Vijayanagar Architecture

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The Vijayanagar Architecture of the period (1336 - 1565CE) was a unique building idiom evolved by the imperial Vijayanagar Empire that ruled the whole of South India from their regal capital at Vijayanagara, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in Karnataka, India. The empire built a number of temples, monuments, palaces and other structures cross South India, with the largest concentration in their capital. The monuments in and around Hampi, in the Vijayanagar principality are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In addition to building new temples, they also added new structures and modifications to hundreds of existing temples across South India. Some structures at Vijayanagar are however from the pre-Vijayanagar period. The Mahakuta hill temples are from the Western Chalukya era. The region around Hampi had been a popular place of worship for centuries before the Vijayanagar period with earliest records from 689 CE and was known as Pampa Tirtha after the local river Goddess Pampa. There are hundreds of extant monuments in the core area of the capital. Of them fifty six are protected by UNESCO, six hundred and fifty four monuments are protected by the government of Karnataka and another three hundred monuments await protection.^[1]

Contents 1 Salient Features 1.1 Temple structures 1.2 Palaces 1.3 Famous Temples outside Vijayanagar 2 See also 3 Terminology 4 Notes 5 References

[edit] Salient Features

[edit] Temple structures

Vijayanagar architecture can be broadly classified into religious, courtly and civic architecture, sculptures and paintings.^[2] The Vijayanagar style is a combination of Chalukya, Hoysala, Pandya and Chola styles which evolved in the prior centuries.^[3]
For about 400 years during the rule of Western Chalukya and the Hoysalas, the most popular material for temple construction had been chloritic schist or Soapstone, with an emphasis on sculpture (soapstone being soft stone and hence easily workable). The emphasis during the Vijayanagar times was on using locally available hard granite in Badami Chalukya style, though a few reliefs and sculptures were produced with Soapstone.^[4] While the use of granite meant reduced density of sculpture, it made the temples more durable. Due to the use of granite (which is prone to flaking) for sculptures, not many pieces of individual sculptures reached the high levels of quality seen in previous centuries. In order to cover the unevenness of the stone used in sculptures, artists used plaster giving the rough surface a smooth finish and painted them with lively colours.^[5]

The temples are normally surrounded by a strong enclosure. Small shrines generally comprise of only a garbhagriha (sanctum) and a porch. Medium sized temples have a garbhagriha, shukanasi (antechamber), a navaranga (antrala) connecting the sanctum and outer mantapa (hall), a rangamantapa (enclosed pillared hall). Large temples have tall Rayagopuram built with wood, brick and stucco in Chola style. The term Raya is added to indicate a gopura built by Vijayanagar Rayas. The top of the gopuram has a shalashikhara resembling a barrel made to rest on its side. Large life size figures of men, woman Gods and Goddesses adorn the gopuram. This style, a Tamil dravida influence rose in popularity during the rule of king Krishnadevaraya. This influence is seen in South Indian temples constructed over the next 200 years.^[6] Examples of Rayagopuram are at the Chennakesava Temple in Belur, and at Srisailam and Srirangam. In addition to these structures, medium sized temples also have a closed circumambulatory (Padakshinapatha) passage around the sanctum and an open mahamantapa (large hall), a kalyanamantapa (ceremonial hall) and a temple tank to serve the needs of annual celebrations.^[7]

The pillars have engravings of charging horses or hippogryphs (Yali) standing on hind legs with their fore legs lifted and a rider on its back. Horses in some pillars stand seven to eight feet tall. On the other side of the pillar are carvings from Hindu mythology.^[8] Pillars that do not have such hippogryphs are generally rectangular with mythological decoration on all sides. Some pillars have a cluster of smaller pillars around a central pillar shaft. The bottom supports of these pillars have engravings of Gods and Goddesses. Carvings of Hippogryphs clearly show the adroitness of the artists who created them.^[9]

The Mantapas were built on square or polygonal plinths that are four to five feet high, have ornate stepped entrances on all four sides with miniature elephants or with Yali balustrade (parapet).^[10] The Mantapas are supported by ornate pillars.^[11] The thousand pillared style with large halls supported by numerous pillars became popular. The 1000 pillared Jain basadi at Mudabidri is an example. Bigger temples have a separate shrine for the female deity, examples of which are the Hazara Rama , Balakrishna and Vitthala temples at Hampi.

Some shrines in the Vitthalapura area inside Vijayanagara were consecrated specifically for Tamil Alwar saints and for the great Vaishnava saint Ramanujacharya. Architecturally they are different in that each shrine has an image depicting the saint in whose worship the temple was built. Also each shrine has its own enclosure, a separate kitchen and pilgrim feeding hall.^[12] The water storage feature inside the royal center, the stepped tank called Pushkarni, a recent archaeological discovery. The stepped tank is fashioned with finished Chlorite Schist slabs arranged in a symmetrical formation with steps and landings descending to the water on all four sides. This is clearly a Western Chalukya-Hoysala style tank seen in many parts of present day Karnataka.^[13] The inscriptions on the slabs indicate the material was brought from outside the Vijayanagar area.

[edit] Palaces

Much of what is known today of Vijayanagar palaces are from archaeological excavations at Hampi as no royal palace structure has survived.^[14] Most palaces stand within their own compound defined by high tapering walls made of stone or layered earth. Palaces are approached through a sequence of courts with passageways and doorways requiring multiple changes in direction. All palaces face east or north. The larger palaces have side extensions giving the complex a symmetrical shape. Palaces were built on a raised platform made of granite. The platforms have multiple tiers of mouldings with well decorated friezes.^[15] The decorations are generally floral, Kirtimukha shapes (demon faces), geese, elephants and occasionally human figures. Pillars, beams and rafters inside the palace were made of wood as evidenced by ash discovered in excavations. The roof was made of brick or lime concrete and copper and ivory were used for finials. Palaces commonly consisted of multiple levels with each flight of stairs decorated by balustrades on either side, either with yali (imaginary beast) or elephants sculptures. The is also true of entrance steps into palaces and temple mantapas. Water tanks inside the palace complex have decorative water spouts like the torso of Nandi with a gaping mouth to allow water flow into the tank.^[16] Other structures inside a palace complex are wells and shrines.

The courtly architecture generally show secular styles with Islamic influence. Examples are the Lotus Mahal palace, Elephant stables, watch towers etc.^[17] Courtly buildings and domed structures were built with mortar mixed with stone rubble.^[18]

The impact of this style of architecture was seen well into the 17th. century when the various successive Nayaka kingdoms continued to encourage pillars with Hippogryphs. The use of Granite became the main material.

[edit] Famous Temples outside Vijayanagar

While the empire is well known for their monuments in the regal capital, Vijayanagara, they also built many temples in other places in South India. Well known among them in Karnataka are Chaturmukha Basadi and Parshwanatheshwara Basadi (15th century) in Gerusoppa, Parshwanatheshwara Basadi, Santappanaik Tirumala Temple, Virupaksha Narayan Temple (1565), Bala Kini Raghunath Temple (1550) and Khetapai Narayan Temple at Bhatkal, Aryadurga Temple (1505) at Ankola, Partakali Jivottam Mutt (1560) at Gokarna, Mahalasa Narayan Temple (1565) atKumta, Mahaganapati Mahamaya Temple (1560) at Shirali, Iswar Temple at Baindur, Balaram Temple at Malpe, Indrani Temple at Manipal, Vidyashankara Temple (1357) at Sringeri, Bhoganandiswara Temple and Yoganandiswara Temple at Nandi Hills, Kanakachalapathi Temple in Koppal district, Someswara Temple at Kolar, Ganesha Temple at Kurudumale, Tyaramalleshwara Temple (1466) at Hiriyur and others.

In Andhra Pradesh they built the Mallikarjuna Temple at Srisailam, Upper Narasimha Temple and Lower Narasimha Temple at Ahobilam, Veera Bhadra Temple at Lepakshi and Venkateshwara Temple at Tirupati and others.

[edit] See also

Vijayanagara
Hampi
Vijayanagar Empire

Ornate pillars, Virupaksha temple Hampi

Veera Bhadra temple, Lepakshi

mantapa with Hippogryphs Melkote

Kalyanamantapa Melkote

[edit] Terminology

• Mantapa - pillared hall
• Mahamantapa - Open pillared hall
• Rangamantapa - Closed pillared hall
• Kalyanamantapa - Hall meant for celebrations
• Garbhagriha - Sanctum where the idol of God is placed
• Navaranga or Antrala - passage the connects different Sanctums
• Shukanasi - Antechamber

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Dr. Suryanath U. Kamat (2001). Concise History of Karnataka, MCC, Bangalore (Reprinted 2002)
• Hampi, A Travel Guide, Department of Tourism, India, Good Earth publication, New Delhi 2003
• New Light on Hampi, Recent research in Vijayanagara, edited by John M. Fritz and George Michell, MARG, 2001, ISBN 81-85026-53-X
• History of Karnataka, Arthikaje
• Temples of Karnataka, Dr. Jyotsna Kamat
• Architecture of Indian Subcontinent, Takeyo Kameya
• TempleNet:Temples of India