Kandariya Mahadev Temple.pdf

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1. Kandariya Mahadev
Temple
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor

2. Introduction
•KandariyaMahadevaTempleislocatedinKhajurahooftheChatarpurdistrictofMadhyaPradesh.
•Constructed by Chandel Dynasty
•Total of 22 temples spread over 6squarekilometres
•Temple divided various groups (eastern, western and Southern)
•Kandariya Mahadev is situated in the Western group.
•It’s a complete specimen and the largestamongall.

5. Historical Background
•Candela were Vassal of Gurjar-Pratihar
•SubsequentlydefeatedGurjar-Pratiharandbecomeindependent
•ControlledtheBundelkhandknownasJejakbhukti
•KandariyaMahadevtemplewasbuiltbyVidyadhararuledfrom1003to1035CE.
•Theepigraphonthemandapapilasterofthetemple,mentionsakingcalledVirimdawhoidentifiedwithVidyadhara.
•KhajuraoknownasKharjjuravahaka.
•Thesitewasrediscoveredin1838byaBritishofficer,CaptainT.S.Burt.
•Intheoriginaltherewereabout85temples,nowonly24survived.
•Templeswereconstructedbetween(950-1050CE)

6. General Features of the Khajuraho Temples
1.Earlier temples were made of Granite (few in number)
2.Stone: fine-grained sandstones (buff, pink, pale yellow)
3.Brought from Panna, east bank of Ken river
4.Temples Belong to Shaiva, Vaishnava and Jain sects
5.Not huge in size
6.Erected upon a high plinth (Jagti), open space all around the temple
7.Axis east-west
8.Not inside the compound hall
9.Art & Sculptural Decoration inside and outside
10.Maximum height: 100 ft
11.Have balconied windows
12.Rising high from mandapa to garbha-gruha

7. KandariyaMahadev temple

8. Kandariya Mahadev Temple
•Dedicated to Shiva
•KandariyaMahadeva: the Great God of the Cave
•Built on a high platform /plinth : 4 metres (13ft)
•Total height: 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

9. •A series of steps with
high rise leads from
the ground level to the
entrance to the temple.
•Structural Elements
1.MukhMandapa
2.Mandapa
3.Maha-Mandapa
4.Antaral
5.Garbhagriha

10. Plan

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

13. Mukha-mandapa
•Entrance from East
•Only entrance of the temple
•Situated on a lower level than others
•Open from two sides (North & South)
•It has the Asnapattakas(seat-slabs) with kaksananas(sloping seat-backs).
•The entrance is decorated with Makara-toranawith looped arches.
•Ceiling rest upon the pillars
•Square in shape
•Small shikhara on top
•Shikra is the smallest of all
•Inner side decorated

18. Mandapa
•Approach from mukha-mandapa
•The second component of the temple
•Slightly bigger than mukha-mandapa
•Rectangular shape
•Also has the Asnapattakas(seat-slabs) with kaksananas(sloping seat-backs).
•Open from two sides (North & South)
•Decorated from both sides
•Shikhar is raising higher than mukha-mandapa
•The roof over the mandapa is also a pyramidal one (taller than Mukhmandapa and shorter than Mandapa)

22. Maha-mandapa
•Center part of the temple
•Balconies (open windows) from two sides
•Decorated gateway
•Rising higher than mukh-mandap and mandapa
•Four pillars on four corners bear the load of the superstructure.
•Raised shikhara
•In the same way, the roof over the maha-mandapa is also a domical pyramid
•Decorated pillars and sealing

27. Antarala (Vestibule)
•A transitional space between
the maha-mandapa and the
Gabhagruhais called
Antarala.
•Decorated pillars.

31. Sanctum
(Garbhagriha)
•Main component of the temple
•Higher than other
•It is a square cell 10 ft. wide
•The inner walls are plain
•Decorated doorway
•Ganga and Yamuna are depicted on the right and left jambs of the doorway
•Attendant divinities in niches and recesses.
•A Shivalinga inside (4 ft )
•Ambulatory path (Pradakshina path)
•Window from two sides (balcony)

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

38. •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: stencilled
scrolls with a triangular
design below.
•Sculptures containing
the figures of the gods
and goddesses, apsaras
or surasundariesand
mithunasand erotic
scenes on projections.
Jangha

42. Bhitti

45. Pillars
•Over decorated
•Pillar capitals are bearing the load
•The base and middle portions bear female sculptures (dancing and
various poses)
•These are separate parts added later on
•Other geometric design
•Specifically vine or scroll motif
•Various figures
•Thefourcentralpillarsofthemahamandapaareofthebhadraka
typerestingonaheavybasei.e.kumbhikawiththeusualmouldings.
•Theuppersectionoftheshaftcarriescapitaloftheusualdesign
surmounted
•Theupperbracketscarryabeam,decoratedwithstencilledscrolls,
grasa-pattikaandafriezeofGandharvasandVidhyadharacouples
carryinggarlandsandplayingonmusicalinstruments.

51. Ceiling
•Ceiling content-rich and high decoration
•Percy Brown: those who had done were masters in art
•Different sets of a stone joint together
•Due to dim light, the decorative details are not visible
•The subject of decoration:
a)Floral motifs
b)Geometrical designs

54. Balconies
•Balconies are in
•Mukh mandapa, mandapa, Maha-Mandapa and Garbhgrihas
•Both sides are decorated
•Chajja’s are also decorative
•Mostly Geometrical designs
•The carvings are of circles, undulations giving off spirals or sprays

56. Torana
•The Mukh-mandapa
door is decorated with
a Makara-Toranawith
arches (pancapattra-
Torana).
•The upper edges of the
loops are decorated
with kirtimukha
•A running frieze of
dancers and musicians
•While within the loops
there are images of
Vidhyadharacouples.

58. Shikhra•Shikharameanhead
•Principalspireortoweroverthesanctum
•Allthecompartmentsofthetemplehavetheirownroofs.
•Eachshikharaishigherthantheother
•ItgivestheimpressionoftheMountainlikeMeru
•ThehighestShikrarisesoverthegarbhagriha
•ThemainShikharaisencircledbyaseriesofinterlinkedtowersandspiresofsmallersize(Urushrunga).
•Shikharisclusteredwithfoururah-sringasoneachside
•Total84,anga-shikhara,Karna-sringras.

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

63. 1.Uma-Maheshvaraseated
2.Shiva-Parvati
3.Uma-Maheshvarastanding
4.Brahma and consort
5.Brahma and consort
6.6. 7. & 8 is vacant
7.9. Vishnu on Garuda
8.10. Narasimha
Inner placement of Sculptures
•11. Goddess seated on
pareta
•12. Hari-Hara
•13. Ardhanarishvara
•14. Vacant
•15. Shiva eight-armed
•16. Brahma and consort
•17. Uma-Maheshvara
seated
•18. Bhairvaseated
•19. Vacant
•20. Devi with lion
mount
•21. Vacant
•22. Uma-Maheshvara
23. Indra with consort
24. Bhairva
•25. Sadashiva
•26. Shiva as Sadyojita
with his sakti.

67. Decoration
•Templehashighreliefcarvingsofthefigurines.
•Theexteriorsurfacesareentirelycoveredwith
sculpturesinthreeverticallayers.
•Thefiguresarefinelychiselled
•Strongangularformsandbrilliantdark-light
patterns.
•Geometricpatterns,masksoflionsandotheruniform
designsarerichlydecorated.
•Insideandoutsidethetempleelaboratelycarved
sculpturesofgodsandgoddesses,musiciansand
apsarasornymphsetc.

69. Erotic art
•TheKhajurahotemplesarefamousfortheirErotic
art.
•Fromtheexteriortotheinterior,thetemplehasa
depictionoffullartoferoticism.
•Thepillars,ceilings,door-jambofsanctum,rowof
theplinth,therowofplatformandnicheofthe
superstructureetc.showsucheroticfigures.
•Theseareshowninlovingcouples,sometimesin
eroticposes.
•Eroticsculpturesarelocatedonthewalls,between
theMandapaportion.

72. Conclusion
•Khajuraho’stemplesproducefinestandcompleform
ofNagarstylearchitecture.
•KandariyaMahadevatempleisartisticallyand
architecturallythemostperfectandfinesttemplein
India.
•OriginallyitwasthePanchayatantemple.
•Itisconsideredoneofthebestexamplesoftemplesin
India.
•MostevolvedandfinishedofChandela.
•Excellentandextensivesculpturalartincludingerotic
sculpturesareunparallel.
•Thedecorationislikeivory.

73. Any Questions ?