Vastu-shastra (5): Temple Architecture
by D. N. Shukla | 1960 | 69,139 words | ISBN-10: 8121506115 | ISBN-13: 9788121506113
This page describes Group C: Nagara Prasadas which is chapter 6 of the study on Vastu-Shastra (Indian architecture) fifth part (Temple architecture). This part deals with This book deals with an outline history of Hindu Temple (the place of worship). It furtherr details on various religious buildings in India such as: shrines, temples, chapels, monasteries, pavilions, mandapas, jagatis, prakaras etc. etc.
Chapter 6 - Group C: Nāgara Prāsādas
I. The twenty temples, the Traditional Nāgara Prāsādas:
- Meru,
- Mandara,
- Kailāśa,
- Kumbha,
- Nagarāja,
- Gaja,
- Vimānacchanda,
- Caturaśra,
- Aṣṭāśra,
- Soḍaśāśra,
- Vartula,
- Sarvabhadraka,
- Siṃhāsya,
- Nandana,
- Nandivardhana,
- Haṃsaka,
- Vṛṣa,
- Padmaka,
- Garuḍa,
- Samudra.
II. Śrīkūṭa etc. the 86 Temples:
Group (a) Śrīkūṭa etc. an aggregate of six.
Group (b) Antarikṣa etc. an aggregate of six.
Group (c) Saubhāgya etc. an aggregate of six.
- Saubhāgya,
- Vibhaṅgaka,
- Vibhava,
- Vībhatsa,
- Śrītuṅga,
- Mānatuṅga,
Group (d) Sarvatobhadra, etc. an aggregate of six.
- Sarvatobhadra,
- Vāhyodara,
- Niryūhodara,
- Bhadrakoṣa,
- Samodara,
- Nandibhadra.
N.B.—The lakṣaṇas of last two varieties are missing.
Group (e)—Citrakūṭa etc. an aggregate of six.
Group (f)—Ujjayanta etc. an aggregate of six.
N.B.—All these varieties again having superior, medium and inferior, the three qualities result in as many as one hundred and eight (Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra Chapter 60.91-92).
We have already taken notice of these twenty temples, common to all ancient sources like Viśvakarma-prakāśa, Matsyapurāṇa, Bṛhatsaṃhitā and Bhaviṣya-purāṇa. The Samarāṅgaṇa-sūtradhāra, the most representative work of the Hindu science of Architecture, while developing these Prāsādas on the characteristic style of the age, the Lāṭa Style, does assign to these twenty temples, the traditional types of the Nāgara style, a separate place in its contents on the Prāsāda-vāstu. The second variety of these Nāgara Prāsādas are in my opinion, the minor types which grew in the country-side rather than in the town, the shrines of the Pañcāyatana classes of temples.