CHALUKYAS ARCHITECTURE

CHALUKYA ARCHITECTURE

The Chalukyas who ruled over Upper Deccan (7th Century AD.) were greatly interested in temple architecture. Followers of Hinduism, they built a number of rock-cut cave-temples and structural temples of brick dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.

The important stone temples are the Vishnu temples at Badami and Aihole and the Virupaksha or Shiva Temple at Pattadakal in Bijapur District.

The Chalukya temples are noticeable for three basic plans. They are :

1.      Design of the floor

2.      Projection of architectural articulation

3.      Sculpture.

Design of the floor

It indicates the plan of salla, subsidiary shrines, their plan, design of pradakshina path. The structure and architecture of a temple depends on these plans.

Architectural design

Various designs like miniature towers, projection of pilasters come under this head. The temple surfaces follow a distinctive architectural design with projections and recesses. The walls portrays  frequent projections and recesses that reflect a very magical beauty in the eyes of the viewers. The articulation of pillars and mantapas are beyond description.

The noticeable aspect is that though ornamentation of Chalukya temples bears elements of Nagara and Dravidian tradition but they have combined the elements in so prudent way that they become unique and distinctive feature of their own.

The Vesara style also called the Chalukyan type possessed the Dravidian vimana and the Nagara- type faceted walls.

Special departure from Nagara and Dravida tradition

In case of entrance hall to shrine Chalukya temple bears special uniqueness. It has two or more than two entrances while

·         There is a small closed mantapa to the shrine in Nagara temples.

·         There is an enlarged, open and closed mantapa in Dravida temples.

Characteristics of temple architecture of Chalukya

1.      The pillars of Chalukya temple are monolithic shaft whose height determines the height of mantapa and temples.

2.      Chalukya architects did not use mortar. It allows ventilation of light to the innermost part of the temples.

3.      The vestibules were ornamented with artificial lights which eliminated darkness as well as added some kind of mystic feelings.

4.      The doorway panels of Chalukya temples are highly decorated that consist of pilaster, moulded lintel, cornice top.

5.      Arabesque is a muslim art design bearing linear artistic decoration with pattern of flower, leaves, branches or twisted branches. This design is seen in triangular spaces of domicile ceilings.

6.      Chhajja, a double curved projective eave, is generally seen in Chalukyan temples. Muktesvara temple is an example of it.

7.      Cornice is used in Chalukya temple for downward movement of rainwater or to save from scorching heat.

8.      Use of soapstone for projection in walls carvings is common feature in Chalukya temples.

9.      The Chalukya temples are mainly dedicated to different hindu deities like durga, shiva, vishnu etc.

10.  Chalukya architecture has both cave temples design and structured temple design.

11.  Chalukya architects used stellate plan or northern stepped diamond plan for architectural design.

12.  The decorative pillars with its intricate design of western Chalukya architecture is also known to gadag style of architecture.

The Karnata Dravida tradition of architecture initiated by Chalukya of Badami get matured under the hand of Hoysala. The broken ornamentation of walls with projection and recesses 

The Vishnu temple at Badami was built by Magalesa of the Chaluya Dynasty and contains the Aihole inscription of Vikramaditya II which gives us a lot of information about the Chalukyas. The cave temples especially those at Badami contain fine sculptures of Vishnu reclining on Sesha Nag, Varaha the Boar, Narasimha or the half-lion and half-man and Vamana the dwarf.

Cave temple, Badami

The temples at Aihole are closed square mandaps standing on a basement. They have a hall with four central pillars supporting a flat roof. The sloping periphery of the roof is supported on two rows of pillars, the one on the periphery shorter than the other. The space between the two rows of pillars is closed by perforated stone-slabs. The main mandap contains a Nandi. The flat roof has another shrine, the walls of which are made of slabs. The sloping roof helped to drain off the rain water.

Virupaksha temple, Pattadakal

(Picture courtesy Archaeological Survey of India)

Virupaksha Temple, Hampi Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi in Karnataka on the banks of the Tungabhadra river. Virupaksha Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was created by the Chalukyas of Badami initially in 8th century. The temple was improvised in Vijaynagar Empire. It is in the Virupaksha temple at Hampi that full glory of the Early Chalukyan art can be seen. This temple was was built in 735 AD by a queen of Vikramaditya II. To celebrate the victory over the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.

 Navbhramha Group of Temples, Alampur

The Navabrahma Group of temples is located at Alampur in Andhra Pradesh. There are total 9 temples and present a marvelous piece of art of the Chalukyas of Badami outside Karnataka. These temple are based upon the Nagara style and do not reflect the Dravidian style of temple architecture (8 out of 9 are clearly Nagara style). The Alampur temples are the finest example of the Chalukyas of Badami Art.

The Nava Bhramma temples are Taraka Bhramma, Swarga Bhramma, Padma Bhramma, Bala Bhramma, Garuda Bhramma, Kumara Bhramma, Arka Bhramma, Vira Bhramma and the Vishwa Bhramma. These temples are all enclosed in a courtyard on the left bank of the river Tungabhadra.

Important Observations about the temples of Badami Chalukyas

These temples are a mixture of Northern and Dravida style of temple architecture and represent a transition as well as experimentation in the temple architecture.

The temples are located on the banks of River Tungabhadra and Malprabaha in Karnataka and Alampur in Andhra Pradesh , which is near Kurnool.

The largest temple of Chalukyas of Badami is Virupaksha Temple, whose complex encloses 30 sub shrines and a large Nadi mandapa. This was also earliest example of Shiva temples, which have a Nandi pavilion in front of the temple.

Cave Temple, Ellora

The large cave temples excavated by the early Chalukyas are located in Badami, Aihole, Ellora and in the Guntur and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. Of the three brahmanical caves at Badami two are dedicated to Vishnu and one to Shiva. 

The two cave temples at Aihole are dedicated to Shiva and have rock-cut lingas in them. The cave temples at Ellora are also dedicated to Shiva and contain images of Mahesa, Linga and Nandi. One of the caves is double-storeyed.         

The cave temples in Andhra Pradesh contain relief sculptures of Ganesha, Brahma, Vishnu, Linga and Nandi.