Kandariya Mahadev Temple

This Presentation is prepared for Graduate Students. A presentation consisting of basic information regarding the topic. Students are advised to get more information from recommended books and articles. This presentation is only for students and purely for academic purposes.

1. KandariyaMahadev
Temple
Dr. Virag Sontakke

2. Introduction
•KandariyaMahadevaTempleislocatedin
theChatarpurdistrictofMadhyaPradesh.
•ConstructedbyChandelDynasty
•Templecomplexknownas“Khajuraho”duetothe
presentvillage.
•Total22templesspreadin6squarekilometres
•Templedividedvariousgroup(eastern,westernand
Southern)
•KandariyaMahadevsituatedinWesterngroup.
•It’sacompletespecimenandlargestinthegroup

4. Historical Background
•ChandelawereVasselofGurjar-Pratihar
•SubsequentlydefeatedGurjar–Pratiharandbecomeindependent
•ControlledtheBundelkhandknownasJejakbhukti
•MahobawasoncecapitaltheChnandeladynasty
•KandariyaMahadevtemplewasbuiltbyofVidyadhararuledfrom1003to1035CE.
•Epigraphonthemandapapilasteroftemple,mentioningakingcalledVirimdawhoidentifiedwithVidyadhara.
•KhajuraoknownasKharjjuravahaka.
•Thesitewasrediscoveredin1838byaBritishofficer,CaptainT.S.Burt.
•Inoriginaltherewereabout85temples,nowonly24survived.
•Templesconstructedbetween(950-1050CE)

5. General Features of the Khajuraho Temples
1.Stone:finegrainedsandstones(buff,pink,paleyellow)
2.BroughtfromPanna,eastbankofPannariver
3.TemplesBelongtoJain,VaishanavaandShaiva
4.Nothugeinsize
5.Notinsidethecompoundhall
6.NoCourtyard
7.Art&SculpturalDecorationinsidetoo
8.Maximumheight:100ft
9.Erecteduponhighplinth(Jagti),openspaceallaroundthetemple
10.Axiseast-west
11.SomehavebalconiedwindowinMadapa
12.Risinghighfrommandapatogarbhagruha

6. KandariyaMahadev temple

7. KandariyaMahadev Temple
•Dedicated to Shiva
•KandariyaMahadeva: the Great God of the Cave
•Built on high platform /plinth (4 metres (13ft)
•Its total height is 116.5 feet above the ground and 88
feet above Jagti.
•Plan & Elevation:
1.Length: 31 metres (102ft)
2.Width: 20 metres (66ft)
3.Height (Shikhra): 116.5 feet ,

8. •A series of steep steps
with high rise lead
from the ground level
to the entrance to the
temple.
•Structural Elements
1.ArdhaMandapa
2.Mandapa
3.Maha-Mandapa
4.Antaral
5.Garbhgruha

9. Plan

10. •Temple stands on plinth of 4 metres height.
•A steps lead to the entrance to the temple (Mukhmandapa).
•The superstructure is built in a steep mountain shape or form
•The layout of the temple is a five-part design
•Outer walls are highly decorated
•The superstructure has richly decorated roofs
•Shikhrahas has 84 miniature Urushrunga(spires)

12. Mukha-mandapa
•Entrance of the temple (East)
•Situated on lower level
•Open from three side (East, north & S)
•Entrance is decorated with makara-toranawith looped arches.
•It has the Asnapattakas(seat-slabs) with kaksananas(sloping seat-backs)
•Ceiling rest upon the four pillars
•Square in shape
•Small shikhara on top
•The roof over the mukhamandapais of a domical pyramidal type of pidha.
•Shikra is smallest amongst all
•Decorated

14. Mandapa
•Approach from mukha-mandapa
•Situated between mukha-mandapa and Mahamandapa
•Raising higher than mukha-mandapa
•Slighlybigger than mukhamandapa
•Has another makara-toranasimilar to maha-mandapa
•Rectangular shape
•Has eight pillars and four pilasters which are similar in design to those of the much-mandapa.
•Small rising
•Decorated from both side
•The roof over the mandapa is also pyramidal one (taller than Mukhmandapaand shorter than Mandapa)

16. Maha-mandapa
•Center part of the temple
•Opening from three sides
•Two balconies from north and south
•Decorated gateway
•Rising higher than mukhmandapand mandapa
•Four pillars on four corners baring the load of superstructure.
•Raised shikhara
•In the same way the roof over the maha-mandapa is also a domical pyramid

17. Antarala(Vestibule)
•A transitional space between
the maha-mandapa and the
Gabhagruhais called
Antarala.
•The pillars of Antaralahave
shafts of octagonal, sixteen
sided and circular sections
placed on a heavy octagonal
base with the usual
mouldings.

19. Sanctum
(Girbhgruha)
•Main component of the temple
•Higher than other components
•It is a square cellaof 10 ft. wide
•The inner walls are plain
•Decorated and ordinate doorway
•Has nine Sakaswith beautiful and vivid decoration
•Ganga and Yamuna are depicted on the right and left jambs of the doorway
•Attendant divinities in niches and recesses.
•A Shiva-lingainside (4 ft )
•Ambulatory path (Pradakshina patha)
•Open from two sides (balcony)
•Seating bench

21. Jagati•Jagatithe term used
for raised platform
•KandariyaMahadeva
temple is built on a
fairly 3 m high jagati
•Over Jagatitwo free-
standing sardula
statues, supporting
with a man at each
corner.
•This high base makes the elevation of the
temple impressive.
•The moulding consists
of bhittadecorated
with lotus petals, jaya-
kumbha and projecting
pattikawith tamala-
patras.

22. •The janghais the central portion of the temple (Wall)
•It has three rows of sculptures demarcated by two series of mouldings.
•Lower : graza-pattika
•Middle: stenciledscrolls with triangular design below.
•This janghais decorated with three bands of sculpture.
•Sculptures containing the figures of the Gods and goddesses, apsaras or surasundariesand mithunasand erotic scenes on projections. Jangha

23. Pillars
•Overdecorated
•Pillarcapitalsarebearingtheloadanddecorated
•Baseandmiddleportionbearingfemalesculptures(dancingandvariousposes)
•Theseareprobablyseparatepartaddedlateron
•Othergeometricdesign
•Specificallyvineorscrollmotif
•Variousfigures:Femaleheadandsnakebody
•Thefourcentralpillarsofthemahamandapaareofthebhadrakatyperestingonaheavybasei.e.kumbhikawiththeusualmouldings.
•Theuppersectionoftheshaftcarriescapitaloftheusualdesignsurmounted
•Theupperbracketscarryabeam,decoratedwithstencilledscrolls,grasa-pattikaandafriezeofgandharvasandVidhyadharacouplescarryinggarlandsandplayingonmusicalinstruments.

25. Ceiling
•Ceilingcontentrichandhighdecoration
•PercyBrown:thosewhohaddoneweremastersinart
•Differentsetsofstonejointtogether
•Duetodimlight,thedecorativedetailsarenotvisible
•Mandapacentrerepresentingthespeed-podofaflowerdesign.
•Subjectofdecoration:
a)Floralmotifs
b)Geometricaldesigns

27. Balconies
•Balconies are in
Maha-Mandapa
and Garbhgruhas
•Both sides are
decorated
•Chajja’sare also
decorative
•Mostly Geometrical
designs
•The carvings are of
circles, undulations
giving off spirals or
sprays

28. Torana
•The Mukh-mandapa
door is decorated with
a makara-toranawith
five looped arches
(pancapattra-torana).
•The upper edges of the
loops are decorated
with kirttimukha
•A running frieze of
dancer and musicians
•While within the loops
there are images of
Vidhyadharacouples.

30. Shikhra•Shikhara mean head
•Principal spire or tower over the sanctum
•All the compartments of temple have their own roofs.
•Each shikhara higher than the other
•Inherently each moving towards the main shikhara.
•It gives the impression of the Mountain like Meru
•The highest Shikra rises over the garbhagriha
•ThemainShikharaisencircledbyaseriesofinterlinkedtowersandspiresofsmallersize(Urushrunga).
•Shikhrais clustered four urah-sringason each side
•Total 84, anga-shikhara, karna-sringrasand nashtha-sringrasconstituting.

31. Sculptures
1.Variousgodsandgoddesses
2.VariousformsofShiva,Vishnu,Harihara,Agni,Karthikeya,Ganesha,
3.Dikpalas,otherdifferentgodsandgoddesses,
4.Surasundaries,
5.Eroticpanelsandothers.
6.Mythicalcreators
7.Mithunasandfemalefigures
8.Men,women,children's.
9.Animals,birds,pests,insects,reptiles,
10.Treesandflowers
11.Rivers,
12.Palaces,huts,etc,
AlexandarCunningham,counted646sculpturesontheexteriorand226intheinteriorofthetemple.

32. 1. Uma-Maheshvaraseated 2. Shiva-Parvati 3. Uma-Maheshvarastanding 4. Brahma and consort 5. Brahma and consort 6. 7. & 8 is vacant 9. Vishnu on Garuda 10. Narasimha 11. Goddess seated on pareta12. Hari-Hara 13. Ardhanarishvara14. Vacant 15. Shiva eight-armed 16. Brahma and consort 17. . Uma-Maheshvaraseated 18. Bhairvaseated 19. Vacant 20. Devi with lion mount 21. Vacant 22. Uma-Maheshvara23. Indra with consort 24. Bhairva25. Sadashiva26. Shiva as Sadyojitawith his sakti.
Inner placement of Sculptures

35. Decoration
•Templehashighreliefcarvingsofthefigurines.
•Theexteriorsurfacesareentirelycoveredwith
sculpturesinthreeverticallayers.
•Thefiguresarefinechiselled,
•strongangularformsandbrilliantdark-lightpatterns.
•Geometricpatterns,masksoflionsandotheruniform
designsarerichlydecorated.
•Insideandoutsidethetempleelaboratelycarved
sculpturesofgodsandgoddesses,musiciansand
apsarasornymphsetc.

37. Erotic art
•The Khajuraho temples are famous for their Erotic art.
•From exterior to the interior, the temple has depiction
of full art of eroticism
•The pillars, ceilings, door-jamb of sanctum, row of the
plinth, the row of platform and niche of the
superstructure etc. show such erotic figures.
•These are showing in loving couples, sometimes in
erotic poses.
•Erotic scupturesare located on the walls, between the
Mandapa portion.

40. Conclusion
•Khajuraho’stemplesnotonlyfamousforarchitecturebut
alsofortheirextensiveeroticsculptures
•KandariyaMahadevaTempleisartisticallyand
architecturallythemostperfectandfinesttempleinIndia.
•OriginallyitwasPanchayatantemple.
•Itisconsideredoneofthebestexamplesoftemplesof
India.
•MostevolvedandfinishedofChandela’s.
•KandariyaMahadevtempleisthegrandestandthetemple
architecturehasreacheditshigheststageofexcellence
here.
•Decorationlikeivory.

41. Any Questions ?