Temple Architecture of Early Chalukyas� Aihole

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1. Temple Architecture of
Early Chalukyas
“Aihole”
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
A.I.H.C. & Archaeology
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
B.A. III
V: Semester
UNIT 3

2. Temple Architecture of
Early Chalukyas
“Aihole”

3. Introduction
•DistinctivestyleoftempleinDeccan
•TimeofConstruction:sixthtoeightCentury
•Chalukyanseatofpower:Aihole,(Vatapi)Badami
andPattadkal
•Gupta:North,Chalukyas:South
•Material:Localfinegrainedsandstone
•Area:NorthKarnataka
•Stylisticaffiliation:Vesar,EarlyChalukyanstyle

5. Golden Age of Deccan
•TheChalukyanDynastywasadominantpowerinnorthernKarnatakaduringthe6thcenturyonwards.
•Chalukyanseatofpower:Aihole,Badami,Pattadakal
•ChalukyasarecreditedwithintroductionoftheirownstyleoftemplearchitecturecalledChalukyanArchitecture.
•Thisarchitecturerepresentsamixture/blendofDravidianandNagarastyles.
•HenceitisalsoreferredasVesarastyle.

6. Beginning
•Chalukyanbuiltrock-cutcave-templesand
structuraltemplesdedicatedtoBramhanicaland
Jaindeities.
•Theseexquisitesculptedtempleswereerectedat
Aihole,Badami&Pattadakal.
•TheVesarastylechieflyoriginatedinAiholeand
BadamiandwasperfectedinPattadakal.

7. Rock Cut
Structural
Early
Chalukyan
Architecture

8. Aihole
•AiholeisasmallvilageonthebanksofRiver
Malaprabha,locatednearBadamiinKarnataka.
•PresentvillageofAiholecontainsover70templesof
EarlyWesternChalukyas(30withinwalls;40
outskirts).
•Suchaccumulationoftempleswithvariousstagesof
developmentledAiholebeingoftenidentifiedasthe
‘cradleofIndiantemplearchitecture’.
•Gradualdevelopmentfromrockcuttemplesto
elaborateandartistictemplescanbeseenhere.

9. Location of Aihole

10. Importanttemples of Aihole
•Lad khan
•Durga tempe
•Huchimallagudi
temple
•Meguti(Jain) temple

11. Lad khan temple
•Earliest in Aihole
•FallsinKonti-gudigroup.(considerasearliest/
primitive).
•Itissupposedthatthistempledesignfollowsthedesignofmeetinghall(संथागार)

12. The structure of the temple reminds us of a wooden prototype with stone walls, supporting a
slanting roof made of house.

13. •111.jpg
•Square on plan
•50 x 50 foot.
•Mukhmandap(Porch)
•Nandimandap
•Sanctum Sanctorum
•16pillars arranged in two
squares.
•This way temple has double
chambers with double aisle
around nandi.
•4 central pillars are higher and
gradually decrease towards outer.
•Entry from eastern side
•Stone seats all along except east
(kakshasanasfirst time appear
here)
•Front pillars are sculpted with
Ganga and Yamuna figures.
•Entry to top shrine via a stone
ladder inside the mandap.

14. •The temple roof is built with slope in two tiers.
•Long narrow stone strips placed to protects the joints of the slab
•On the roof one small shrine (decorated).

15. Ladkhan
Temple
•The windows were beautifully made of lattice work, created after the wall for providing light
and air inside
•Garbhagriha three rathiy(projections)

16. •Pillarsareplainsquareshafts.
•Cushioncapitalswithopenflowerabacusupholdthebrackets.
•Thispillarstylesbecomestypicalandfamiliarinlaterperiodtemples.
•Exteriorsabhamandappillarsaretaperinganddecoratedfromouter.
•Outerwall(Bhitti)isdevoidofdecoration
•.
•Nomortarused

17. Durga Temple

18. DurgaTemple
•DurgatempleisthebiggestandthemostattractivetempleatAihole.
•ThoughitiscalledDurgaTemple,ithasnothingtodo
withgoddessDurga.
•Thenameofthetemplemayhavebeenderivedfromthe
word‘Durga’meaningfort.
•AsoneentersAiholefromthenorth,thistempleisfound
nearthefortandperhapsthepeoplenameditDurga(fort)
temple.

19. Apsidal/Gajprusthakar
•Themostimportantfeatureofthistempleistheapsidalcharacterofitsarchitecture.
•GenerallyapsidalorgajapristhaformisfoundinBuddhistmonuments.
•Thistemplebeingnon-Buddhistandyethavinganapsidalposteriorpartisinteresting.
•However,itseem,apsidalplandidnotbecomepopularandforthisreasongivenup.
•ThereisacomparableapsidaltempleatChikkaMahakutatempleprobablyinfluencedbyDurgatemple.

20. Basic Features
•Apsidalinplan
•Plan:mukhmandapa,sabhamandapaandgarbhgriha
•Twopradakshinapathsallaround
•Thesabhamandapahasbeendividedintothreeportionsbyitspillars.
•Theentranceisineastthroughtwoflightsofstepstothesouthandnorthofthemandapa.
•Ahighmouldedadisthanawiththebaseofsixdifferentmouldings.
•Acurvilinearincompleteshikhara:maybelateraddition

21. Entrance

22. Internal features
•Four pillars support the ceiling of mukhmandapa
•Mukhmandaphas primitive elephant torana
•Sabha mandap has highly ornate doorway
•Sabha mandap have two row of pillars (two side aisles)
•Roof of the temple is sloping from center
•Niches encompasses beautiful sculptures

25. SculpturalArt
•Onthepillarsofthemukhamandapaarefoundbeautifulsculpturesofgod,goddessesandmithuna.
•MentionmustbemadeofShivadancingonapasmarapurush,ArdhanarishwarandUgr-Narsimha
•TheinnerwallofthemukhamandapahasRamayanapaneldepictingepisodesfrotheepic.
•Theentranceofthemandapaiswellcarvedwithdvarapalas,YamunaandGanga,andothersculptures.
•PillarsdeckedwithsculpturesshowmucheleganceascomparedtoearlierLadkhantemple.

26. •Thelargenumberofpillarsinthistemplehavebeen
utilizedbytheartiststocarvebeautifulsculptures.
•Thesesculpturesareofhighorderandaddrefinementand
charismatothistemple.

27. Old picture

28. ImportanceoftheDurgaTemple
•DurgatemplerepresentssecondstageoftempledevelopmentatAihole.
•ItdepictsnovelarchitecturalelementswhichareamarkeddevelopmentfromitspredecessorLadKhantemple.
•DurgaTempleisimpressivewithnumerouspillarreliefswhichexhibittheuniqueChalukyaartstyle.
•Theelevatedplinth,thehighgalleriesandthemouldedadisthanaaretheothercharacteristicsoftheTemple.
•ThefinesculpturesofNarsimha,Durga,ChamundaandShivaaretheotherattractionsoftheTemple.

29. Huchchimalli-guditemple

30. Basic features
•Rectangular plan
•Mukhmandap + sabhamandap + antrala+ garbhgruha+ pradakshina path
•Antaralaappears first time
•Constructed by primitive manner (masonry wall) between pillars and garbhgruha
•Shikra added later
•Kakshasanaon both side of portico

31. Huchchimalli-guditemple

32. •Stands on a platform
•Doorframe is decorated
with ganga, Yamuna and
unique sculptural
designs
•Inside the grabhagruha
Surya and Bramha
images
•It has a tank
•Lattice window
Huchchimalli-guditemple

33. MegutiTemple

34. Megutitemple
•SituatedonMegutihill.
•Thistempleisimportantbothhistoricallyandarchitecturally.
•InscriptioninSanskritdated634CEcomposedbyRavikirti,thecourtpoetofPulakesinII.
•Thetempleconsistsofanopenporchadjoiningaclosedmandapaandasanctuarysurroundedbyagirbhgruhaandantaral.
•OnlyDravidtempleinAihole.
•Theouterwallsareraisedonbasementmouldings
•Emptynichesaswellasuncut,raisedblocksindicatethatthesculpturalportionsofthetemplewerenevercompleted.

35. MegutiTemple