Which of the following statements about Temple Architecture are true ? (i) The freestanding (mortar & stone) temples are supposed to have originated in the Gupta period. (ii) Ladkhan, which is one of the earliest temple belongs to Chalukya of Badami. (iii) In Khajuraho temples, all the compartments of PYQ’s Solution English 8 the temple are connected internally and externally. (iv) Kailashnath temple at Kanchi is the earliest freestanding temple of Dravid style. Choose the correct answer :

Question

Which of the following statements about Temple Architecture are true ?  (i) The freestanding (mortar & stone) temples are supposed to have originated in the Gupta period. (ii) Ladkhan, which is one of the earliest temple belongs to Chalukya of Badami. (iii) In Khajuraho temples, all the compartments of PYQ’s Solution English 8 the temple are connected internally and externally. (iv) Kailashnath temple at Kanchi is the earliest freestanding temple of Dravid style. Choose the correct answer :

Accepted Answer

D. (i), (ii) & (iii). Temple architecture The Gupta period saw the rise of temple architecture, with the development of a square sanctum and pillared verandah. There was a gradual evolution from flat-roofed, monolithic temples in the early stages to sculptured 'shikharas' in the later years. Emergence of freestanding (limestone) temples. This progression can be divided into five phases. Chalukya art and architecture: - The Chalukya temple construction style was Besar style. Excellent examples of Chalukya temples are found in Badami, Aihole and Padkal. Badami There are four cave temples in Badami.The first is Shaivite, the second and third are Vaishnavite and the fourth cave is related to Jainism. The oldest statue of Hari-Hara is found in cave number 3 of Badami. Cave number 1 has the statue of Nataraja in which Shiva is shown with 18 hands. Cave number 2 has the ashtabhuja Trivikram statue of Vishnu and the Kirit Mukut statue of Varaha. Aihole: Aihole is in Bijapur district of Karnataka. Aihole is called the city of temples, 70 temples have been found here. The famous temples here are Jain temple of Meguti (the last temple built in Aihole), Surya temple of Lad khan, Durga temple etc. Ladkhan Temple This is the first temple built in Aihole and this temple does not have a shikhara. Surya and Vishnu are depicted with their weapons. Khajuraho Style: In central India, the Chandela rulers developed their own distinctive style of temple building, known as Khajuraho style or Chandela style. The characteristics of the temples were as follows: Both the inner and outer walls of these temples were lavishly decorated with carvings. These sculptures were generally of erotic themes and were inspired by the Kamasutra of Vatsyayana. The temples were made of sandstone. The temples had three chambers called ardha mandapas. Some temples also had a sanctum sanctorum called antaral. The sanctum sanctorum, mandapa and dvarapalas gate temples generally faced north or east. The Panchayatana style was followed in temple construction. The subsidiary temples had rekha-prasada shikharas which gave the impression of a mountain range. These temples are built on a relatively high platform and belong to Hindu and Jain religions. In Khajuraho temples, all the compartments of the temple are connected internally and externally. Examples: Kandariya Mahadeva Temple, Lakshmana Temple at Khajuraho, etc. Kailasanatha Temple, Kanchipuram (Features) Location – Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) Builder – Pallava ruler Rajasimha (Narasimhavarman II, 700–728 CE) Style – An excellent early example of the Dravidian style Main Features: Model of Dravidian Architecture – Considered the earliest and finest example of Dravidian temple architecture. (Kailasanatha). Structure – Built mainly of sandstone. High Vimana (tower) in pyramidal form. Surrounded by several small subsidiary shrines. PYQ’s Solution English 8 Development of Art & Architecture, Paintings and Music during the medieval period.