💡During this period, the Indo -Islamic style started to influence the local architectural styles as well.
💡 Bengal, Bijapur, Jaunpur and Mandu became important seats of architectural development.
1. BENGAL SCHOOL (1203–1573 AD)
💡The Bengal school of architecture was characterised by its use of bricks and black marble.
💡The mosques built during this period continued the use of sloping ‘Bangla roofs’, which was previously used for temples.
📍2. JAUNPUR SCHOOL
(1394–1479 AD):
💡 Patronised by the Sharqi rulers, Jaunpur became a centre of great art and cultural activity.
💡This style of architecture also came to be known as Sharqi style and also avoided the use of minars, as the Pathan style.
A unique feature of the building here is the use of bold and forceful character painted on huge screen in the centre and side bays of the prayer Wall.
📍3. MALWA SCHOOL (1405-1569 AD):
💡The cities of Dhar and Mandu in the Malwa plateau became prominent seats of architecture.
💡 The most prominent feature of the buildings here was the use of different coloured stones and marbles.
💡 The buildings had large windows, which could be a result of European influence and were decorated by stylised use of arches and pillars.
📍KHAJURAHO SCHOOL :
🔸In the central part of India, the Chandela rulers developed a distinct style of temple making of their own known as Khajuraho School or Chandela School.
The features of the temples included:
🔸In these temples, both the interior and exterior walls were lavishly decorated with carvings.
🔸The sculptures were generally erotic in their themes and drew inspiration from Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra.
🔸 The temples had three chambers Garbhagriha, Mandapa and ardha -mandapa. Some temples had a vestibular entrance to the garbhagriha known as antarala.
📍SOLANKI SCHOOL(also known as Maru-Gurjara style) :
🔸In the North-Western parts of India including Gujarat and Rajasthan, this
school developed under the patronage of Solanki rulers.
The features of this school included:
🔸 The temple walls were devoid of any carvings.
🔸 The garbhagriha was connected with the mandapa both internally as well as externally
🔸The porticos had decorative arched gateways known as torans.
Under the Nagara School, following three sub-schools emerged:
ODISHA SCHOOL
In different parts of the Kalinga empire, this distinct style of temple architecture developed. Some of its features were:
🔸The exterior walls were lavishly decorated with intricate carvings, but interior walls were plain.
🔸There was no use of pillars in the porch. Iron girders were used instead to support the roof.
🔸The shikhara in the Odisha school was known as rekha deul. They were almost vertical roofs which suddenly curved inwards sharply.
NAGRA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
🔸From 5th century AD onwards, a distinct style of temple architecture
developed in the Northern part of India, known as the Nagara Style of
Architecture.
🔸Even in the Nagara school, different sub-schools emerged in western, central and eastern parts of the country.
Features of this architecture will be discuss in upcoming post
FEATURES OF NAGARA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
🔸The temples generally followed the Panchayatan style of temple making, which consisted of subsidiary shrines laid out in a crucified ground plan with respect to the principal shrine.
🔸Presence of assembly halls or mandaps in front of the principal shrine.
🔸Outside the garbhagriha, images of the river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna were placed.
🔸Generally, there were no water tanks or reservoirs present in the temple premises.
🔸The temples were generally built on upraised platforms.The porticos had a pillared approach.
STYLES OF TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
The basic form of a Hindu temple comprises the following:
🔸Sanctum Sanctorum: Also known as Garbhagriha (literally womb-house)
is a small room, generally cubicle, which houses the principal deity of the
temple.
🔸 Mandapa:It is the entrance to the temple. It may be a portico or a hall and is generally designed to house a large number of worshippers.
🔸Shikhara:It is a mountain like spire. The shapes varies from pyramidal to
curvilinear.
🔸 Vahana:It is the mount or vehicle of the main deity and is placed just
before the sanctum sanctorum.
