The civilization of India pre-dates the Christian era by well over two thousand years. Excavated ruins of ancient cities display planned houses, sunken baths, granaries and wide streets that were lined with drains. Archaeological gleanings from artifacts like sculpture and pottery bring forth images of a flourishing age that ranks alongside Egypt, Mesopotamia and China as one of the great cultures of the ancient world.
Hinduism
It is surmised that the Aryans introduced to India, millennia ago, the concept of the worship of nature deities who were propitiated by sacrifice. This gradually evolved to become Hinduism, the predominant faith of India. It has no fixed scriptural canon or belief, nor does it have a central church. Unlike most of the other religions of the world, Hinduism is not a 'revealed' religion and has no 'prophet' or 'messenger'. The basic doctrines of Hinduism can be found in certain ancient texts like the Vedas, the Bhramans, the Upanishads and the Gita. The kernel is dharma, literally, 'duty'; this is a doctrine, a personal obligation and a code of conduct. Hinduism calls for dama, dana and daya - restraint, charity and compassion. At its simplest, Hinduism is not really a religion in the conventional sense of the word - it is more of a way of life where philosophic and spiritual content have inseparably would their way round the nature worship of its primordial society. The leeway in the individual interpretation of religion is reflected in almost every aspect of Hindu life and culture - and to a substantial extent in its temples.
The Hindu Temple
Hindu temples range from caves to giant monoliths, from simple mud huts to sophisticated buildings of marble embellished with gold and precious stones. This expression of the building skills of ancient India has a vivacity born of the earth - and of the life of men and women and of the world that surrounds them.
The oldest structures that still stand and fall in the broad category of temples are not really Hindu ones but are Buddhist stupas, where a relic of the Buddha or a saint were kept. The stupa is huge brick dome with a central chamber that is surrounded by elaborate gateways and railings. The three major ones are at Sanchi, Bharhut and Amravati - all in Central India. Among the other ancient temple forms are caves and rock-cut chambers. Monasteries were cleft into rock faces, chiseled to a fine finish and adorned with decorative devices.
At Ellora is the eighth century Kailashnath temple. A rocky hillside was cut away (without the help of modern tools and technology) and an entire free-standing temple was fashioned out of live rock. A smaller temple of the same genre stands on the island of Elephanta, just off the metropolis of Mumbai. Of about the same historical time frame, in south India, there are rock temples and gigantic open air reliefs set on the beach of Mamallapuram which is named after the king, Narasimhavarman - the Great Wrestler of Mamalla (the place is also called Mahabalipuram, 'the town of the great demon king, Bali').
The Gupta dynasty that ruled India from the fourth to the sixth century CE, ushered in the greatest movement in Indian temple building. The high culture of this phase is often called the 'classical period' of Indian history. One of the most striking temples of this period is at Deogarh in the coastal state of Gujarat.
From the sixth century to the present day, the floor plan of the conventional temple has been essentially the same - a small shrine room or garbagriha, a hall for worshippers or mandap and a porch. High spires, called sikharas or vimanam crown the structure. In south India, towering gateways could be as elaborate as the temple itself. The ancient text, the Shilpashastra or building code set down strict architectural and sculptural proportions and every nuance stemmed from a common theme.
As the centuries flowed and ruling dynasties rose and fell, the puritan simplicity of the early years gave way to a florid sensuousness in the medieval period. Decorations became more ornate. The cornices and pillars of the inner sanctum gave way to embellished friezes. With row after row of detailed bas-reliefs, the outer walls were often more highly decorated than the inner. Soaring towers were added, as were high strong walls and some of the temples began resembling fortresses. Variations exist in different parts of the country. The north, the nagara style of temples with a beehive like spire predominates (perhaps the most famous examples are the temples of Khajuraho with their erotic carvings). Other places, especially in the hills have slate parasols protecting the structure.
The statement of art historian, James Ferguson about the Chola temples of south India may well extend to others as well; he remarked, 'the Cholas conceived like giants and finished as jewelers.'
Sources:
Basham, A.L., The Wonder that was India, Rupa and Co. (1991)
Director-General, Archaeological Remains; Monuments and Museums, Archaeological Survey of India (1996)
Keay, John, India Discovered, Rupa and Co., 1989
Publications Division, 5000 Years of Indian Architecture, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India (1992)
Thapar, Romila, A History of India Vol. I., Penguin, 1966
raaja bhasin - Raaja Bhasin
Join the Conversation