In India, Hindu temple architecture has evolved into many unique, mature forms throughout time.
- Early Buddhist architectural features, such as the rock-cut cave temple (chaitya) or enclosed courtyard, are used in the early stages (vihara).
- Ellora and Elephanta are examples of early Hindu rock-cut temples; others, such as Aihole, are free-standing but based on this style.
- Nagara, Dravida, and Veshara are the three main forms of later Hindu architecture, with the first two being the most significant.
- Each of these styles is exclusive to a region of India:
- Nagara in the north and east,
- Dravida in the south,
- and Veshara in the west and Deccan.
The fundamental distinctions between them may be boiled down to the various temple tower styles.
- The Nagara style places a strong emphasis on verticality, with the temple's whole structure culminating in a single highest point.
Different focuses in the treatment of the tower resulted in several substyles:
- The whole construction gradually leads up to the central tower of Khajuraho temples, while the Orissa style emphasizes a single massive tower surrounded by many smaller subsidiary sections.
- The towers of the Dravida style are usually made out of horizontal tiers, with the focus on horizontal rather than vertical.
- The gopurams, or central gates in the temple walls, are the highest constructions of the later Dravida temples.
- Although a Dravida-style temple may feature a small tower above the primary shrine, the temple's territory is frequently vast, and many of them are cities in their own right.
- The Veshara design has a barrel roof above the sanctuary, which has its origins in Buddhist chaityas (rock-cut cave temples).
- The Nagara towers and the Dravida tiers are both represented in this architectural style.
Discover more about Hindu Art, Architecture, and Iconography here.
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