Shahjalal University

Department of Architecture ARC 211 History of Art & Architecture

III
The Dravidian style
Its genesis under the Pallava
6 AD !" AD
Social Context:
Earliest of all but left most marked effect on Architecture of South India. It also provided the foundation for
Dravidian style. Pallavas ruled for 300 years around Madras and andi !ith their coastal capital"
Mahabalipuram. It stands on a #00$ hi%h and & mile lon% hill of 'ranite. (apital !as shifted later to
anchipuram and then emphasis !as put on structural temples.
Architectural
All the #ro$uctions can %e resolve$ into t&o phases'
a. #
st
Phase) *ock+cut e,amples - .
th
century
b. /
nd
Phase) Entirely structural-0
th
1 2
th
century
Instead of carvin% caves out of livin% rocks the sculptors" architect proceeded to chisel do!n the %ranite
outcrop into freestandin% monolithic models of structural buildin%s. Structural temple %ives the fle,ibility of
shape" form and location.
#
st
phase had t!o types of structures)
i. Mandapa) an e,cavation. 3pen pavilion and takes the shape of a simple columned hall !ith a one or
more cella in the back !all.
ii. *atha) In reality a car or chariot" provided by the temple authorities for the conveyance of the ima%e of
deity durin% processions. 4ut here they are monolithic shrines.
RATHA:
A series of monolithic shrines" !hich are e,act copies in 'ranite of certain structural prototypes !idely kno!n
as 5Seven pa%odas6. 7his is actually a transition bet!een the actual rock8cut temples and later free standin%
structural temples.
Entirely novel form of e,pression.
Moderate si9e and ali%ned alon% a sin%le a,is. :;ar%est 8</$ lon%" !idest 3=$" tallest one is about <0$
hi%h>
Ei%ht in number and named after the heroes of the %reat ?indu epic" the Mahabharata.
Each one is a replica built of !ood@ this type of structure !as famous at that timeAbeam heads"
rafters" purlins that is faithful representation in the 'ranite.
Due to some obscured reason the finishin% !as not done so never used as a reli%ious structure.
Bith one e,ception" :Draupadi> the form !as derived from t!o types of 4uddhist structure) Cihara or
monastery and (haitya hall.
7he structural detailin% of the *atha temples carefully imitates !ooden timber supports" pilasters" beams" and
brackets" thou%h of course none are necessary in stone. 4ecause each temple is carved from a sin%le piece
of livin% rock" the *athas are in a suburb state of preservation and many of their carvin%s are as fresh today as
they !ere #"300 years a%o.
DRAUPADI Ratha:
Simplest ratha.
Smallest of the series but most finished one
Dorm) rural portable !ooden shrine" !ith a sEuare base and curvilinear thatch roof.
4ase) supported by fi%ures of animals" a lion alternatin% !ith an elephant"
their attitudes su%%estin% that they are bearers of a heavy burden.
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Vihara or Monastery tye:
SEuare in plan
Pyramidal in elevation
Dive in number
Dorm evolved out of a bld% composed of cells arran%ed around a central courtyard.
Drom interior inner court covered !ith a flat roof on pillars.
7ransformation of 4uddhist hostel to the ?indu shrine is best illustrated in the lar%est Cihara type
*atha kno!n as DharmaraFa -proved to be the kin% of all.
D?A*MA*AGA *atha)
4uilt on a sEuare plan.
Each recedin% level :4humi> of the pyramidal roof of this is in itself a miniature model of 4uddhist
vihara.
3ri%inal cells for the residence of the monk are fro9en into either miniature ornamented domes or
barrel vaulted turrets.
A solid core of rectan%ular masonry diminishin% in si9e as it approaches the ape, takes up central
open court of the livin% vihara.
Dinial -finely proportioned and meticulously carved pyramid is an ele%antly contoured ribbed octa%onal
dome" poised over a sEuare cylindrical shaft.
Evolution of aesthetic vimana
Chaitya hall tye:
Caryin% interpretation of 4uddhist chaitya hall
3blon% in plan" rise up into t!o or more stories.
Each has a barrel roof !ith a (haitya %abel end.
Shahadeva" 4hima and 'anesh rathas
*ichly decorated
Shahadeva -*atha)7hree+tiered roof over an apsidal+ended plan
4hima *atha) (opy of a buildin% !ith t!o stories
'anesh *atha) Mi,ture of Shahdeva and 4hima. Entrance throu%h a pillared portico on its lon% side.
SH!R" Te#le$ Maha%aliura#:& '(( AD)
Pallavas !ere sea+farin% people so they conducted rituals of !orship of !ater. *eli%ious architecture %ot a
special character !ith !ell+desi%ned and e,tensive !ater system" !hich carried !ater from Palar *iver throu%h
channel and tank. Drom the desi%n of temple it is evident that !ater !orship !as present over there.
Most e,Euisite and !ell preserved.
Dirst Pallava bld% to be constructed of dressed stone" as it stands on the e,treme foreshore of ancient
port.
Hnusual position" plan !as not accordin% to custom.
Underlying idea-cella should face east!ards overlookin% the sea. So" that the shrine mi%ht be illuminated by
the first rays of risin% sun. Also to be observable to those approachin% the harbour in ships" so that it can act
as a landmark by day and a beacon at ni%ht by the stone pillar on !hich a lamp !ould be placed to shine
across the !aters and %uide the mariner to his anchora%e.
Scheme:
?alf in the sea and half on land" the main sanctuary looks to!ards the sea" !hile the subsidiary one
face the shore.
If the entrance to the sanctuary becomes flooded and unapproachable at hi%h tide subsidiary shrine
!ill be used.
Sanctuary !as placed on the ocean brim 8left no room for a forecourt or assembly hall" %ate!ay.
Everythin% had to be placed at the rear of the shrine" from !est.
Massive enclosure !all surmounted !ith copin% and kneelin% bull.
Spires !hich turned this temple a double+to!ered monument and unconventional are the feminine
version of stron% and robust DharmaraFa *atha.
A comple, system of channel alon% !ith drains and reservoirs !ere present around the cult room.
Durin% the flood -pillared arcade containin% an altar !as used for performin% rituals.
*AI+ASH,ATHA T"MP+": - C!,.""V"RAM / *A,CHIPURAM & '(( AD)
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anchipuram" the 'olden (ity of a thousand temples" and one of the seven sacred cities of India. It !as
successively" the capital of the Pallavas" the (holas and the *ays of CiFayana%ar. Durin% the Ith and .th
centuries" the Pallavas built some of the best temples in the city. 7oday" it is kno!n not only for its temples" but
also for its hand+!oven silk fabrics.
Another Shiva temple. 7he super structure is built of curved sandstone.
7he scheme resolves itself into three parts)
#. A sanctuary !ith its pyramidical to!er.
/. A pillared hall or mandapa 1
3. A hi%h and substantial !all composed of cells !ithin !hich the !hole is contained.
J<K Antarala) ;ater in #<
th
century the sanctuary and mandapa !ere Foined to%ether by a spacious
intermediate hall or antarala to accord !ith ceremonial purpose.
Sanctuary) In principle it is the monolithic prototype of the DharmaraFa *atha. (ertain elaborations
!ere done by addin% some mini rathas at the corner and middle of the four !alls of the cella.
Mandapa pillar) constant repetition of rampant lion pilaster.
PAPA,ATH te#le - Pattada0al &12( A3D3)
It is the last temple to be crowned with shikhara. J(raftsmen realised that the slender form of shikhara
could not counter the spra!lin% hori9ontal mass.K Initially dedicated to Cishnu and Surya later dedicated to
Shiva.
Drom DharmaraFa ratha form had already !on the enthusiastic approval of the priests and kin%s as the most
appropriate temple spire profile.
A lon% and lo! composition some 20$ in len%th.
A to!er at its eastern end -too small and stunted to be in %ood proportion !ith the remainder of the
buildin%.
Inconsistency of its e,terior desi%n -by the illo%ical arran%ement of the plan.
(omposite in plan.
7!o distinct volumes)
#. 'arbha%riha !ithin a rectan%le.
/. Mandapa+nine sEuared entrance hall.
Hncertainty in the correct disposition of its elements and their relation to one another. ;ike the
vestibule or antarala !as a fault-as it is too lon%" takes a shape of almost a sEuare court !ith four
pillars" !hich results supplementary assembly hall instead of formin% a connectin% antechamber.
And this disproportionate plan produces a disproportionate elevation.
Interior) Massive solid character by)
a. 7he bulk of !alls and
b. 7he shape of the pillars.
E,terior) heavy cornice over the outer !alls above" !hich !as a parapet of ornamental shrines.
Te#le o4 VIRUPA*SHA - Pattada0al
(halukyan kin% Cikramaditya II conEuered the Pallava capital of (unFeeveram in .<0 AD. ?e !as so struck by
the architectural masterpiece of the ailasnath temple that he brou%ht back !ith him a 7amil architect !ho !as
responsible for the Pallava elements in the t!o temples built at Pattadakal. So there !as a better proportion
and adFustment in plan. Si9e and proportion of the vestibule" includin% the Function of the shrine chamber !ith
the pillared hall !as lo%ical and !ell conceived.
Sculptured ornamentation increased in amount and Euality but relieved from solid characters of
early !orks.
Comprehensive scheme consists of+
#. A central structure
/. A detached Landi pavilion -lar%e and elaborate
(ontained !ithin a !alled enclosure and entered by an appropriate %ate!ay.
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Presence of pure architectural details like mouldin%s" pilasters" cornices and
brackets.
'arbha+%riha !as surmounted !ith Southern Vimana.
Presence of Gopuram) monumental %ate head -risin% above the parapet at
the back of each of its porches" !hich has been identified as an entrance %opuram later.
arrel!shaped "orm) to achieve balance bet!een the upper and lo!er
parts of the temple+richly sculptured barrel shaped form+proFected out from the middle of the Cimana to
interlock the to!er and the mandapa" !hich also restraint the hori9ontal thrust of the mass belo!.
#andapa: Lot treated as another hall attached to the cella. *ather a more
convincin% spatial link+up is established bet!een the t!o by envelopin% the dark sEuare cella of the
%arbha%riha !ithin the rectan%ular structure of the outer !alls of the mandapa. Approached throu%h any of
the three porticos in the middle of its outer !alls.
Pradakshina or circumbulatory path) 7he corridor like space alon% the back
and the sides of the inner sanctum.
Borshippers offer from a narro! antechamber like space+bet!een the
openin% to the cella and clearly defined space for mandapa.
VAI*U,THA P"RUMA+ Te#le - Cun5eevera# '6( A3D3)
$allava cra"tsmen added necessary touch o" elegation and per"ection to the robust matter o"
architecture o" Chalukyans.
Pallava style in most matured form.
Sli%htly lar%er and more spacious in proportions. Instead of separate part like cloister" portico"
sanctuary -this !as amal%amated into one !hole.
3nly Indian temple havin% three distinct usable stories. Each !ith its o!n central shrine and a
corridor for circumbulation.
Plan) SEuare in plan of 20$ side" and east side carried for!ard /0$ to provide an entrance portico.
(entral edifice) t!o parts)
#. Sanctuary and
/. Portico but combined as one.
Portico) corresponds to the Mandapa interiorly of /#$+I6. ?avin% a transverse aisle of 0 pillars.
(entral edifice <.$ side e,ternally !as cro!ned by a diminishin% form of spire also kno!n as Cimana"
!hich !as of I0$ hei%ht from the %round.
Surfaces) so enriched !ith semi structural and ornamental motifs" !hich blend !ith the shikhara to!er.
E,terior) ?i%h and some!hat uncompromisin% outer !all. Inside !hich there !as a cloister consists of
colonnade of lion pillars" !ith a passa%e for procession surroundin% the central shrine.
7i%htly knit plan" intimate spaces and multiple shrines and the self %lorifyin% pallava structure su%%ests it not
as a public shrine rather a private family chapel of royalty situated !ithin or adFacent to palace precinct.
Cikramaditya II attacked (unFeeveram by .<0 AD -before the attack this !as the last %reat architectural
achievement.
PA++AVA !rder Pillar
In the earliest e,amples the pillars !ere of
Avera%e . feet hei%ht !ith / feet diameter.
Shaft !ith sEuare section !ith the middle chamfered into an octa%on.
Immense and heavy bracket provides the capital.
In the later e,amples
Much more sophisticated desi%n of capital and shaft !ere added.
A fi%ure of lion !as combined !ith the lo!er portion of the shaft.
7he shaft rests on the animal$s head rather than its back.
7he fully developed e,amples had
Dluted and banded shaft :stamba>
7he refined neck :tadi>
7he ele%ant curves of the Mmelon$ capital :kumbha>
And its lotus form above !ith !ide abacus.
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