Art and Culture Part 5: Temple Architecture — Nagara, Dravida, Vesara, Exam-Ready Notes

Three styles, one diagram, and almost every temple question resolves inside it.

Nagara, the northern style

• Curvilinear shikhara crowned by amalaka and kalasha; cruciform plan with rathas.
• Odisha school: Lingaraja, Jagannath Puri, Konark; Chandella: Khajuraho; Guptan beginnings at Deogarh.

Dravida, the southern style

• Pyramidal storeyed vimana, boundary walls, towering gopuram gateways, temple tanks.
• Brihadeshwara Thanjavur (Rajaraja I, c. 1010); Madurai Meenakshi gopurams; Mahabalipuram rathas.

Vesara and rock-cut line

• Vesara: Chalukya-Hoysala hybrid with star-shaped jagati: Belur and Halebidu.
• Rock-cut precedents: Karla and Bhaja chaitya halls; Ellora Kailasa (Rashtrakuta, 8th century).

Revise in 30 seconds

• Nagara: curvilinear shikhara + amalaka.
• Dravida: vimana + gopuram; Brihadeshwara c. 1010.
• Vesara: star-platform Hoysala hybrid.
• Ellora Kailasa: monolithic Rashtrakuta.