Three major style of temple architectures:-

Nagara Style: - associated with the land between Himalayas and Vindhyas. This style of temple architecture became popular in northern India .The Nagara style had its origin in the structural temples of the gupta period especially dashavatara temple of deogarh and the brick temple of bhitargaon.

2. Dravida Style: - associated between the Krishna and Kaveri. The Nagara style temples have multiple Shikharas rising together as a cluster was not popular in South India. The South Indian temple consists essentially of a square-chambered sanctuary topped by a tower and an attached pillared hall (MANDAPA).The tower above the sanctuary is of the KUTINA type (Pyramid ) The Dravida style has its origin in Gupta period , start developing in 7^th century during Pallavas under MahindraVarman in form of Rock-cut shrine like Mahaballipuram and reached the acme of architecture during the Imperial cholas with magnificent temples like Brihadeshvar of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram temple .

3. Vesara Style: - It is blend of both Nagara and Dravida and associated with land between Vindhyas and Krishna. It is also referred to as Early Chalukya architecture or 'Central Indian temple architecture style' or 'Deccan architecture’.

Three Sub Schools under Nagara Style

Odisha School

Khajoraho School / Chandel School

Solanki school à branch of later Chalukyas

Odisha School

Most of the main temple sites are located in ancient Kalinga—modern Puri District, Bhubaneswar and Konark.

  Odisha temples usually have boundary walls.

Shikhara is called deul.

Deuls are preceded, as usual, by mandapas called jagamohana in Odisha.

Prominent Odisha temples are Sun Temple Konark, Jagannath Temple and Lingraj temple.

Chandela art / Khajuraho Art

The Khajuraho temples were built under their patronage within relatively short period of hundred years A.D 950 to A.D 1050. These temples are the only artistic monuments of the Chandelas who were generally noted for their utilitarian structural undertakings such as dams and canals.

Features of Khajuraho temples:

In plan they are simple and basically consists of three components:

a.         An entrance portico

b.         An Assembly Hall

c.         The Sanctum Sanctoram.

• High Platform
• Graceful grouping of roofs.
• Graceful contours and rich surface treatment.
• Erotic sculptures.
• These temples are built of sandstone varying in colourfrom cream to pink.
• The Kandhariya Mahadeva temple is the largest of them all. All the others are of smaller size.
• The shrines at Khajuraho are dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu and also to Jaina faith.
• Vertical cross-sections of a Nagara style temple :

1. Garbh Griha (Sanctum Sanctorum)

2. Maha Mandap

3. Nritya Mandap

4. Mukhya Mandap    

3. Solanki School

The Chalukya (Solanki) kings of Gujarat patronized this school of architecture that flourished from the 11th to 13th century .The most outstanding feature of this style is its minute and lovely  decorativeness.

The influence of the wood carving tradition of gujarat is evident in the lavish carving and sculpture work .

Stone used – Soft white marble, sandstone , grey/black basalt

The Vimala, Tejpala and Vastupala temples at Mount Abu exhibit this style.

The Sun temple at Modhera à by Raja Bhim deva Solanki in 1026 CE , surya Kund in front of it , grandest temple tank in India

Samlaji temple à 6-8^th century , grey schist , post gupta .

Vesara Style

The trend was started by the Chalukyas of Badami (500-753 C.E) who built temples in a style that was essentially a mixture of the nagara and the dravida styles, further refined by the Rashtrakutas (750-983 C.E) in Ellora, Chalukyas of Kalyani (983-1195 C.E ) and epitomized by the Hoysala empire(1000-1330 C.E).

Chalukyas (A.D. 543 – 757)

The Chalukyas erected around 70 temples at Aihole.

Pattadakal has ten temples built in 7th and 8th centuries. The most celebrated of these are Papanatha temple and Virupaksha temple constructed by the wife of Vikramaditya II in honour of Siva which was earlier called Lokeshwara Temple.

Temple of Siva at Meguti contains prasashti of Pulakeshin II constructed by Pulakeshin II.

Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal shows Dravidian influence. But the majority of the temples show the northern influence. The temples are richly decorated. The most famous temples are Durga and Lad Khan temple at Aihole. Pattadakai, Aihole, and Badami form the main centres where Chalukyan temples are located.

Rashtrakuta art

They emphasized on cave architecture. The Ellora and Elephanta Caves are of this period. Krishan-I built Kaiiashnath temple at Ellora. It is dedicated to Shiva and Elephant Caves are dedicated to 'trimurti' Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh. Shiva is represented in different forms, Nataraj, Shiva Gangadhar, Ardhanarishavara etc. SuchCave architectures emphasize on removal rather than addition. The Ellora caves are dedicated to Jaina, Buddhist and Brahamanical faiths.

Hoysalas art

After the fall of the Cholas, temple building continued under the Chalukyas and the Hoysalas. In the district of Hassan are the Hoysala's capital, Halibid and Belur, having a large no. of temples. The most important of these are the Hoysalesvara temple at Halibid and the Chenna-Keshava temple at Belur. These are the best example of what is called the Hoysala Style. The important features are:

The grounds plan was star-shaped or polygonal, within which was accommodated the entire temple, the whole complex being built on a raised platform. This elevation gave it a flattened effect, the larger temples having dispersed with towers.

This effect was emphasized by the extensive surface plastic decoration which consisted of a series of narrow panels, three tiers, running horizontally right around the temple walls.

The star-shaped plan provided more wall space for sculpture than would a rectangular plan.

The most curious feature of these Hoysala temples are the wide, squat pillars.

The Central Ceiling of the main hall of these temples have a delicately carved pendentive in the centre. The temples are adorned with exquisitively carved bracket figures both inside and outside.

The most typical and complete example of the fully evolved Hoysala style is the Keshava temple at Somnathpur near Mysore.

Various stage of Development of Dravidian Temple Architecture are :-

• Pallavas
• Cholas
• Vijaynagara
• Nayakas

Dravidian temple architecture

Important Features

 Sanctum Sanctoram (Garbhagriha is a sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple.).

• Natya Mandapa (Dancing Hall).
• Kalyana Mandapa (Marriage hall).
• Yagasala (Hall of Sacrifice).
• Vyyala Mandapa (Half of Swinging idols), attached Kotara (Store) and Paksala (Kitchen).
• Huge Gopurams (Gateways) with rich decorations High Boundary walls.
• High Pyramidical Vimanas full of Sculptures and decorations.
• Pillared Hall.
• Tank attached to the temple. Subsidiary Shrines - in the courtyard.
• Antarala (passage between the hall and Garbha Griha).

Pallava art

Four distinct stages of architecture can be gleaned from the Pallava temples. The first is the Mahendra style. The influence of the cave style of architecture is to be seen in an ancient pillar engraved in the Ekambaranatha (Kanchipuram) temple. The second is the Mamalla style. The seven Pagodas are small temples, each of which is hewn out of a single rock boulder. They lie near Mahabalipura Mahabalipuram, founded by Narasimhavarman. These monolithic temples are complete with all the details of an ordinary temples and stand as an undying testimony to the superb quality of the Pallava art. The third is the Rajasimha style. The most famous temple of this style is the kailasha style. The most famous temple of this style is the Kailasha temple of kanchi. It has a pyramidal tower, a flat-roofed mandapam and a series of cells surround it resembling rathas. This style is a very elaborate one foreshadowing the ornate Chola architecuture. The fourth is the Aparajita style. This is more ornate resembling the Chola architecture. A few temples built in the style are found at Dalavanur. The note worthy feature of some shrines is that they are aborned by beautiful life-like images of Pallava kings and their queens. All told they are unique in the history of temple architecture.

The 'Seven Pagodas' or Raths' at Mahabalipuram belong to the Mamalla Style. They show influence of cave style. All of them were carved out of a single rock.

Pallava sculpture owed more to the Buddhist tradition. On the whole it is more monumental and linear in form, thus avoiding the typical ornamentation of the Deccan sculpture. The free standing temples at Aithole and Badami in the Deccan and the Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram in the Tamil country, provided a better background for sculpture than the rock-cut temples.

Chola Art

Generally speaking the Chola style continued the Pallava and Eastern Chalukyan tradition. Temple architecture in South India attained its climax under the Cholas. Under the Pallavas, temples were no longer cutout of rocks. The style of architecture which came into vogue during this period attained its most magnificent form under the Cholas. The temples by this time started playing its role in socio-economic life of South India. Chola temples laid stress on the central chamber of the shrine, which was approached through one or more halls, depending upon the sizeef the temples.

We find the evolution of high vimans and monumental gopurams. The gopuram became much more prominent than before. The Gopurams of Chola times were rather broad, with high stories. 

An early example of the Dravida style of temple architecture is the 8th century, temple of Kailasanatha at Kanchipuram. One of the finest and most decorate examples of the style is, however, provided by the Brihaderswara temple or Rajaraja temple at Tanjore built by Rajaraja I.

The Brihadiswara temple atTanjore is known for its spacious courtyards and massive tower. Its tower rises to a height of 1 90 ft like a pyramid in 13 successive storeys. Its top is crowned by a simple block of stone 25 ft high and weighting 80 tonnes. It is really a matter of great surprise as to how such a heavy piece of stone was taken to such a great height.

The Cholas were in the habit of installing images of kings and queens in the temples, in addition to the diety. The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, though in a dilapidated condition, is another fine example of temple architecture under the Cholas. This temple is known for its great size, huge 'lingam' of solid granite and delicate carvings on stone. This was made by Rajendra I.

The Great NatarajaTemple at Chidambaram is dedicated to dancing Lord Shiva, a favourite deity of the Chola Kings.

Nataraja, lord of cosmic dance, depicts Lord Shiva holding the drum which represents the great sound from which all creations springs. In his left hand is the eternal fire, representing destruction mat is the inevitable counterpart of creation. The third hand raised in the gesture of benediction, reassures the devotee not to be afraid and the fourth points to his upraised foot as the path to salvation. He dances on a small dwarf which represents our individual ego or ignorance. He is surrounded by a nimbus of light symbolising the vast unending cycles of time. From his matted locks the Ganges flows down to irrigate the earth, while the crescent moon shines in all its glory. In one ear he wears a male ear ring and in the other a female one, symbolising the concept of Ardhanariswar - the creative fusion of the male and female entities into a single divinity.The snakes twined around his arm represent the kundalini power that resides at the base of human spine-which when aroused, leads to the transmutation of consciousness. Therefore the image of Nataraja is one of the greatest artistic creation.

Chola & pandya sculptures

The walls of the temples were covered with sculptures, first very sparingly but increasing in number from century to century. This period witnessed a renaissance of sculpture.

Most famous of the stone and bronze sculpture of this period are those of Nataraja, Dakshinamurti, Kaiyanasundra and Vishnu images.

Because of the political supremacy first of the Choias, then of the Pandyas, their art exercised considerable influence in South India and South-East Asia.

Vijayanagar art

The Emperors of Vijayanagar whose empire compromised of almost the whole of peninsular India, were great builders and spent lavishly on works of public utility, i.e. tanks, reservoirs, lakes, palaces and temples. In temple building they continued the traditions and styles of the Chalukyas, Cholas and Pandyas. These temples in Andhra Pradesh and Deccan show marked traces of Chalukyan style, whereas their temples in the south show Chola and Pandya influence. Built of hard stone, the Vijayanagar temples are large structures with spacious mandapas and lofty gopurams.

One of the splendid temples of the time is the famous Harasa Rama Temple at Vijayanagar built in the reign of Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1550 A.D.).  It is considered to be “one of the most perfect specimen of Hindu Temple architecture”.   The temple does not have a gopuram. The four central pillars are finely polished and decorated with beautiful sculptures, Panels of the entire life of Rama and episodes from the Ramayana are delicately sculptured on the exterior of the temple.

These temples have huge gopurams. A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple

Higher enclosure walls as there was threat from the Bahamanis

Hall with pillars with rich decorations specially hippogryph (supernatural horse)

Mysterious outlook

Secular buildings have Indo-Muslim features, e.g. Elephant stable, Lotus Mahal. Platform of Krishna Deva Raya, Prisons, the Palaces, several baths, pillars and arcades constitute the secular architecture.

The Sculptures - represents the scenes of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagwat Purana. Large numbers of portrait sculptures were carved, the most famous of which are of Krishna Deva Raya and his queens in the Sri Venkateshwara temple of Tirupati. A number of huge Nandis were also sculptured.

As far as the paintings are concerned the Lepakshi wall paintings show decline of art. The human figure appears like phantoms devoid of expression. It shows greater emphasis on mythological stories.

Nayak style

The Nayaks of Jinji, Tanjor, Madurai and Mysore constructed temples and halls. The most famous of all is the Madurai temple, reconstructed between 16th and 19th cent. The main constiuents of this temple are 'Golden Lilly Pond', the temple of Meenakshi and Shiva with huge corridors, thousand Pillared Hall and eleven huge gopurams. Very similar are the temples of Chidambaram and Rameshwaram.

Differences between nagara & dravida style