THETHEDRAVIDIAN STYLE

PALLAVAS (600 A.D. TO 900 A.D.)

GROUP – 2
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING, AKTU, LUCKNOW
GROUP MEMBERS:-
1. DEEPAK KUMAR VERMA (LEADER) 9. GOVIND SINGH
2. AKARSHITA BARUI 10. ISHAAN GUPTA
3. AMAN SIDDIQUI 11. JAISHANI UPADHYAY
4. ARJUN GUPTA 12. JYOTI RATHORE
5. ARNAV TOMAR 13. KHUSHI JAIN
6. AYUSH KUMAR GUPTA 14. KHUSHI RASTOGI
7. BHARTI CHAUDHARY 15. MEENAKSHI NANDA
8. GARGI GOVIL
❑
CONTENTS
DRAVADIAN ARCHITECTURE
❑ INTRODUCTION OF PALLAVAS
❑ PHASES
❑ MANDAPAS
(i) KONDERI MANDAPA
(ii) KOTIKKAL MANDAPAM
❑ PANCH RATHAS
(i) DRAUPADI RATHA
(ii) ARJUN RATHA
(iii) BHIMA RATHA
(iv) DHARAMRAJA RATHA
(v) SAHADEV NAKULARATHA
❑ TEMPLES
(i) SHORE TEMPLE
(ii) KAILASHNATH TEMPLE
Dravidian Architecture
▪ 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 Vaastu shastra, the majority of the existing
structures are located in the southern Indian states of Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh.
▪ Various kingdoms and empires such as the cholas, the chera,
the pandyas, the pallavas, the gangas, the rashtrakutas the
chalukyas the hoysalas and vijayanagara empire among others
have made substantial contribution to the evolution of
dravidian architecture.
▪ Hence Dravidian architecture developed into its own form and
tradition.
▪ 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.
Dravidian Architecture
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
6. CHALUKYA STYLE
 PALLAVAS
▪ The Pallava dynasty was an Indian dynasty that existed from 275 CE to
897 CE,
ruling a portion of southern India.
▪ They gained prominence after the eclipse of the Satavahana dynasty,
whom the Pallavas served as feudatories.
▪ Pallavas are most noted for their patronage of architecture, the
finestexample being the Shore Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in Mamallapuram.
▪ The Pallavas who left behind magnificent sculptures and temples,
established the foundations of medieval South Indian architecture.
▪ The Pallavas were instrumental in the transition from rock-cut
architecture to stone temples.
▪ The earliest examples of Pallava constructions are rock-
cut temples dating from 610–690 and structural temples
between 690–900.

▪ Among the accomplishments of the Pallava architecture

are therock-cut temples at Mamallapuram. There are
excavated pillared halls and monolithic shrines known as
Rathas in Mahabalipuram. Early temples were mostly
dedicated to Shiva.

▪ The famous Tondeswaram temple of Tenavarai and the

ancient Kaneswaran temple of Trincomalee were patronised
and structurally developed by the Pallavas in the 7th
century.
 PHASES
PHASE-1 PHASE-2
ROCK CUT STRUCTURAL
(610AD-690AD) (690AD-900AD)

Mahendra Group MamallaGroup Rajasimhagroup Nandivarmangroup

(610AD-640AD) (640AD-690AD) (690AD-800AD) (800AD-900AD)
Mandapas/Pillared Rathasand Temples Temples
halls Mandapas

Example- Rathas,Mahabalipuram Example- Shore Temple,Mahabalipuram

PHASES
• The earliest examples of Pallava constructions are rock-cut temples datingfrom
610 – 690 ce and structural temples between 690 – 900 AD.

BRACKETS

STAMBH
• The pallavas ruled from ad (600–900) and their greatest constructed
accomplishments are the single rock temples.
MANDAPAS
• Worshipping places scooped out of the rock faces are found all over the country. Theyare
called, cave temples, technically, rock-cut temples .
• They are also called mandapams. The cave temples of Mamallapuram, like elsewhere in the
south, consist of a pillared hall and one or more sanctums at the rear of the hall.
• The hall may be divided sometimes into two parts, the front one called maha-mandapam and
the rear, ardha- mandapam.
• Number of shrines varied from one to as many as five in Mamallapuram, with the presiding
deity occupying the central one.
• The early temples were simple and the sculptural decoration restricted to dvarapalas only. They
were characterized by heavy square pillars with octagonal section in the middle, known as the
Mahendra-style. The pillars support the roof through plain brackets.
KONERI MANDAPA
• Koneri Mandapam has two kinds of columns, each of which is
attributed to its own period – simple Mahendra- style pillars and also
later ornamented columns.
• First four pillars and two pilasters adorn the entrance , these front
columns have been designed in Mahendra style, slender, four-sided
on the top and bottom and eight-sided in the middle. Further inside
there are four more columns in a different style – more
sophisticated and well ornamented.
• There have been preserved few sculptures except for the rear wall with
its five sanctuaries. Each of these sanctuaries is guarded by a pair of
dvarapalas – only one of these guards in the far left side is chiseled
away in later times.
• Above the sanctuaries there are pairs of vyalas – some of these
sculptures are not completed.
KOTIKKAL MANDAPAM
• This must be an early mandapam – the pillars are plain
(Mahendra type) the roof is also plain without any
ornamentation and there is no deity in the garbhagriha, not
even a relief panel on the rear wall and the dwara palikas
are front facing.
• The dwarapalakas in the mandapams of later origin have been
represented in three-fourth profile.
• The dwarapalika on the left is resting her left arm on a club & is
holding a raised sword in her right hand. The dwarapalika on the
right is holding a bow in her right hand and her left hand rests on
her hip.
• Koti means Durga in Tamil and also the gate keepers are two
elegant women, so this could have been a shrine to Durga.
PANCHA RATHAS
• It is a monument complex at
Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel
Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the
Kancheepuram district of the state of
Tamil Nadu, India.
• Each of the five temple is a monolith, carved whole
from a rock outcropping of pink granite. In general
Ratha is known as chariot used for carrying the
image of the deity during religious procession.
• The structural design and elevation are with
towers or domes with single (eka Thala) to
triple (trithala) towers, which present a
unique exhibition of South Indian Dravidian
architecture.
DRAUPADI RATH
• The Draupadi Ratha is a monument in the Panch
Rath complex at Mahabalipuram, previously called
Mamallapuram, on the Coromandal Coast of the Bay of
Bengal, in the Kancheepuram district of the state of Tamil
Nadu, India.
• It is an example of monolithic Indian rock cut
architecture.
• Dating from the late 7th century, it is attributed to the
reign of King Mahendravarman I and his
son Narasimhavarman I (630–680 AD; also called
Mamallan, or "great warrior") of the Pallavas Kingdom .
LAYOUT OF DRAUPADI RATH
• Draupadi is the smallest of the five rathas at the site and is carved out of single long stone of granite.
• It is built in the form of simple hut, sharing an upapitha (secondary platform) with Arjuna Ratha.
• The ratha is in a square plan and is in the shape of a bangla ("a hut in Bengal").
• Its exterior dimensions are 11 by 11 feet (3.4 m × 3.4 m), rising to a height of 18 feet (5.5 m). Over
the upapptha, which forms a common platform with the Arjuna Ratha, a stupi has been carved out
of the bedrock in the corner and has not been separated from the main shrine.
• The roof has curvilinear shape and ends as a square of 2.5 feet (0.76 m) at the top. The finial is
missing.
• The thatched roof, Kutagara, is a Vimana shrine. It has been carved out of granite rocks, beginning
from the top of the rock working downwards to the base.
• The roof is similar to that of a hut, with decorative motifs in the joints. The entrance of the temple
faces west.
LAYOUT OF DRAUPADI RATH
• The entry door is carved over a high rise platform, which is
supported by on which is supported on elephant and lion
heads of large size in alternating sequence.
• There are "makara torana ’’ arch decorations with two bends
above the entrance door; these toranas are typical of
Mahendraverma's style and are also seen in caves and later
got modified to a single bend style during Rajasimha's rule.
• The entrance door is 6’-7" by 2’-11" in size and the chamber
which houses the deities measures 6.5 feet (2.0 m) in length
and 4.5 feet (1.4 m) width.
• The temple is classified as Manikkoil, temples with only a
single-tiered roof consisting of only Kantha, Stupi and Kalasa .
FEATURES
• Numerous images of Durga are seen represented in the temple,
notably on the sanctum and also on the exterior surface of the east
facing wall.
• The shalabhanjikas or two female dwarapalakas guard the doorway,
which are also in the form of the Goddess. The temple is stated to
generate "primal energy" in consonance with the characteristics of
deity of Durga; the dwarapalika on the left has a bow in her hand and
that on the right has a sword.
• The sanctum depicts Durga on the back wall standing on a lotus, in
what is termed as "sambhaga" (standing) posture with four hands,
with the upper hands carrying a shankha and a chakra and one lower
hand is in an vara mudra (posture of a blessing) and the other hand is
on hip.
• The ornament worn is a breast-band without any halter straps.
FEATURES
• She is surrounded by devotees with a devotee on her left about to
decapitate himself as an offering (in another version it is inferred as a flower
offering by the devotee), and another devotee (with tied tresses exposing
his neck to be cut} on her right mutilating his body parts, also in offering;
this was a Hindu rite associated with the Kapalikas.
• This type of offering to a goddess, though ghastly, is seen in many Durga
temples; it is related to the myth of her role as Mahisasuramardini (slayer of
demon Mahishasura).
• Durga images in niches have depictions of the goddess standing on a
buffalo head representing the Mahishasura.

MAHISASURAMARDINI
Arjuna Ratha
• Stepped pyramid structure.

• It is an example of early
Dravidian architecture and
of monolith Indian rock-cut Architecture.
• A simple structure, resembling a small
palace or pavilion.
• A monolithic rock-cut Ratha with
a garbhagriha (sanctum
sanctorum), a dvitala (two-
tiered) Viman (flying aircraft) with
a mukhamandapa (inner porch).
• It has two levels and has one shrine.
• The shikhara of the Arjuna Ratha, however, is octagonal
• The walls of the Ratha are carved into panels with fourteen sculptures.
Four of these are dvarapalas, one Vishnu, a rishi (sage) with a student, a
Kartikeya (Murugan) which could alternatively be Indra, one Shiva with
Nandi, and the rest are human beings shown in different stages of their
life including couples has a lion and Nandi bull on each side
 BhimaRatha
• Barrel vaulted roof
• Approach is through a double row of
carved columns and pillared gallery all
around
• Bhima Ratha is an ektala or single
tiered oblong temple, with a barrel-
vaulted roof and ornate columns.
• Approach is through a double row
of carved columns and pillared
gallery all around
• carved over an extended long
pink granite rock out crop that
gradually rises from the north to
south.
• Reminiscent of Buddhist cave architecture,
such as Sala-Shikhara.
• The Bhima Ratha has a pillared open
veranda, a column with a Pallava seated
lion, and "horseshoe-arch dormer
like projections" called kudus.
• Oblong-shaped shrines are carved at the
cornices linked with a passage.
•It is cut out over a base plan of 42 by 24 feet
(12.8 m × 7.3 m), and rising to a height of 25 feet
(7.6 m) over two floors. The ground floor has
remained incomplete.
•The second story is a disjoint construction, a
complete shrine in itself, as its roof does not
superimpose over the sala-kuta shrine decoration
of the first storey
Dharmaraja Ratha
• Dedicated to Shiva
• Tallest, Largest and the most prominent of the 5 Ratha
• Consists of 3 stories the last of which is 13m high
• No internal space other than galleries withcolumns at the
entrance.
• It is open on all four sides and the facade on all sides are
supported by two pillars and two pilasters with the corners
forming an integral part of the support system for the upper
floors.
• Carved out from a single rock of pink granite.
• It is a trithala or three-story vimana , square in plan , with open
porches and a terraced pyramidal tower and an octagonal
shikhara.
• The shafts of the pillars are supported by seated lions.
Sahadeva Nakula Ratha
• The Ratha is termed as gajapristha style.
• Apsidal end on South side and double pillared
portico on North side
• The Ratha is based on ‘Chaitya Hall’of Buddhist
temple.
• There are no idols to worship inside the Ratha.
• There are no idols to worship inside the Ratha.
• The niches on the interior walls of the Ratha have
terminates
carved imagesas aofpyramid or finial
gods and or shikara, which is
demi-gods.
carved
The roofwith motifs.
(in the formThe
of unusual
the backarchitecture of this
of an elephant)
Ratha is said to be an innovation of the architect.
• The chamber inside is flanked by two pilasters with
elephant carvings depicted as the guardians.
• The carvings were sculpted from the top to the
bottom of Ratha.
 Templesof Pallava
1.Kailashanatha temple, Kanchipuram
2.Mahendravadi, Mahendravarman
3.Nalanda Gedige, Kandy, Sri Lanka
4.Shore temple, Mahabalipuram
Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram
• Five story structure of 60 ft. height 50 sq. ft. platform made with
local granite built on the same platform. Built half on sea and half
on land.
• Consists of Two Temples and Three Shrines with the roofs of the
temples have ornamentation similar to the Panch Rathas.
• The outer wall of the shrine to Vishnu and the inner side of the
boundary wall are extensively sculptured and topped by large
sculptures of Nandi.
• The shikharas have a pyramidal structure, each individual tier is
distinct with overhanging eaves that cast dark shadows.
• The main shrine is dedicated to Shiva and a smaller second shrine
which are orthogonal in configuration to each other.
• A small third shrine, between the two, is dedicated to a
reclining Vishnu and may have had water channelled into the
temple.
• The temple has a garbhagriha in which the deity, Shivalinga,
is enshrined. A small mandapa surrounded by a heavy outer
wall for circumambulation.
• At the rear are two shrines facing in opposite directions.
The inner shrine dedicated to Ksatriyasimnesvara, Shiva.
While the other, dedicated to Vishnu, is facing outwards.
• The most distinctive feature of the temple
are the Dharalinga and the Somaskanda panel.
• Lion Monolith - The Durga is seated on her lion vahana. A
small shrine may have been in the cavity in the lion's
chest. A female guardian with a bow is also carved on the
leg of the lion.
• Miniature Shrine - It was enclosed with an elliptical well
built during Rajasimha's AD 700–728 period. These are
carved on the bedrock that also has the reclining Vishnu in
the Shore Temple complex. The miniature shrine is also
dedicated to Shiva.
Kailashanatha Temple, Kanchipuram
▪ Stone built architecture unlike the rock cut architecture built into hallowed caves or carved into rock
outcrops as in Mahabalipuram.
▪ The temple complex is complete in all respects as it has garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum), antarala
(inner enclosure), mandapa, a high compound wall, and an entrance gate, the gopuram . The
mandapa, which was initially detached, was made part of the main shrine by interposing an
Ardhamandapa (smaller hall).
▪ The tall gopuram (tower) is to the left and the temple complex is to the right.
▪ The temple's foundations are made of granite, which could withstand the weight of the temple,
while the superstructure, including the carvings, are all made of sandstone. Initially, only the main
sanctuary existed with pyramidal vimana and a detached mandapa.
ThankYou