Structural Temples of Gujarat

SR No.: 006728
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kantilal F Sompura
Publisher: Gujarat University Ahmedabad
Publication Year: 1968
Total Pages: 868
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 31 MB

Page 422

The Ground Plan of the Maņdapa
367 The ground plans of the maņdapas of almost all the Caulukyan temples are square either plain or facetted with lateral projections. The number of projections here either may be one (bhadra ) or two (bhadra & pratiratha ) and hardly three, (bhadra, pratiratha and nandi). The maņdapa having rectangular shape also are adorned with these lateral projections further divisible into chases and recesses. So the ground plan of the maņdapas of the Caulukyan temples will look like a cruciform in shape.
(a) Some of the maņdapas of the Caulukyan temples are square but plain in design that is devoid of lateral projections, The square maņdapas at the temples of Tukada, Viramgam (double-shrined temples ), Lovarali, Prabhas (Saśibhuşaņa ) Vasai (Kankeśvara, with series of columns), Dhrasanvel (Magaderu), Visavada (Triple-shrined), Kuchhadi etc. have no projections.
(b) The square-facetted ground plans of the mandapas of the temples at Delmal, Harasiddh, Than (Muni Bawa), Madhavpur (Mādhava and Sūrya temples), Sejakapur (Śiva temple) Sunak, Virta, Dhinoj, Manod, Abu ( Vimala vasahi and Luņa vasahi ), Prabhas ( the Sun temple on Hitņaya and Rudreśvara), Miyani (Nilkantha), Visavada (Nilkantha), Baradia, Taranetar, Siddhapur (Rudramāla restored plan) etc. have one central or bhadra projection.
While the mandapas of the temples at Kotai, Sejakapura (Navalakha and Jain temples), Bhadresvara, Bhimanath, Modhera, Taranga, Sarotra (the Jain temple), Prabhas (the sun temple on Triveni and old temple of Somanātha ), Girnar (Neminātha ), Visavada ( Siddheśvara ), Vasai (Junagadhi) have two-bhadra and pratiratha projections.
(c) The rectangular maņdapas of the temples at Than (Sürya temple) and Kanoda have respectively one (bhadra) and two (bhadra and pratiratha ) projections in their ground plans.