Different Styles of Temple Architecture in India

Aside from temples built in the Nagara and Dravida styles, India’s temple architecture differs considerably from one another and has certain unique features:

1. North India Temples

The stone platforms that lead to the temples in the north are constructed with stairs. Most of the temples in the north are built in the Nagara architectural style. In the north of India, temples now have many heads, although in the past there was just one.

2. Central India Temples

The predominant building material of central Indian temples is sandstone. A few ancient, still-existing temples in the state of Madhya Pradesh go prior to the Gupta era. The two most important features found in every temple from that era are Amalek and Kalash.

3. Western India Temples

In this region, there are several temples; the majority are located in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and western Madhya Pradesh. Temples are constructed using a variety of colors and kinds of stones. The most significant art historical site in the western region is regarded as Samlaji in Gujarat.

4. Eastern India Temples

These temples spread over the Northeast, Bengal, and Odisha. Terracotta is the primary building material used in Bengal to carve Hindu and Buddhist temples. While there are several temples in Eastern India, the goddess Kamakhya is honored in the 17th-century Kamakhya temple in Assam, which is among the most well-known. In addition, the Siddheshvara Mahadeva temple is situated at Barakar, in the Burdwan district.

5. Hill Temples

It is developed in the hills of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Garhwal, and Kumaon. It is traditional for India’s hill temples to be made of wood and have pitched roofs. In the eighth and ninth centuries, Pandrethan was constructed.

6. South India Temples

South Indian temples have Dravida-style architecture. Unlike temples built in the Nagara style, these temples have compounded walls. The entrance gateway to the south Indian temples is called Gopuram. Tamil Nadu is the location of the most well-known temple in all of southern India. These are Kumbakonam, Madhurai, Thanjavur, and Kanchipuram.

7. Deccan Architecture

In a state like Karnataka, many different architectural styles from temples in north and south India were embraced. The Deccan region of India, or Karnataka, is home to several experimental hybrid architectural forms. Famous Deccan architecture temples like the Lad Khan Temple in Aihole, Karnataka, and the Hoysaleswara Temple in Karnataka were inspired by the dark schist stone and the wooden roofed temples found in the hills, respectively.

8. Buddhist Architecture

The most important Buddhist site is Bodhgaya. The Bodhi Tree, regarded as the first shrine in Buddhist architecture, was built by King Ashoka. These temples’ designs are distinct from all others; they are neither Nagara nor Dravida. In the fifth century CE, Kumar Gupta, supervised the monastery’s establishment. Vajragiti, Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri, and Nagapattinam are a few of the well-known Buddhist monasteries.

9. Jain Architecture

Jain architecture can be found all over India, except the mountains. Jains were equally talented temple builders as Hindus were. The earliest Jain pilgrimage is located in Bihar, while some of the most significant Jain architectural sites are located in Ellora and Aihole. Karnataka is the site of the renowned Jain structures with its rich past. At Mount Abu, Vimal Shah built the most well-known Jain temple.

Temple architecture in India plays an important role in the preservation and development of the country’s cultural heritage. The temple designs in India are a combination of several architectural styles. India has two main types of temple architecture: Nagara in the north and Dravidian in the south. There’s also a third style called Vesara, which is a mix of both Nagara and Dravidian styles and is sometimes found to exist independently.

In this article, we will learn about Temple Architecture in India, the features, types, and different styles of temple architecture.