Page 3 - apr-Jun 2020

VOL. 17 No. 2

Activity: TEMPLE TOWNS
GLORIOUS GUPTAS
Cities called temple towns grew around a
The Gupta Period is called the ‘Golden Age of India’ temple and were divided into many parts –
because of the development in culture. This period saw the market place, homes, workshops, etc.
a break from rock-cut architecture, and saw the fi rst Write about any one such temple town.
free-standing structures.
Illustration by: Tanvi, VII A, Delhi School of
Excellence, Manikonda, Hyderabad
In this period, a number of temples fl ourished. These
temples had carvings of Gods and Goddesses.
MAGNIFICENT CHOLAS
Examples: Dasavatara Temple (Deogarh), Kankali Devi
Temple (Tigawa) Under the Cholas, southern architectural traditions
reached their zenith. Even while they were busy with
political matters, they managed to build magnifi cient
PROFICIENT PALLAVAS temples, entirely of stone. There was also development
of underground drainage systems. Mahendravarman
While in the North, soft sandstone was being used,
was known for rock-cut architecture. He was, therefore,
in the South, under the Pallavas, hard rock, such as
hailed as vichitra chitta.
granite, was used.
Examples: Brihadeswara Temple
During this period, temple architecture was divided
(Thanjavur), Airavateswara
into two phases. The fi rst consisted of entirely rock-
Temple (Thanjavur)
cut architecture, and the
A. Eniya Bimby, IX D, Mani Hr. Sec. School,
second evolved to the
Coimbatore
making of free-standing
structures. The earliest
known free-standing rock
temples were the ‘Rathas’.
Examples: Temples
– Kailashnath Temple
(Kanchipuram), Shore
Illustration by: Bhavana Gupta, X A, Scholars Home Sr. Sec. School, Dehradun
Temple (Mahabalipuram)
Examples: Rathas – Arjun ACTIVITY: THE CHOLA SPREAD
and Draupadi Rathas
(Mahabalipuram) There are a number of Buddhist and Hindu temples found
in the countries in South-East Asia. Research on Hampi
and Angkor Wat and fi nd similarities in their structures.
CHALUKYAN SPLENDOURS Mark the following on the map – Borobudur Temple,

Preah Vihear Temple, Angkor Wat, Hampi.
Around the same time as the Gupta Period, in the Deccan,
there fl ourished another independent architectural
movement. These were of the Early Chalukyan period.
This architecture reached its climax at Pattadakal. These
temples were much 1
3
more complex. They 2
have remarkably
more or less survived
intact!
Examples: Temples at
Aihole and Pattadakal
4

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