Mathematical aspect of all the geometrical shapes used in the architecture of the temples of India.pptx

Mathematical aspect of all the geometrical shapes used in the architecture of the temples of India

1. Mathematical aspect of all the geometrical shapes used in : the architecture of the temples of India

2. INTRODUCTION Ancient Indian mathematicians were very skillful in geometry . They used the knowledge of geometry in other disciplines also. They derived many of the comprehensive conclusions with the help of geometry. In Hindu temple architecture, geometry always plays a vital and enigmatic role. FRACTAL GEOMETRY was used vastly in the architecture of ancient Indian temples A fractal is a never-ending pattern. Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process repeatedly in an ongoing loop. ‘Self-similarity’ is the phenomenon of each part being geometrically similar to the whole. It is the core concept of the Fractal Theory. Interestingly, self-similarity is one of the basic principles of organization in the Hindu Temple Architecture. During Gupta period and onwards the temple architecture in India flourished in a much disciplined manner.

3. VINYASASUTRA [LAYOUT & ORIENTATION] In Sanskrit ‘Vinyaasa’ means orientation and ‘sutra’ means thread, line or axis. It is related with the lay out and orientation of temple plans. Vastupurushamandala is the base of evolution of a temple plan. Vinyasasutra comes into play after the initial evolution of the temple plan. During the determination of the axis and orientation of the temple and its surroundings, ancient architects used to follow the process described in Hindu scripts like Vastushashtra, Manasara etc. However, all the plans followed geometries with fractal character.

4. TEMPLE COMPLEX To the trained eye, the miniature fractals of the main shrine stand out in a well-designed temple complex. All the elements including the Toranas, Gopurams, miniature shrines, Pushkarinis etc. either have been repeated in a disciplined order or have been constructed following the rules of fractal theory. The above example of Minakshi Sundareswara Temple shows how fractal has worked starting from the boundary wall to the main shrine.

5. SOME EXAMPLES OF TEMPLES CREATED USING MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS OF GEOMETRY :

6. Ramappa Temple – is a 13th-century engineering marvel, named after its architect – Ramappa. The structure is of the pyramidal type, consisting of four storeys. Distinctive and pyramidal Vimana (horizontally stepped tower)are made of lightweight porous bricks called floating bricks that reduced the weight of the roof structures.

7. Kandariya Mahadeva Temple- Situated in Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh. It is also celebrated for its intricate sculptures and for the dramatic geometric massing in its lofty towers that resembles a mountain.

8. Ranakpur Jain Temple - Considered one of the largest Jain temples in the country. Ranakpur Jain Temple stands on a dense network of 1,444 carved pillars, despite which the idol can be seen unobstructed from all directions.

9. Modhera Sun Temple - Dedicated to Surya, the solar deity . the Sun Temple at Modhera has 52 pillars placed in a geometrical manner to signify 52 weeks of the year, a Mandap divided into 7 sections for 7 days of the week & 365 elephants forming the Mandap's base for each day of the year.

10. Virupaksha Temple – The Virupaksha temple is the largest and most sophisticated out of the monuments in Pattadakal, a complex of Hindu and Jain temples in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. Virupaksha Temple at Pattadakal is seeded with mathematical concepts - from a triangular dome & square layout to recurrent fractal patterns that echo the geometry of nature.

11. Kopeshwar Temple – near Kolhapur in Maharashtra is a masterpiece of Chalukyan temple architecture. The Kopeshwar temple is divided into 4 parts in that order – Swarga mandapa, Sabha mandapa, Antaral Kaksha and Gabhara. All around this window, just behind the large 8 idols, are several different small idols, who signify the numerous other gods from Hindu mythology. The whole setup looks as if the gods are looking down upon us from the skies. The Swarga mandapa has 48 pillars in total. And among them, the circular roof is supported by 12 pillars, that stand in a circle at the centre of the Swarga mandapa. They symbolize the 12 zodiac signs

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