South Indian Temple Architecture

T. N. Srinivasan

Just as Lord Sri Venkatesa of Tirumalai is the fountain source of grace and love forming the pivot of adoration of the diverse sections of the vast Hindu community of South India, even so is the Divine Abode of this great Divinity which is as at present a harmonious cream of blending of the various schools of temple architecture that were in vogue in South India, from the earliest days. To fully appreciate this homogeneity, it is necessary that we take a rapid survey of the development of this great fine-art, of which everyone of us can rightly be proud of.

The earliest types of temples, within historic memory, belong to the age of the Pallava who held sway in the early centuries of the Christian era. Sometime before the third century A.D., the Pallavas seem to have been living in a high state of civilization, with their capital city at Kanchipuram. Between 400 & 900 A.D., that was the peak period of the Pallava rule, temple architecture in South India passed through definite phases of development. Their earliest type may be seen in the famous rock-cut temples done during the reign of the great Mahendra Varman (610-640 A.D ), at Mammallapuram, (the so-called Mahabalipuram of the present day), which at that time was one of the most flourishing ports in the East. The earliest style consisted of simple rock-cut mandapa- containing a pillared hall in front with a few cells in the background - the exterior presenting a facade formed by a row of pillars, which invariably contained the representation of the simha the lion, which was the royal crest of the Pallavas. During the reign of Narasimba Varman (640-668 A.D.), this developed into well - defined designs, as we now see in the so called Pandava rathas in Mammallapuram. Among these, special mention is to be made of the Dharmaraja ratha, which stands southernmost in that group. This consists of a square.based shrine, surmounted by two tiers of similiar structures in decreasing proportions, surmounted by a hemispherical top and crowned by a kalasam. As years rolled on, elaborateness in details were made as can be seen in the shore temple at the same place, which still stands, as a living testimony to the grand work of the Pallava craftsmen, having endured on this exposed spur of rock, buffeted for half the year by the monsoon rollers, at other times the grey sea creeps half-visible, half-hushed and grasps with its innumerable hands its silent walls," We have also at Kanchipuram in the temples of Vaikuntaperumal and Kailasanathar, perfect types of the Pallava style of temple architecture.

As a result of unsettled state of political affairs in South India, the country was thrown into internal conflicts in the l0th century, between the rival ruling dynasties, as a result of which the Cholas finally came triumphant and held sway over a vast tract of land extending at one time even as far as the Ganges in the north and upto Ceylon in the south, for over two centuries. During this period, they devoted themselves to the development of art in all possible manner. During the reign of Raja Raja Chola the Great (985 to 1018 A.D.), the temple architecture was given a good stimulus by the construction of the great Brihadiswaraswamy temple at Tanjore, which the Encyclopaedia Brittanica rightly describes as "by far the most superb temple in India". This temple has a magnificent colossal-looking central shrine with a grand vimanam over it rising to nearly 200 feet done in a very remarkable mode of fineness and ingenuity. It has a Mukha-mandapam in front and a pradakshina corridor round the central shrine all contained within a walled enclosure. The Cholas have constructed and improved innumerable temples in South India, including Tirumala.

Continuing our journey we come to the next phase. By about the 12th century, the Chola power diminished and after some political turmoil, the Pandyas succeeded the Cholas by their domination in South India. As far as temple architecture was concerned, there were new tendencies in the style and they gave extraordinary prominence to some of the supplementary portions of the other components of the temple. They enclosed the shrines with substantial walls and crowned the entrance with a magnificent Gopuram, which derives its name from the "Cow-Gate" of the villages of the Vedic period. These gopurams were elaborately worked pyramids containing innumerable icons of mythological and historical interest and in fact is the first object that attracts even from a long distance any one who visits for the first time any South Indian place of pilgrimage.

Beginning about the middle of the 14th century, a change came over the spirit as well as the substance of architecture in South India. The predilections of the Pandya rulers were somewhat temperate and dull and as a result of the reaction, the country became immediately enriched with buildings in a style which showed greater fullness marked with aesthetic aspirations. This tremendous impetus was given by the rulers of that great house of Vijayanagar, who dominated South India for well over two centuries, and whose empire extended from the river Krishna to Cape Comerin at one time. It was during this period that almost all the temples in South India were extended and rebuilt. One of the most common designs that was now introduced was the construction of the Kalyana Mandapam, worked out with much intricacy and delicacy, especially in the composition of the pillars and piers. The Vijayanagar rulers took special interest in building this, as they believed that the prosperity of their empire is to a certain extent due to divine blessings and to propitiate that, they should arrange for the celebration of the marriage of the presiding Swamy and Amman in as grand a manner as possible. They also constructed what are called the Noothukal and Ayirakal mandapams - that is the 100 and 1,000 pillared mandapams for the celebration of the important festivals of the temples.

After the fall of the Vijayanagar empire in 1565, by the Mohamedan rulers of Deccan, the Hindu element in Tamil country was pushed further south and established itself with Madura as the capital under the Nayaka rulers for nearly a century, of whom the most important was Tirumalai Nayak (1623 to 1659 A.D.). Under his inspiring guidance several temples especially at Madura and Rameswaram were rebuilt and elaborated with new additions, like prakarams.

Applying these broad principles of temple architecture, let us see how far they are manifest in the shrine of Lord Sri Venkatesa at Tirumalai in particular and the other temples at Tirupati in general. From the point of age, the Shrine at Tirumalai goes back beyond historical boundaries as it is considered to be the replica of the abode of Sriman Narayana at Sri Vaikunta, where from He descended to earth at this sacred spot, where now stands Sri Venkatesa, who is HImself the visible form of that Primeaval Being. But entering into historical period, the Central shrine is the oldest structure now existing because we have lithic records to prove that much of the early structures appear to have been pulled down to give room for fresh structures at various times. From what stands now, the grand looking Anandanilaya Vimanam is typical of the Pallava style and resembles almost exactly the Dharmaraja ratha at Mamallapuram and is confirmed as we have the inscription of Dantivarman, a Pallava king of Kanchipuram (830 A.D.), yet at Tirumalai temple. Round this square based shrine, we have the innermost pradakshina called the Vaikunta Pradakshinam, which consists of a simple circumambulatory corridor with simple pillars. Perhaps the boundary wall might have contained some paintings at one time and this corresponds to what exactly we have now at the Tanjore temple in a smaller scale. We learn from epigraphical records that Rajaraja and several Vaishnavite, Chola rulers have extended the temple at Tirumalai by their humble services. The famous Pandya King Jatavarma Sundara Pandya constructed the gold cover for the vimana over the central shrine in the 13th Century, which was restored during the Vijayanagar period by the great Krishnadeva Raya in about 1520. The Kalyana Mandapam, the Alipiri and the almost entire motif of Sri Govindaraja Temple and Sri Padmavati temple at Tiruchanoor are all the royal contributions of the Vijayanagar rulers and more particularly the great Krishnaraya, Achyutaraya, Sadasivaraya and others who not only added architectural gems to the several temples here but also enriched the coffers of Sri Venkatesa with untold wealth and also left behind them fine bronze replicas of their mortal coil. The Ayirakal Mandapam in front of the temple at Tirumala is one of the finest specimens of plastic art but unofrtunately today a lover of art cannot see even a bit of its fineness.

In short, it may be said as I said at the beginning, the Temple of Lord Sri Venkatesa is a tabloid epitome of the grand pageant of architectural art of South India, covering over nearly two millennia of fine-art.