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South Indian Temple Architecture

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Sri Varadharaja Swamy Temple at Kanchipuram	Sri Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram	Sri Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram
Hoyasaleswara Temple at Halabid	Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram	Thirukalukundram
Thanjavur Brahadeeswara Temple	Thanjavur Brahadeeswara Temple	Chidambaram Nataraja Temple

Ancient South Indian Architecture - A Brief

Architecture found in Ancient Indian Temples showcases the country's old, rich and splendid culture. These temples (some dating to more than 1700 years old) display intricate carving and sculptures, which bear testimony to the craftsmanship and creativity of the artisans, sculptors and artists of Ancient India. These also serve as ample evidence of the vision and forethought of the kings and rulers of our olden times to leave behind a heritage that modern India could be proud of.

I present here pictures of a few South Indian temples at Kancheepuram and Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu, at Belur and Halabid in Karnataka, the Big Temple at Tanjore and the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram.

Kancheepuram, near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, now famous for Indian Silks boasts of many ancient temples, well maintained today and attracting numerous visitors both from within India and abroad.

Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) also close to Chennai (Madras) is on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, along the eastern coast. Mamallapuram known for its rocks carvings and monolithic sculptures has the famous shore temple, the only one to have survived the ravages of nature. Also known as the Seven Pagodas (temples), six now lie submerged in the sea.

Belur and Halabid in Karnataka, South India are the glorious towns of the former Hoysala empire. The imposing Hoyasaleswara Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva is today the center of attraction here.

Brahadeeswara Temple at Tanjore (Thanjavur), also called the Big Temple, belongs to the architecture of the Chola period. Built in the 10th Century A.D., by Raja Raja Chola, the Temple Tower is capped by an 81.3 tonnes round monolithic cupola. This enormous piece of stone is said to have been was moved into position by moving it along an inclined plane 6 kms. long. The temple is considered an engineering skill of the Chola architects who planned its construction in such a way that the shadow of the cupola never falls on the ground.

The Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, also forms part of the Chola period Architecture. This ancient temple is unique because it is devoted solely to the art of Bharatanatyam, where Lord Shiva is depicted by an idol rather than the customary Lingam.