Chronicles of Kalinga temple architecture
Author(s): Ankita Chand
Abstract: Kalinga (core area covers present-day Odisha) is known for its distinct and impeccable temple architecture embellished with the exquisite sculptures and explicit ornamentation. It outspread from sixth to fifteenth century CE. The present paper attempts to describe the intricacies of Kalinga temple architecture including the basic structure, salient characteristics, construction techniques and phases of evolution, besides others. Based on fundamental structure, temples are broadly categorised into
Rekha deula (tall building looking like mountain peak)
, Pidha deula (square building with pyramid-shaped roof) and
Khakhra deula (rectangular building with truncated pyramid-shaped roof). A typical full-fledged temple has four distinct components,
Vimana (sanctum),
Jagamohana (hall of congregation and worship),
Nata mandira (dancing hall) and
Bhoga Mandapa (hall of offering). The temple elevation shows interesting resemblance with the limbs of human body. It can be divided into four parts along the vertical plane such as
Pista (Platform on which temple stands),
Bada (wall which is divided into horizontal sections),
Gandi (trunk which is the tower of the temple) and
Mastaka (head with capping elements). Hierarchy of command in temple construction are
Karta (chief patron),
Mukhya Sthapati (chief architect),
Sutra Grahaṇi (chief engineer),
Bardhanikas (stone setters) and
Taká¹£aka (the sculptor).
Pages: 86-97 | Views: 348 | Downloads: 160Download Full Article: Click Here
How to cite this article:
Ankita Chand. Chronicles of Kalinga temple architecture. Int J Hist 2023;5(2):86-97.
