Along with the
Dravida and the Veshara, this is one of the three established styles in
medieval Hindu temple building.
Nagara architecture may be found all throughout northern and
eastern India.
A shikhara, or tower, is one of its most conspicuous
characteristics.
Smaller towers frequently encircle the shikhara, leading the
eye up to the tallest point, which is right above the temple's major deity's
picture.
There are two variations within this broad design, as seen
in the temples of Khajuraho and Orissa.
The sequence of shikha ras at Khajuraho are linked,
providing a continuous rising swell that lures the eye higher, much like a
succession of hills ascending to a distant summit.
The placement of turrets (urushringas) on the sides of the
towers, which imitate the form of the ultimate peak, emphasizes this
verticality.
The entire temple stands on an elevated platform
(adhishthana).
There are generally multiple zones inside the temple: an
ardhamandapa (entry porch), a hall (man dapa), an intermediate region
(antarala), and a central shrine (garbhagrha) surrounded by a processional
route (pradakshina).
Despite their disparate components, temples of the Khajuraho
style give the appearance of being part of a coherent whole.
The contrast between the temple's constituent elements is
emphasized in the Orissan style.
The entry hall (jagamohan) and the beehive-shaped temple
tower are the two main components (deul).
The tower is often three or four times the height of the
entry hall, heightening the contrast between the two.
A dance-hall (natamandira), historically used for
performances, and a "food pavilion" (bhogamandapa), where the prasad was
prepared, are among the other parts.
As if separable sections lined up with one another, these
architectural features are linked like pearls on a thread.
The Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneshvar, the Jagannath Temple
in Puri, and the Sun Temple in Konarak are the most notable temples of the
Orissan style.
~Kiran Atma
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