dravidian architecture and examples

2. DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE WAS AN ARCHITECTURAL IDIOM THAT
EMERGED IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
OR South INDIA. IT CONSISTS PRIMARILY OF TEMPLES WITH PYRAMID
SHAPED TOWERS AND ARE CONSTRUCTED OF SANDSTONE, SOAPSTONE
OR GRANITE. MENTIONED AS ONE OF THREE STYLES OF TEMPLE
BUILDING IN THE ANCIENT BOOK VASTU SHASTRA, THE MAJORITY OF
THE EXISTING STRUCTURES ARE LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN
INDIANSTATES OF TAMIL NADU, KARNATAKA, KERALA, AND ANDHRA
PRADESH. VARIOUS KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES SUCH AS THE CHOLAS,
THE CHERA, THE PANDYAS, THE PALLAVAS, THEGANGAS,
THE RASHTRAKUTAS THE CHALUKYAS THE HOYSALAS
AND VIJAYANAGARA EMPIRE AMONG OTHERS HAVE MADE
SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE EVOLUTION OF DRAVIDIAN
ARCHITECTURE.

3. •HENCE DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE DEVELOPED INTO ITS OWN FORM
ANDTRADITION.
•TEMPLES WERE NOT ONLY PLACE OF WORSHIP BUT ALSO CENTER OF
LEARNING. ALONG WITH ELABORATE RELIGIOUS RITUALS, FESTIVALS,
PERFORMANCES OF DANCES, DRAMAS BASED ON RELIGIOUS THEME
WERE CONTINUED.
•DRAVIDIANS BEING FINE CRAFTSMAN ,TEMPLES WERE DESIGNED
MOSTELEGANTLY WITH GREAT INTEREST TO DISPLAY ORNAMENTATION
AND FINEART THAT COVERED EVERY PART OF THE TEMPLE.
•DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE WHICH DATES BACK FROM 600 AD TO 1000
AD MAY BROADLY BE DIVIDED INTO ROCK CUT MONUMENTS TO
STRUCTURAL MONUMENTS.

4. DRAVIDIAN ARCHITECTURE IS SUB DIVIDED
INTO 5 STYLES:
1. PALLAVA STYLE
2. CHOLA STYLE
3. PANDYA STYLE
4. VIJAYANAGAR STYLE
5. LATE PANDYA STYLE OR MADHURA STYLE

5. •THE PALLAVAS RULED FROM AD (600–900) AND THEIR GREATEST
CONSTRUCTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE THE SINGLE ROCK TEMPLES
INMAHABALIPURAM AND THEIR CAPITAL KANCHIPURAM, NOW LOCATED
IN TAMIL NADU.
•PALLAVAS WERE ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF SOUTH INDIAN
ARCHITECTURE. THE EARLIEST EXAMPLES OF TEMPLES IN THE
DRAVIDIAN STYLE BELONG TO THE BADAMI CHALUKYA-PALLAVA PERIOD.
THE EARLIEST EXAMPLES OF PALLAVA CONSTRUCTIONS ARE ROCK-CUT
TEMPLES DATING FROM 610 – 690 CE AND STRUCTURAL TEMPLES
BETWEEN 690 – 900 CE. THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE
PALLAVA ARCHITECTURE ARE THE ROCK-CUT
TEMPLES AT MAHABALIPURAM. THERE ARE EXCAVATED PILLARED HALLS
AND MONOLITHIC SHRINES KNOWN AS RATHAS IN MAHABALIPURAM.
• MENTION MUST BE MADE HERE OF THE SHORE TEMPLE CONSTRUCTED
BY NARASIMHAVARMAN II NEARMAHABALIPURAM.

6. SHORE TEMPLE
MAHABALIPURAM

7. LOCATION
MAHABALIPURAM IS SITUATED CLOSE TO CHENNAI OF TAMIL NADU ON
THE SHORES OF THE BAY OF BENGAL, ALONG THE EASTERN COAST OF
SOUTH INDIA. THE SHORE TEMPLES AT MAHABALIPURAM ARE KNOWN AS
AS SEVEN PAGODAS, AMONG WHICH SIX ARE SUBMERGED IN THE SEA
AND ONLY ONE HAS SURVIVED FROM THE RAVAGES OF NATURE.

8. MAHABALIPURAM, ALSO KNOWN AS MAMALLAPURAM IS A TOWN
IN KANCHEEPURAM DISTRICT IN THE INDIAN STATE OF TAMIL NADU IT IS AN
ANCIENT HISTORIC TOWN .
BY THE 7TH CENTURY IT WAS A PORT CITY OF SOUTH INDIAN DYNASTY OF
THE PALLAVAS. IT HAS A GROUP OF SANCTUARIES, WHICH WAS CARVED OUT
OF ROCK ALONG THE COROMANDEL COAST IN THE 7TH AND 8TH
CENTURIES : RATHAS (TEMPLES IN THE FORM OF CHARIOTS), MANDAPAS (CAVE
SANCTUARIES), GIANT OPEN-AIR RELIEFS SUCH AS THE FAMOUS 'DESCENT OF
THE GANGES', AND THE SHORE TEMPLE, WITH THOUSANDS OF SCULPTURES TO
THE GLORY OF SHIVA.
IT HAS AN AVERAGE ELEVATION OF 12 METRES (39 FEET). THE MODERN CITY OF
MAHABALIPURAM WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE BRITISH RAJ IN 1827.

9. "THE FIVE-STOREY SHORE TEMPLES AT MAMALLAPURAM...ARE
BUILT IN STONE MASONRY, NOT CARVED FROM THE SOLID, AND
DATE FROM THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE EIGHTH CENTURY. EACH
HAS A GARBHAGRIHA IN WHICH THE SIVALINGA IS HOUSED, AND A
SMALL MANDAPA, THE WHOLE SURROUNDED BY A HEAVY OUTER
WALL WITH LITTLE SPACE BETWEEN FOR CIRCULATION. AT THE REAR
ARE TWO SHRINES FACING OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS. THE INNER
SHRINE OF KSATRIYASIMNESVARA IS REACHED FROM THE
AMBULATORY PASSAGE WHILE THE OTHER, DEDICATED TO VISHNU,
FACES THE OUTSIDE. THE OUTER WALL OF THE SHRINE TO VISHNU
AND THE INNER SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY WALL ARE EXTENSIVELY
SCULPTURED."

10. SHORE TEMPLE IS A COMPLEX OF THREE TEMPLES,
ONE LARGE AND TWO SMALL, LOCATED RIGHT ON
THE SHORES OF THE COROMANDEL COAST OF
THE BAY OF BENGAL IN MAHABALIPURAM, WHICH
WAS EARLIER KNOWN AS MAMALLAPURAM.
DURING THE PALLAVA DYNASTY REIGN THIS WAS A
PORT CITY OF THEIR KINGDOM WHICH THEY RULED
FROM KANCHIPURAM. IT WAS BUILT BY THE
PALLAVA DYNASTY WHEN IT WAS THE TRADING
PORT OF THE DYNASTY

11. PLAN DRAWING PLAN DRAWING
ELEVATION DRAWING SECTION DRAWING

12. Axonometric Drawing

13. VIEWS

16. THE CHOLA KINGS RULED FROM AD (848–1280) AND
INCLUDED RAJARAJA CHOLA IAND HIS SON RAJENDRA
CHOLAWHO BUILT TEMPLES SUCH AS THEBRIHADESHVARA
TEMPLE OF THANJAVUR . THE
MAGNIFICENT SIVATEMPLEOFTHANJAVURBUILT BY RAJA RAJA I
IN 1009 AS WELL AS THE BRIHADISVARA
TEMPLE OF GANGAIKONDACHOLAPURAM, COMPLETED AROUND
1030, ARE BOTH FITTING MEMORIALS TO THE MATERIAL AND
MILITARY ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE TIME OF THE TWO CHOLA
EMPERORS. THE LARGEST AND TALLEST OF ALL INDIAN TEMPLES
OF ITS TIME, THE TANJORE BRIHADISVARA IS AT THE APEX OF
SOUTH INDIAN ARCHITECTURE

17. BRIHADEESWARA TEMPLE
THANJAVUR

18. ONE OF THE MOST LAVISH INDULGENCES OF THE CHOLA TEMPLE ARCHITECTURES AT
THE BRIHADISHWARA TEMPLE. THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST TEMPLES IN INDIA AND IS
RIGHTLY CALLED THE 'BIG TEMPLE MADE OF HUGE GRANITE BLOCKS, IT HAS AN ENORMOUS
STONE LINGA AND A HUGE MONOLITHIC NANDI (BULL) AS HIGHLIGHTS. A PART OF THE
SIVAGANGA FORT, THIS TEMPLE (1099 CE) IS SURROUNDED BY A DRY MOAT AND WITH AN
ENORMOUS ENTRANCE ARCH.
LOCATION

19. •THE BRIHADEESWARA TEMPLE OR THE PERUVUDAIYAR KOVIL IS A TEMPLE DEDICATED
TO LORD SHIVA AND IS LOCATED IN THANJAVUR, TAMIL NADU. THIS TEMPLE IS ONE OF
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURAL SITES IN INDIA. RAJA RAJA CHOLA I HAD THIS
TEMPLE CONSTRUCTED IN 1010 AD. THE BRIHADEESWARA TEMPLE WAS BUILT FOR
ROYAL CEREMONIES AND TO DISPLAY THE EMPEROR’S POWER AND VISION. THE
CHOLAS HAD A SPLENDID EYE FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE, WHICH SHOWS IN THEIR
TEMPLES, WHICH HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN A DRAVADIAN STYLE. ALSO, THE ENTIRE
TEMPLE IS BUILT ON THE RULES OF AXIAL AND SYMMETRICAL GEOMETRY, DISPLAYING
AN ENGINEERING MARVEL OF THAT TIME. ALMOST ALL THE STRUCTURES ARE ALIGNED
AXIALLY. UNDER THE LIST “GREAT LIVING CHOLA TEMPLES”.
•ONE OF THE FIRST GREAT TAMIL CHOLA BUILDING PROJECTS, THE TEMPLE'S
FOUNDATIONS WERE LAID OUT IN 1002
CE. AN AXIAL AND SYMMETRICALGEOMETRY RULES THE TEMPLE LAYOUT.TEMPLES
FROM THIS PERIOD AND THE FOLLOWING TWO CENTURIES ARE AN EXPRESSION OF THE
TAMILS (CHOLA) WEALTH, POWER AND ARTISTIC EXPERTISE. THE EMERGENCE OF SUCH
FEATURES AS THE MULTIFACETED COLUMNS WITH PROJECTING
SQUARECAPITALS SIGNAL THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW CHOLA STYLE

20. •. IT IS AN ARCHITECTURAL EXAMPLE SHOWCASING THE PURE FORM OF
THE DRAVIDA TYPE OF TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE AND REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHOLA
EMPIRE IDEOLOGY AND THE TAMIL CIVILISATION IN SOUTHERN INDIA. THE TEMPLE
"TESTIFY TO THE BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CHOLA IN ARCHITECTURE,
SCULPTURE, PAINTING AND BRONZE CASTING.
•THE ESTEEMED ARCHITECT AND ENGINEER OF THE TEMPLE WAS KUNJARA MALLAN
RAJA RAJA PERUNTHACHAN AS STATED IN INSCRIPTIONS FOUND AT THE TEMPLE. THE
TEMPLE WAS BUILT PER ANCIENT TEXTS CALLED VAASTU SHASTRAS AND AGAMAS. HE
IS THE ANCIENT ANCESTOR OF THE DOYAN OF VAASTU VEDIC ARCHITECTURE, THE LATE
DR. V. GANAPTI STHAPATI OF CHENNAI AND MAHABALIPURAM (ARCHITECT OF THE 133'
GRANITE THIRUVALLUVAR STATUE AT THE TIP OF SOUTH INDIA). MEMBERS OF HIS
FAMILY STILL LIVE AND PRACTICE THE ANCIENT ART AND SCIENCE. THE AMERICAN
UNIVERSITY OF MAYONIC SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WAS INITIATED BY DR. V.
GANAPATI STHAPATI TO PERPETUATE THE SAME FORM OF ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES
USED BY KUNJARA MALLAN RAJA RAJA PERUNTHACHAN TO BUILD THE
BRIHADEESWARAR TEMPLE. THE TEMPLE WAS BUILT USING A MEASURE OF 1 3/8-INCH
CALLED AN ANGULA (24 UNITS EQUALLING 33 INCHES CALLED A HASTA, MUZAM, OR
KISHKU). THIS IS THE SAME MEASURE FOUND IN ANCIENT LOTHAL AND OTHER SITES IN
THE INDUS VALLEY DATING BACK 4000 - 6000 YEARS. THIS SAME MEASURE IS USED TO
BUILD STRUCTURES COMPLIANT WITH THE VAASTU SHASTRAS AND AGAMAS TODAY.
WHILE SOME BUILDERS USE A DIFFERENT MEASURE THIS IS CONSIDERED A STANDARD
DUE TO ITS ANTIQUITY.

21. LAYOUT PLAN

22. PLAN

23. SECTIONAL ELEVATION

24. DETAILS

25. ELEVATION

26. VIEWS

27. EXTERIOR VIEW

28. THANK YOU
PRESENTED BY
MANJARI
KIRAN
BHUVANESH
RAVI
TEJA