Chādya-prāsādas and Sabhā-maṇḍapas (Flat-roofed and Hall-temples)

The Hindu Temple, so far as the main shrine is concerned, whether built in the Nagara style or in the Drāviḍa style has three principal parts—the Adhiṣṭhāna or Pīṭha (the socle or base), the Garbhagṛha (the enclosed chamber) and the Śikhara or the superstructure. Accordingly the evolution and development of the various phases and styles of temples are manifested in the three main types of temples as are represented and preserved to us thereof in our architectural heritage.

These are:—

1. Chādya Prāsādas and Pillared hall temples,
2. Śikharottama Prāsādas and
3. Bahubhaumika Vimānas.

We are concerned in this section with the first type. The chādyas are pillared halls like Sabhā-maṇḍapas; though are not identical both of them take a common architectural origin. The different architectual origins of the Hindu Temple really centreround the superstructure, hence the evolution of the Hindu temple is the evolution of the superstructure. The accessory buildings like maṇḍapas (attached or detached) gopuras [gopurams], prākāras and so many other allied structures are only the side-developments of that upsurge to which these devotional places had given the motivating force consequent upon the development of the Bhakti cult to which the enormous temple-building activity and magnetic religious fervour for undertaking a pilgrimage to these places, really owed their impetus. All this was the out come of that Pauranic Dharma in which the foundation and dedication of temples and the enshrinement of the cult-deities was the main inculcation.

The chādyas were the first beginning in the domain of temple-superstructure. The Samarāṅgaṇa-sūtradhāra gives the first place to these chādya-prāsādas and pillared halls in its first formal chapter on temple-architecture, the 49th. Chādya-superstucture may have either a single roof or multi-roof divichādya [dvichādya?] (double-roofed) or trichādya (triple-roofed) or malla-chādya (many-roofed). This gives us a clear indication that these chādyas are really the precursors of the later Bhumikāyuktas (the storied Vimānas of the South). The chādya-prāsāda in its preinstine shape is a flat-roofed temple and the most predominant characteristic of the planning of this type is the application of the pillars. Hence, hall-temples, the Sabhā-maṇḍapas and these so-called chādyaprāsādas go along with each other. Further this chādya is not necessarily always flat. The most primitive and primordial shape of a sacred place like the hut of an ascetic or shrine of a deified object was the sloping one. Many a temple relief as exhibited on Sanchi or Barhut illustrates these primitive types. The Central Indian Gupta temples are flat roofed. Similarly some of the temples in Aihole grdup [group?] are hall-temples. Fort Kramrisch also supports this evaluation of mine vide II. T. p. 284 3rd para and p. 284 f.n. 88.

With this general introduction to these types of chādyas and halls let us switch over to their representation in the monuments.