Temple Architecture and SculptureClass 11 Fine Arts NCERT Solutions
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Q1Exercise
Mark out all the places discussed in this chapter on a map of India.
Solution
To mark the places discussed in the chapter on a map of India, you can locate the following sites within their respective states:
North India:
- Uttar Pradesh: Deogarh, Sarnath, Mathura, Banaras, Kannauj
- Madhya Pradesh: Khajuraho, Nachna-Kuthara, Eran, Udaygiri (near Vidisha), Sanchi, Gwalior, Chanderi
West India:
- Gujarat: Modhera, Samlaji
- Rajasthan: Mount Abu, Ranakpur
East India:
- Assam: DaParvatia (near Tezpur), Rangagora Tea Estate (near Tinsukia), Guwahati
- West Bengal: Barakar, Telkupi, Gaur, Pandua, Vishnupur, Bankura, Burdwan, Birbhum
- Odisha: Bhubaneswar, Puri, Konark, Lalitagiri, Vajragiri, Ratnagiri
- Bihar: Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Kurkihar
- Chhattisgarh: Sirpur
The Hills:
- Jammu and Kashmir: Pandrethan
- Himachal Pradesh: Chamba
- Uttarakhand: Kumaon, Garhwal, Jageshwar (near Almora), Champavat (near Pithoragarh)
South India:
- Tamil Nadu: Kanchipuram, Thanjavur (Tanjore), Madurai, Kumbakonam, Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram), Tiruchirapally (Srirangam), Nagapattinam
Deccan:
- Maharashtra: Ellora
- Karnataka: Aihole, Badami, Pattadakal, Mahakuta, Belur, Halebid, Somnathpuram, Sravana Belagola, Vijayanagara
- Telangana: Alampur
Q2Exercise
What are the commonalities and differences between North Indian and South Indian temples? Make a diagram to supplement your answer.
Solution
The North Indian (Nagara) and South Indian (Dravida) temple styles share a fundamental purpose and basic components but differ significantly in their architectural form and layout.
Commonalities
- Basic Form: Both styles are centered around the sanctum sanctorum or garbhagriha, which houses the principal deity.
- Assembly Hall: Both typically feature a hall for worshippers, known as a mandapa, located in front of the garbhagriha.
- Deity's Mount: Both often include the vahan, the mount of the main deity, placed axially before the sanctum.
- Sculptural Decoration: Temples in both styles are covered with elaborate sculptures and ornamentation, depicting deities, mythological narratives, and auspicious symbols.
Differences
| Feature | North Indian Temple (Nagara) | South Indian Temple (Dravida) |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Built on a high stone platform with steps leading up to it. | Generally not built on a raised platform. |
| Boundary Walls | Does not usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways. | Enclosed within a compound wall. |
| Gateway | Gateways are not a prominent feature. | The entrance gateway is a prominent feature called a gopuram. |
| Main Tower | The tower is a curving spire called a shikhara. It is curvilinear in shape. | The tower is a stepped pyramid called a vimana, which rises geometrically. |
| Crowning Element | The shikhara is topped by a horizontal fluted disc (amalaka) and a vase-like element (kalasha). | The vimana is topped by a crowning element called the shikhara (often a small stupika or octagonal cupola). |
| Entrance Sculptures | The entrance to the garbhagriha often features river goddesses (Ganga and Yamuna) and mithunas (erotic images). | The gateways are guarded by fierce sculptures of dvarapalas (doorkeepers). |
| Water Tank | Not a standard feature. | A large water reservoir or temple tank is commonly found within the complex. |
Diagrammatic Representation
A simple diagram would show a Nagara temple on a raised plinth with a single curvilinear shikhara rising above the garbhagriha. In contrast, a diagram of a Dravida temple would show a complex enclosed by a boundary wall with a large gopuram, a central shrine with a pyramidal vimana, and a temple tank within the walls.
Q3Exercise
Bring out the stylistic differences of any two sculptural traditions (such as Pala, Chola, Pallava, Chandella, etc.) using either drawing, painting or clay-modelling. Supplement your project with a written assignment that explains the salient features of the two styles you have chosen.
Solution
This answer provides the written assignment comparing the sculptural traditions of the Chandellas (at Khajuraho) and the Palas (at Nalanda).
Chandella Sculptural Tradition
The sculptural art of the Chandella dynasty, best exemplified at the temples of Khajuraho (c. 10th century), has several distinct features:
- Material: The sculptures are carved from sandstone.
- Form and Style: The figures are highly stylised and carved in almost full relief, making them appear cut away from the surrounding stone. This gives them a three-dimensional quality.
- Physical Features: The sculptures are characterised by sharp noses, prominent chins, long slanting eyes, and distinct eyebrows. The bodies are animated and dynamic.
- Themes and Placement: Khajuraho is famous for its extensive erotic sculptures (mithunas or embracing couples). These are considered auspicious and are placed at the entrance of the temple, on exterior walls, or between the mandapa and the main shrine. The erotic is treated as an essential part of human experience, on par with spiritual pursuit. Besides these, the sculptures also depict various deities and scenes from daily life.
Pala Sculptural Tradition
The Pala school of sculptural art flourished in Bihar and Bengal between the 8th and 12th centuries, with Nalanda being a major centre. Its key features are:
- Material: Pala sculptures were created in stone (stucco, black basalt) and bronze.
- Form and Style: This style evolved from the Gupta art of Sarnath, synthesised with local traditions. The sculptures are precisely executed and have an ordered, uncluttered appearance. They are depicted in three-dimensional forms rather than flat relief. The back slabs of the sculptures are often detailed, and the ornamentation is delicate.
- Iconography and Themes: The art was predominantly Buddhist. Early sculptures depict Mahayana deities like standing Buddhas and bodhisattvas (Manjusri, Avalokiteshvara). After the 10th-11th centuries, as Nalanda became a Tantric centre, Vajrayana deities like Vajrasharada and crowned Buddhas became common.
- Influence: As a prolific centre of art production, Nalanda's style had a decisive impact on the arts of Buddhist countries across Asia, as monks and pilgrims took small sculptures and manuscripts back with them.
Comparison
While both traditions created dynamic, three-dimensional figures, the Chandella style is known for its distinct, stylised facial features and the prominent, open depiction of erotic themes within a Hindu context. The Pala style, in contrast, is noted for its refined, delicate ornamentation and its evolution within a Buddhist iconographic framework, moving from Mahayana to Vajrayana themes.
Q4Exercise
Compare any two temple styles in India; supplement with a line drawing.
Solution
This answer compares the Odisha sub-style of Nagara architecture with the Hoysala style, which is considered a hybrid or Vesara style.
Odisha Temple Style
The temples of Odisha, found at sites like Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Konark, constitute a distinct sub-style within the Nagara order.
- Plan and Structure: The ground plan of the main temple is almost always square. The temple complex usually includes a main tower (deul) and an assembly hall (jagamohana). Odisha temples are also typically enclosed by boundary walls.
- Shikhara (Deul): The shikhara, called a deul, is a key feature. It rises vertically for most of its height and then curves sharply inwards at the top. This gives the spire a nearly cylindrical appearance.
- Carving and Decoration: The exterior walls of the temples are lavishly and extensively carved with sculptures and ornamentation. In contrast, the interiors are generally left quite bare.
- Example: The Sun Temple at Konark is a prime example, conceived as a colossal chariot with enormous sculpted wheels and horses.
Hoysala Temple Style
The Hoysala temples, found in Karnataka at sites like Belur, Halebid, and Somnathpuram, represent a unique style that is neither completely Nagara nor Dravida, often classified as Vesara.
- Plan and Structure: The most characteristic feature is the star-like ground-plan, known as a stellate plan. This is created by having many projecting angles emerge from a central square plan, making the temple's outline look like a star.
- Material: Hoysala temples were built using soapstone, a relatively soft stone. This allowed artists to create exceptionally intricate carvings.
- Carving and Decoration: These temples are famous for their profusion of decorative carvings. The soft stone enabled detailed work, especially visible in the jewellery of the deities and the elaborate friezes. For instance, the Halebid temple features a frieze with hundreds of elephants, where no two are in the same pose.
- Example: The Hoysaleshvara temple at Halebid is a double building with a large mandapa, showcasing the intricate carving and star-shaped plan characteristic of the style.
Key Differences
| Feature | Odisha Style | Hoysala Style |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Nagara (sub-style) | Vesara (hybrid) |
| Ground Plan | Square | Stellate (star-shaped) |
| Shikhara | Rises vertically then curves sharply | Towers fell, but miniatures suggest a complex form different from Nagara or Dravida |
| Carving | Lavish on exterior, plain interior | Extremely intricate and profuse on all surfaces |
| Material | Sandstone/Stone | Soapstone |
A line drawing would highlight the square plan and vertical shikhara of the Odisha style versus the complex, star-shaped outline of the Hoysala temple.
Q5Exercise
Trace the development in Buddhist art.
Solution
The development of Buddhist art from the fifth to the fourteenth centuries shows a vibrant evolution in architecture, sculpture, and iconography, often in parallel with Hindu and Jain traditions.
-
Gupta and Post-Gupta Period (5th - 7th centuries CE):
- While stupa construction continued, Buddhist art began to absorb influences from the Gupta style originating from centres like Sarnath and Mathura. This is evident in regions like Kashmir, where Gandhara influences mixed with Gupta traditions.
- Architectural forms like the rock-cut chaitya caves, with their apsidal plans and wagon-vaulted roofs, influenced later temple designs for all religions.
- Sites like Sirpur in Chhattisgarh show an early-Odisha style with both Hindu and Buddhist shrines, indicating stylistic crossover.
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The Pala Period (8th - 12th centuries CE):
- This was a golden age for Buddhist art, especially under the patronage of the Pala dynasty in Bihar and Bengal.
- Nalanda Mahavihara: This monastic university became a major centre for art production. The Nalanda school of sculpture evolved from the Gupta style of Sarnath, creating highly refined works in stone and bronze. The sculptures are known for their three-dimensional quality, delicate ornamentation, and ordered composition.
- Iconographic Shift: The art of Nalanda reflects the evolution of Buddhist doctrines. Early sculptures feature Mahayana deities like Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. By the 11th and 12th centuries, as Tantric Buddhism (Vajrayana) gained prominence, the art came to be dominated by Vajrayana deities, and depictions of crowned Buddhas became common.
-
Architectural Developments:
- Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya: This pilgrimage site is a key example of Buddhist architecture. The temple's design is unusual, being neither purely Nagara nor Dravida. It rises vertically without a curve, like a Dravida vimana, but is narrow like a Nagara shikhara.
- Monasteries: Major Buddhist monasteries, apart from Nalanda, developed in Odisha at sites like Lalitagiri, Vajragiri, and Ratnagiri, becoming important centres of art.
-
Regional Centres:
- Buddhist art also flourished in other regions. The port-town of Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu was a major Buddhist centre until the Chola period, producing bronze and stone sculptures in the Chola style.
- The influence of Nalanda was widespread, as monks and pilgrims carried sculptures and manuscripts to other parts of Asia, impacting the development of Buddhist art across the continent.