Building Blocks of Bharat | Hindi | EP - 09 | धार्मिक ईमारतों में वास्तुशिल्प और विज्ञान

The diversity of India's temples is unparalleled These temples ranging from grand structures to modest shrines are found throughout every part of the country These temples are not only living symbols of faith and religion Moreover they also illustrate the story of India's architectural evolution and construction advancements over centuries In this episode of the Indian Architecture series we will discuss in detail the three main styles of temple architecture This is the magnificent Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjore This temple is built in the Dravidian or southern Indian architectural style The remarkable temple complex at Khajuraho was built in the Nagara or northern Indian style The Hampi temple complex with its unique blend of these two styles is unparalleled These are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites It appears that during the Vedic period in India most worship was centered around fire After that simple sun chandeliers began to be made from stones and wood Following this cave temples began to be constructed most of which are found in mountainous regions Thus from these simple structures complex and unique architectural designs evolved And from these we can understand how we have mastered natural resources technological development engineering and architectural art As society evolved mandirs became centers for education social gatherings community events and weddings And eventually these mounds became the centers of ancient cities around which markets palaces and military encampments began to spring up After the Vedic period temple architecture can primarily be divided into two styles: the North Indian style known as Nagara and the South Indian style known as Dravidian The construction of the rock-cut temples of Nagar Sheli took place during the Gupta period between 320 and 650 CE Such temples are commonly found across northern and central India In Dravidian or South Indian temple architecture the pyramidal superstructure known as the vimana was constructed The origin of South Indian or Dravidian temples dates back to the Pallava period in Kanchipuram between 600 and 850 CE and later flourished under the Chalukyas of Badami and the Pandya rulers of Madurai The third style is Vesara—this style represents a blend of Nagara and Dravida architectural traditions with noticeable influence from Buddhist monastic worship sites featuring pillared halls This architectural style evolved during the latter half of the Chalukya period First we will attempt to understand the architectural style of the Ishwara Bretheshwar Temple in Tanjavur home to the famous Tamil Laddu The construction of this magnificent Sun Temple was commissioned by King Chola and his sister Kundavai Both siblings were devotees of Lord Shiva The temple's foundation was laid by King Suem in 2019 CE The Chola kings were renowned for their temple construction And they had built around 300 temples across the influential Cauvery Delta region in central Tamil Nadu But the Chola kings built the massive Brihadeeswarar Temple as a symbol of royal ambition architectural grandeur and powerful sculptural art When the temple was completed in the 11th century the Brihadeeswarar Temple was the tallest temple in India Even today more than a thousand years later it remains India's tallest temple standing at a height of 65.84 meters The temple's layout resembles a vast rectangular enclosure measuring 241 by 121 meters The striking fact is that this vast complex is situated along the east-west axis The precise alignment to the southeast with an eighteen-degree deviation indicates that the temple was carefully constructed so that the rays of the rising sun would fall directly on its foundation At the center of the temple's square complex stands a large stone slab known as the vimana which houses the main shrine containing a massive Shivalinga The aircraft's altitude is approximately 90 meters roughly half the width of this complex highlighting the importance of precise calculations in temple construction The aircraft with a pyramid shape has a square base and is built upon a massive foundation supported by two massive walls resulting in a 14-tiered extensive framework On April 1010 work began on it The kalash has been installed It symbolizes the beginning and consecration of religious rituals The stone used for the dome weighs approximately 81.3 tons and is installed on the aircraft's canopy What's remarkable is how the Chola kings managed to lift an 80-ton stone to the top especially since no modern equipment was available at the time How exactly was the parachute installed at a height of 60 meters on the aircraft Another theory suggests that elephants may have been used to lift the stones with ramps made of rubble constructed for the purpose The second theory is that it must have been rolled from the Virittiyah Dhalandara rock formation Whatever the truth may be this was truly an extraordinary feat of engineering for its time The main temple was entirely constructed from granite The ancient sages are baffled by the fact that there are no granite mines anywhere within the temple's vicinity which spans several kilometers This means transporting these stones here must have been a difficult task in itself Yet the Chola kings continued to use these stones and according to one estimate nearly 130 000 tons of granite were used in constructing these temples Once again the same question arises: how were such hard granite stones shaped with the tools available in the fifteenth century They had used wooden stakes Water was regularly poured onto these stone pillars When the lotus flowers in Lakhdi became wilted they would bloom again And with each blow of the hammer the stone cracked apart If we calculate the figures for work purposes Washing fifty tons of rocks daily It must have been placed in the right spot In addition embellish these with embroidery And the act of placing them directly in the ground must have been done separately Inscriptions at the temple reveal tha That the elephant warrior king King Perunt Chan Descendants of these individuals still apply the principles of Vastu or Vastu Shastra in their architectural practices today Before leaving this temple we gaze upon the lifeless statues adorning its walls This section illustrates 818 items of Bharata Natyam performed by the Nritakas There is also evidence that these gatherings provided a platform for talented yet unrecognized individuals to showcase their abilities Throughout India during the 11th century there was widespread construction of temples But very few temples can be compared to the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjore Our next lecture is on the Khajuraho temples in Madhya Pradesh These temples are built in the Nagara or North Indian architectural style After the fall of the Tirtha dynasty the Khajuraho temples remained largely unknown for a long period In the mid-19th century Captain T Burt of the British Army discovered these Following this the work of rescuing these astonishing relics could finally begin Here are three temple complexes: the Western Complex the Eastern Complex and the Southern Complex But we'll discuss the Western group in greater detail From the 9th to the 15th century Khajuraho served as the capital of the Chandela kings Their kingdom extended from present-day Madhya Pradesh up to Garhwal There are approximately 85 temples in this complex though only 20 remain today It is believed that each Chandel king commissioned at least one temple during his lifetime Khajuraho is renowned for its erotic sculptures yet in reality such carvings make up only 2 percent of the entire complex The architectural sophistication and uniformity of that era must have been truly unique Here stand temples dedicated to both Brahmanical and Jain religions They were made using bulbs of pink yellow and white stones The Chandel kings commissioned the construction of these structures with the help of thousands of sculptors architects and royal artisans The buildings in this complex were constructed in the Nagara style The Khajuraho complex features numerous groups of buildings We will only discuss a few styles of Marto One of the grand temples in this complex is the Kandriya Mahadev Temple A key feature of many temples within this complex is Its central peak is shaped like a madumakki What is called the pea Its apex point is located directly above the principal deity Small subsidiary peaks surround it Known as the Uruśringa or central tower They are made in this manner at the peak naturally appears at the highest point in the field of visio The reason these are installed at the elevated base location is due to the excessive displacement Eyes must be raised higher They can be seen from very far away We can appreciate the diversity of shikharas across the various temples within the complex We can see that Mart's plan was always intended to take the form of Veruga from the very beginning Ropes are often strung around the central shaft and similar shafts nearby All parts of the temple are internally and externally interconnected in a harmonious manner Equality has traditionally been viewed from east to west Each temple's entrance gate is known as the half mandap After this the hall and the mandap are located here Then the West Indian gap lies there And finally the ancestral hall is this sacred place The layout and final consolidation are inevitably planned in a uniform manner A code was developed based on a recurring pattern in temple designs It was repeated in the Purik Shitra And a profound understanding of the creator was essential The summit of the Nagara temple is adorned with mahabas Those whom they called Gavaksha It proceeds by gradually advancing the stepping stones one after another Resulting in a smooth flat surface being formed According to a study amla helps combat oxidative stress And this throne serves as a symbolic seat for the deity According to the second sentence this is a symbol of the surah And it is known as the gateway to the divine world On the amalaka there is a crown or stupa-like finial Another distinctive feature of the building is the entrance veranda Featuring a vast hall or great mandap The vestibule lies between the main hall and the garbha griha of the temple The garbha griha houses the principal deity of the temple At Khajuraho you can see sculptures depicting decorative art on the outer panels of these temples Evidence of a sophisticated understanding of water management systems can be seen in the construction of water sources in this region Water sources were nearby here as well just like in the temples These water sources include Shiv Sagar Prem Sagar and Ninora Tal All temples are equipped with sophisticated drainage systems that allow water to flow out We could discuss in detail the remarkable and fascinating features of this complex but instead we turn our attention to another unique temple Our final campsite along the banks of the Tungabhadra River will be at the Ishteth Shandhar Ishtal This city was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire ruled by kings from the 14th to the 15th century The city's heritage including its forts temples pilgrimage sites halls stables and water reservoirs now amounts to a mere sixty thousand remnants This is a striking example of how a temple served as the central point of a city around which water sources markets and settlements were established Today Humpi is rich in rock formations The boulders have shaped Humpi's geography Even today one can still observe stones being displaced at this site The primary stone here is granite which is harder than the stones typically used in common temples But due to the abundance of stone in the region this proved to be a cost-effective solution The lower portion of the temple was constructed using granite stones while terracotta was used for the upper section Let's take a closer look at the symbolism of Humpi Within the rectangular enclosure of the temple complex lies a row of gopurams or towering gateways centered along the axis of the rectangle with the most significant temple situated at the heart of the structure Here both large and small temples are located The main temples here are those of Virupaksha Krishna Achyutaraya and Vitthal Among the grand temples there is one central temple and there is also a mandap for various ceremonies All these are known as Prakara or Chaa A long road surrounded by mandobos comes into view And to its right is a pond This road served as a marketplace with shops lining the Mandbōn area The lanes of Hampi's market were about 32 meters wide and approximately 728 meters long The floodwaters stretched from the Virupaksha Temple all the way to Matanga Hill Beautiful homes and exquisite mandirs were built on these sites The grand Virupaksha Temple stands at the western end of Hampi Market This is the oldest temple of Hampi It is believed that it was constructed in the 15th century The towering 50-meter gopuram dominated the scene Among the distinctive features of these Khmer temples are massive scale walled enclosures and ornate beautifully carved entrance gates adorned with elaborate spires and decorative pillars The construction of the Gagan Chambhi gopurams at the entrance gates was initiated by the kings of Vijaynagar They are commonly also referred to as Ray Gopur The Garuda Mandir shaped like a stone lingam is an excellent example of outstanding art Large statues of Narasingh Ganesha and Veerabhadra can also be seen here We can recall how these monasteries were once social hubs in ancient times where people would gather together These were places where dance music and various art forms were honored and passed down to future generations But today these monuments have become mere relics of history reminding us of the exceptional craftsmanship of the artisans from that era