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 538

The Main Source or Sources of Canonicial Principles
483 ceilings. The decorative sculptures are either (a) constructive (b) representative or (c) purely ornamental. The conventional representative sculptures consist of figures of gods and goddesses, historical personages, protrait sculptures, scenes from the Epics and Purāņas, scenes from Jain mythology and scenes depicting social life etc.
Some of these decorative sculptures occur among those prescribed in Sm Su. But the various features of decorative sculptures found in the Caulukyan temples indicate far more confirmation in APPR.
However, the elaborate and rather ornate style of temple architecture developed in Gujarat during the Caulukyan period has attained a considerable place in the temple architecture of India. But it is very difficult to trace how this style evolved and which persons or works contributed to its developments. A comparative study of the architectural form of the old extant structural temples of Gujarat with the traditions giveni n the early and canonical works on Indian architecture seems to give some hint about the close relation of the monuments with some particular works. From the results of the comparative study given above it seems that the architectural traditions discerned in the pre-Caulukyan temples are reflected in the early works only to a limited extent. The traditions are comparatively more closely related to those given in the Sm. Su. which was of course composed about a century after the beginning of the Caulukyan period. The basic sources of this work may have belonged to the pre-Caulukyan period but they cannot be traced at present, probably, those sources may have served as a guide to the architects of the pre-Caulukyan temples.
As regards the temples of the Caulukyan period the architectural traditions discerned in them are found reflected to a certain extent in Sm. Su. which was written in Malva on N. W. of Gujarat, during the early of the Caulukyan period.