Temple Architecture  in Uttarakhand :

Uttarakhand is often known as Dev Bhumi (land of gods). The presence ofwonderful stone and wooden temples of this region proves that the architectural skills were highly developed. A large number of stone and wooden temples are located at different places, mostly in the interiors. The most artistic temples were built by the Katyuris during their ruling period and these temples are mostly found in clusters. The architecture of Uttarakhand is based on locally and easily available materials like stone and wood. It not only reflects the intimate relation between common people and nature but also the socio-cultural history of this region. Wood and stone were the staple building materials in ancient times.

Wooden Style Temples :

Because of abundant forests in this region, the ancient temples were made of wood. The entrance door of the Katarmal temple is the evidence of wooden temple that has been displayed at the National Museum of Delhi. The wooden temples of Uttarakhand have got ruined, so stone temples have been built in place of wooden temples. The wooden architecture is restricted to the high altitude areas only which have cold climatic conditions as wood keeps the structure warm during the harsh winters. There are many temples in the region whose architecture is purely wood based.

Pidha  or Pyramidal Styles Temple :

The pre-medieval period is also known as Katyuri period. The Katyuris ruled over whole of Uttarakhand mainly between 6th to 8th century CE. It is believed that initially temples were made with flat roofs, known as the pidha style. According to the recent surveys 85 per cent of temples belong to the pre-medieval period. The squire type of garbhgriha and antral were made in the basement. Jageshwar, Katarmal. Saijgram, Tilari Gram, Kanra, Kaihargown, Bamansuyal in Almora district, Khatikhan, Majhpipal, Chamdeyol in Champawat district, Kotali (Bankot), Bhatyura (Bungachina) in Pithoragarh district and Gadhshair in Bageshwar are the main sites of this type of temples.

Nagara Style Temple :

The third type of temple was made in the Nagar style or Rekha Shikhar style (Indo-Aryan style). Temples of this type are found at Jageshwar in Almora district and old Shiv temple of Thal in Pithoragarh district. The Bharsoli?s Shiv temple is notable because this temple is made in the Pidha and Triratha Nagara style and is placed between 9th to 10th centuries. The Jageshwar and Mirtunjay temples are the best examples of this style

Pallavi Style Temple :

Pallavi or Gajprethakriti temples were also built. These temples are found at Jageshwar, Bamansuyal, Shakuni Gram in Almora district, Patal Bhuwaneshwar in Pithoragarh district and Devidhura in Champawat district of Uttarakhand. According to some archaeologists, the Pallavi style temples were originally made in South India and architects from South India were hired to build these temples in the region during the Katyuri Period, indicating interaction of Uttarakhand even with the deep South.

Stone  Style Temple :

Stone temple architecture marks the emergence of the Brahmanical culture in Uttarakhand. These temples are mostly made of stone and stone slates, well known for their durability and Estelar strength. Many stone temples are found in Kumaun region, built mostly during the Katyuri rule. The Baijnath temple complex, The Jageshwar temple complex,The Dwarahat temples, The Stone Temple of Nanda Devi at Almora etc are some stone temple complexes, which indicate the rich architectural heritage of Uttarakhand .The stone temples are built in the classical architectural style under feudal patronage. The stone temple architecture of Uttarakhandfollowed the style of post-Gupta renaissance under the Pals, Gurjarasand Pratiharas, indicating a continuous interaction with the Ganga valley.

Gajapristhakriti Style :

The temples of Navdurga and of Chandika are the excellent examples of this style. It has been seen that Gajprithakriti (Ballavi, Dholkakar) temple is dedicated to various manifestations of Shakti. Some other Gajprithakriti temples have also been seen at Baman Suyal (Almora), Patal-bhuvanesvar (Pithoragarh), Shakuni (Almora), Devidhura (Champawat) and other places of this region. The dome of these temples was made in the Dholakar shape. The Dholakar shape is given to these temples to enhance the loftiness of temples (Pant and Chauhan. In press). The temples of this style are found in south India. It is said that the south Indian architects were invited by the Katyuris to Kumaun region during their reign.

        Ancient societies fulfilled all their requirements from nature. As people were entirely dependent on nature for their survival, they were often tormented by the inescapable presence of the mysterious forces around them in the form of nature’s fury. To pacify such forces (real or imagined) humans started worshiping different elements of nature and even offering them sacrifice. In order to save themselves from the routine hassles they often installed their temples at a safe distance from their settlements, on mountain tops, in forlorn caves, under old and mighty trees or somewhere near mountain cliffs and avoided proximity to them. Therefore, many temples and shrines were built by the people of this region far from the villages and in between distant villages for such ill disposed deities.