Vesar Style Temple Architecture With Examples| Art & Culture | Shilpi Verma

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MOST of the art and architectural remains that survive from Ancient and Medieval India are religious in nature. That does not mean that people did not have art in their homes at those times, but domestic dwellings and the things in them were mostly made from materials like wood and clay which have perished. This chapter introduces us to many types of temples from India. Although we have focussed mostly on Hindu temples, at the end of the chapter you will find some information on major Buddhist and Jain temples too. However, at all times, we must keep in mind that religious shrines were also made for many local cults in villages and forest areas, but again, not being of stone the ancient or medieval shrines in those areas have also vanished.

Basic Features of the Hindu Temples
The basic form of the Hindu temple comprises the following:Sanctum (garbhagriha literally ‘womb-house’)It was a small cubicle with a single entrance which grew into a larger chamber in time.The garbhagriha is made to house the main icon.
Entrance to the templeIt may be a portico or colonnaded hall that incorporates space for a large number of worshippers and is known as a mandapa.
Free Standing temples tend to have a mountain-like spireIt can take the shape of a curving shikhar in North India and a pyramidal tower, called a vimana, in South India.
The vahanIt was mount or vehicle of the temple’s main deity along with a standard pillar or dhvaj is placed axially before the sanctum.Many Hindu temples, feature mithun (embracing couple) sculptures, considered auspicious.Usually, they are placed at the entrance of the temple or on an exterior wall or they may also be placed on the walls between the mandapa and the main shrine.
Vesara is a combination of Nagara and Dravidian style of temple architecture styles. The term Vesara is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word vishra meaning an area to take a long walk. Many historian agree that the Vesara style originated in the what is today Karnataka.

The trend was started by the Chalukyas of Badami (500-753AD) who built temples in a style that was essentially a mixture of the Nagara and the Dravida styles, further refined by the Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta (750- 983AD) in Ellora, Chalukyas of Kalyani (983-1195 AD) in Lakkundi, Dambal, Gadag etc. and epitomized by the Hoysalas (1000-1330 AD)

Unique features of Vesara style of temple architecture

Ornamentation: In case of ornamentation of temple walls and pillars, Chalukyan temple shows indigenous quality.
Transformation of Dravida tower: The Chalukyan builders modified the Dravida towers by minimizing the height of each storey and arranging them in descending order of height from base to top with much ornamentation in each storey.
Transformation of Nagara tower: Instead of inclined storey here modification is seen in the vertical shape of the tower
Two special features of Chalukya temples – Mantapa and Pillars:
Mantapa: The mantapa has two types of roof – domical ceilings (the dome like ceilings standing on four pillars are very attractive) or Square ceilings (these are vigorously ornamented with mythological pictures).
Pillars: the miniature decorative pillars of Chalukya temples stands with its own artistic value.