NORTH INDIAN TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
Room or Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) where the idol of the main deity is kept is the main base of Indian temple architecture. A porch covers the entrance to the temples, which is supported by carved pillars.
A prominent roof called the shikhara surmounts the top of the Garbhagriha, and dominates the surroundings. As time went, by small temples grew into temple complexes. Some temples have a hall or mandap from where one can reach the sanctum sanctorum.
Temple architecture in India can be devided into southern and northern.Classified the form and shape of the shikhara and the distinctiveness of its decoration. The shikhara of the temples in South India tend to be made up of distinct horizontal levels that diminish to form a rough pyramid. Each level is decorated with miniature temple rooftops.
Some temples from South India also have tall shikharas over the elaborate gateways or gopurams to add to the overall symmetry to the temple complex. The shikhara of the temples in North and Central India, in contrast, resembles an upturned cone that is decorated with miniature conical shikharas. Some temples developed their own local flavor apart from adhering to their basic native style.
There are about 4,000 big and small temples in the city of Vrindavan, apart from the numerous bathing ghats (long steps along the banks of sacred rivers, used by Hindus for ritual bathing). Most of the temples in Vrindavan belong to the North Indian style of temple architecture, while a few conform to a mixed style. Most of the temples now present in Vrindavan were constructed after AD 1000, while some of them are of very recent origin. |
