SOUTHERN KINGDOMSOUTHERN ARCHITECTURE IS DIVIDED INTO 5 PERIODS CORRESPONDING TO 5 PRINCIPAL KINGDOMS-

•PALLAVAS (600-900)•CHOLAS (900-1150)•PANDYA (1100-1350)•VIJAYNAGAR(1350-1565)•MADURA(FROM 1600)

PALLAVA DYNASTY(A.D.600-900)

SECOND PHASE (8th AND 9th ) -

STRUCTURAL ARCHITECTUR

E

FIRST PHASE (7th CENTURY)

- ROCK CUT ARCHITECTUE

TWO PHASES

PALLAVA DYNASTY WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES

PALLAVA KINGDOM THE CENTRE OF KINGDOM LAY ON

LOWER REACHES OF PALAR RIVER, AND CHIEF EXAMPLES OF PALLAVA ARCHITECTURE WERE FOUND AROUND THE TOWN OF CONJEEVARAM (KANCHIPURAM).

ROCK ARCHITECTURE (7th CENTURY)ROCK ARCHITECTURE HAS TAKEN TWO FORMS—

•MANDAPAS (EXCAVATION)•RATHAS (MONOLITH)

MANDAPAMANDAPA IS AN OPEN PAVILION, AND, AS EXCAVATED IN THE ROCKIT TAKES THE SHAPE OF SIMPLE COLUMNED HALL WITH ONE OR MORE CELLAS IN THE BACK HALLEXTERIOR- A FACADE FORMED OF A ROW OF PILLARS .

PILLARS EACH PILLAR AVERAGING- 7 FT IN HEIGHT 2 FT IN DIAMETER SHAFTS BEING SQUARE IN

SECTION EXCEPT FOR THE MIDDLE THIRD WHICH IS

CHAMFERED INTO AN OCTAGON AN IMMENSE AND HEAVY

BRACKET PROVIDES THE CAPITAL

620A.D.MAMALLAPURAM

625 A.D.TRICHINOPOLY

625 A.D. 700 A.D.

FEATURES OF ORDER

PILLAR REST ON SEDENT ANIMAL’S (LEONINE FIGURE)HEAD

FLUTED AND BANDED SHAFT(STAMBHAM)

THE REFINED NECKING (TADI)

THE ELEGANT CURVES OF MELON CAPITAL (KUMBHA)

LOTUS FORM (IDAIE)WIDE ABACUS (PALAGAI)

KUDU-IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS THE BUDDHIST CHAITYA-ARCH MUCH REDUCED AND AND CONVERTED INTO AN OBJECT OF DECORATION.ROLL CORNICE WAS ORNAMENTED AT INTERVALS WITH MOTIF KNOWN AS KUDU

RATHA (SEVEN PAGODAS)

RATHA(SEVEN PAGODAS)A RATHA IS IN REALITY A

CAR OR CHARIOT, PROVIDED BY THE TEMPLE AUTHORITIES FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF THE IMAGE OF THE DEITY DURING PROCESSIONS

IT REFERS TO A SERIES OF MONOLITHIC SHRINES , WHICH ARE EXACT COPIES IN GRANITE.

THEY ARE BUILT OF WOOD, AS SHOWN BY BEAM-HEADS RAFTERS AND PURLINS.

EIGHT PAGODASNORTH WEST- VALAIYANKUTTAI PIDARI

SOUTH - DRAUPADI ARJUNA BHIMA DHARMARAJA SAHADEVA

NORTH - GANESHA

PANCHA RATH

PLAN OF PANCH RATHA

DRAUPADI RATH• SAMLLEST , SIMPLEST AND MOST FINISHED•MERELY A CELL•ROOF LIKE THAT OF THATCHED ROOFS OF HUTS IN VILLAGES•BASE IS SUPPORTED BY FIGURES OF ANIMALS •SQUARE IN PLAN •FULL SIZE SCULPTURES

ARJUN RATH

• 2 STOREYED•ON THE SAME PLATFORM AS THAT OF DRAUPADI RATHA•OCTAGONAL DOME•SIMILAR TO DHARMARAJA RATH• BUT 1 LESS TIER ON ITS TOP

DHARMARAJ RATHA

• ELEVATION IN 2 PARTS•BELOW-SQUARE PORTION WITH PILLARED VERANDAH•ABOVE-PYRAMIDAL SHAPE SIKHARA•LION PILLARED PORTICOS•ALL SIDES HAVE SAME BLOCKS SO SAME ELEVATION FROM EACH SIDE

• KALASH ABOVE•BLOCKS OF ROCK CUT•THESE REPEATED IN ALL SIDES

NAKULA-SAHDEV RATHA

•BASED ON BUDDHIST CHAITYA HALL•OBLONG IN PLAN•APSIDAL FORM•BACK RESEMBLING THAT OF AN ELEPLANT•ALSO A HUGE ELEPHANT CARVED ON ITS SIDE

BHIM RATHA

•BAESD ON CHAITAYA HALL OR BHUDDIST TEMPLES•30’ LONG AND 16’ HIGH-OBLONG IN PLAN•SINGLE STOREYED•KEEL ROOF WITH GABLE AT EACH END•VERANDAH ON SIDES

HERE ANIMALS ARE ALSO CARVED IN ROCKS WHICH REPRESENTS-

1. LION-DURGA2. ELEPHANT-INDRA3. BULL-SIVA

GANESH RATHA• BASED ON BUDDHIST CHAITAYA HALL•OBLONG IN PLAN•ENTRANCE IS THROUGH A PILLADRED PORTICO ON ITS LONG SIDE•DOUBLE STOREYED

STRUCTURAL ARCHITECTURE•STRUCTURAL ARCHITECTURE FLOURISHED UNDER NARSIMHAVARMAN •FAMOUS TEMPLES ARE SHORE TEMPLE , KAILASHNATH, VAINKANTHIKUSHAL TEMPLE.

SHORE TEMPLES(690 A.D-900A.D)

RAJSIMHA GROUP690 A.D-800 A.D

NANDIVERMA GROUP800 A.D-900 A.D

SHORE TEMPLE AT

MAHABALIPURAM• Located at MAHABALIPURAMMAMALLAPURAM,PORT CITY OF KANCHIPURAM,PALLAVA CAPITAL.

• Built by NARSIMHAVERMA RAJSIMHA (690 A.D- 715 A.D)

* MOST FAMOUS ONE, STANDS ON THE EXTREME FOR SHORE OF COROMANDAL COAST, OVERLOOKING THE BAY OF BENGAL, BUILT WITH BLOCKS OF GRANITE.

* AS ONE OF THE GROUP OF MONUMENTS AT MAHABALIPURAM, IT HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE SINCE 1984.

MAHABALIPURAMSHORE TEMPLE

TEMPLE DESIGNConsists of 2 PYRAMIDAL TOWERS

over 2 SHRINES

SHRINE 1SITUATED IN EAST

DEDDICATED TO LORD SHIVA

SHRINE 2SITUATED IN WEST

DEDICATED TO LORD VISHNU

*THESE SHRINES ACTED AS LIGHTHOUSES FOR SHIPS

*THE WHOLE STRUCTURE IS ENCLOSED WITH A MASSIVE WALL ,AND THE ENTRANCE IS PROVIDED FROM WEST.

WALLS: PARAPET AND COPING CROWNED BY FIGURES OF KNEELING BULLS,SCULPTURES AND KUDU.

The carvings on roof resembles the panch rathas.Roofs carved with finials, showing that the temple was complete And functional.EXTERIOR: * BOLDLY CARVED WITH LION AND OTHER SUPERNATURAL ANIMALS. * ALSO CONTAIN THE IMAGES OF PARVATI SHIVA SUBRAMANYA

DESIGN DETAILS

* KUDUS WERE THE IDENTIFYING FEATURES OF TEMPLE WALLS.

Beneath the towers, the sanctuary walls are largely undecorated, although their engaged columns are carved with lion bases.VIMANA LARGER VIMANA/TOWER, OVER SHRINE Is ABOUT 20 M HIGH. IT HAS UMBRELLA SHAPED KALASA (octagonal Dome), AT IT’S SUMMIT.

VERENDAH BEHIND CONTAINS A FIGURE OF LORD VISHNU RECLINING ON NAGSHESHA

IN THE GARBHAGRIHA(SANCTOM SANCTORUM),AN IMAGE OF SHIVALINGAEMBRACES THESITE. AT

REAR END ONE CAN SEE TWO SHRINES FACING EACH

OTHER

A BORE OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE NEAR LINGAM

CARVINGS ON OUTSIDE AND INSIDE WALLS

ARDHAMANDAPAGARBHGRIHA ESTABLISHED WITH A LARGE LINGAM, WITH 16 SIDES PERIMETER ABOUT 2 M.

THE TWO ISOLATED BUILDINGS MAHAMANDAPA AND CENTRAL VIMANA(SHRINE) ARE JOINED BY AN INTERMEDIATE HALL CALLED ARDHAMANDAPA, WHICH IS BUILT MUCH LATER IN 14TH CENTURY AD.

CENTRAL SHRINE SURROUNDED By SMALLER SHRINES WITH SMALL SHIKHARS 8 SMALL SHRINES, 6 TO RIGHTAND 2 TO LEFT.

(ALL DESIGNED SIMILARTO RATHAs AT MAHABALIPURAM)

STONE NANDI NANDI- SHIVA BULL SEATED ON LARGE PLATFORMHEIGHT- 2.8MLENGTH – 2M

Leo graph motif (rampant lion pilaster)

•ORNAMENTAL SUPPORT\

• REGARDED AS IDENTIFYING FEATURE OF PALLAVA STYLE.

• ORIGIN IS A MYSTERY.