ON BUDDHIST
CHAITAYA HALL
OBLONG IN PLAN
ENTRANCE IS THROUGH A
PILLADRED PORTICO ON
ITS LONG SIDE
DOUBLE STOREYED

STRUCTURAL
ARCHITECTURE
STRUCTURAL ARCHITECTURE FLOURISHED
UNDER NARSIMHAVARMAN
FAMOUS TEMPLES ARE SHORE TEMPLE ,
KAILASHNATH, VAINKANTHIKUSHAL TEMPLE.

SHORE TEMPLES
(690 A.D-900A.D)

RAJSIMHA GROUP
690 A.D-800 A.D

NANDIVERMA GROUP
800 A.D-900 A.D

SHORE TEMPLE AT

MAHABALIPURAM
Located at MAHABALIPURAM
MAMALLAPURAM,PORT CITY OF KANCHIPURAM,PALLAVA
CAPITAL.

Built by NARSIMHAVERMA RAJSIMHA

(690 A.D- 715 A.D)

* MOST FAMOUS ONE, STANDS ON THE EXTREME
FOR SHORE OF COROMANDAL COAST, OVERLOOKING
THE BAY OF BENGAL, BUILT WITH BLOCKS OF
GRANITE.
* AS ONE OF THE GROUP OF MONUMENTS AT
MAHABALIPURAM, IT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED
AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE SINCE
1984.

MAHABALIPURAM
SHORE TEMPLE

TEMPLE DESIGN

onsists of 2 PYRAMIDAL TOWERS

over 2 SHRINES
SHRINE 1
SITUATED IN EAST
DEDDICATED TO LORD SHIVA
SHRINE 2
SITUATED IN WEST
DEDICATED TO LORD VISHNU

HESE SHRINES ACTED AS LIGHTHOUSES

OR SHIPS

HE WHOLE STRUCTURE IS ENCLOSED WITH

MASSIVE WALL ,AND THE ENTRANCE IS
ROVIDED FROM WEST.

LLS:

DESIGN DETAILS
PARAPET AND COPING CROWNED BY FIGURES OF
KNEELING BULLS,SCULPTURES AND KUDU.

carvings on roof resembles the panch rathas.

fs carved with finials, showing that the temple was complete
d functional.
ERIOR:
* BOLDLY CARVED WITH LION AND OTHER
SUPERNATURAL ANIMALS.
* ALSO CONTAIN THE IMAGES OF PARVATI
SHIVA
SUBRAMANYA

* KUDUS WERE THE IDENTIFYING

FEATURES
OF TEMPLE WALLS.

Beneath the towers, the

sanctuary walls are largely
undecorated, although their
engaged columns are carved with
lion
bases.
VIMANA
LARGER VIMANA/TOWER,
OVER SHRINE Is ABOUT 20 M HIGH. IT
HAS UMBRELLA SHAPED KALASA
(octagonal Dome), AT ITS SUMMIT.

A BORE OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE

NEAR LINGAM

CARVINGS ON OUTSIDE
AND INSIDE WALLS

IN THE GARBHAGRIHA
(SANCTOM SANCTORUM),
AN IMAGE OF SHIVALINGA
EMBRACES THESITE. AT
REAR
END ONE CAN SEE TWO

VERENDAH BEHIND
CONTAINS
A FIGURE OF LORD
VISHNU

ARDHAMANDAPA
GARBHGRIHA
ESTABLISHED WITH
A LARGE LINGAM, WITH 16 SIDES
PERIMETER ABOUT 2 M.
THE TWO ISOLATED BUILDINGS
MAHAMANDAPA AND CENTRAL
VIMANA(SHRINE) ARE JOINED BY
AN INTERMEDIATE HALL CALLED
ARDHAMANDAPA, WHICH IS BUILT
MUCH LATER IN 14TH CENTURY AD.
CENTRAL SHRINE
SURROUNDED By SMALLER
SHRINES WITH SMALL
SHIKHARS 8 SMALL
SHRINES, 6 TO RIGHT
AND 2 TO LEFT.
(ALL DESIGNED
SIMILARTO RATHAs

ONE NANDI

NDI- SHIVA BULL SEATED ON LARGE PLATFORM

GHT- 2.8M
NGTH 2M

Leo graph motif

(rampant lion pilaster)
ORNAMENTAL SUPPORT\
REGARDED AS IDENTIFYING
FEATURE OF PALLAVA STYLE.
ORIGIN IS A MYSTERY.