The different types of Temples

Table 3 Comparative Details on Temple in the Matsya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, Vishvakarma Prakasha and Samarangana Sutradhara S No Matsya Purana Bhavishya Purana Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira Vishvakarma Prakasha Samarangana Sutradhara 1 Meru Meru Meru Meru Meru 2 Mandara Mandara Mandara Mandara Mandara ! 3 Kailasa Kailasa Kailasa Kailasa Kailasa 4 Vimanacchanda Vimana Vimana Vimanacchanda Vimanacchanda 5 Nandana Nandana Nandana Nandana Nandana 6 Samudagaka Samudagaka Samudgaka Samudraka Samudra 7 Padma Padma Padma Padmaka Padmaka 8 Garuda Garuda Garuda Suparna Garuda (Suvarnesa) 9 Nandivardhana Nandi Nandi Nandivardhana Nandivardhana (Nandivardhana) 10 Gaja Kunjara Kunjara Gaja Gaja 11 Mrga Guharaja Guharaja Mrgaraja Mrgaraja 12 Vrsa Vrsa Vrsa Vrsa Vrsa 13 Hamsa Hamsa Hamsa Hamsa Hamsa 14 Kumbha Ghata Ghata Kumbha Kumbha 15 Sarvatabhadra Sarvatabhadra Sarvatabhadra Sarvatobhadra Sarvatobhadra 16 Simha Simha Simha Simha Simha 17 Vartula Vrtta Vrtta Vartula Vartula 18 Caturasra Catuskona Catuskona Caturasra Rucaka 19 Astasra Astasni Astasri Astasra Astasni 20 20 Sodasasra Sodasasri Sodasasri Sodasasra Sodasasri 101

The details regarding embellishment and 102 proportionate measurements of every type of temple are given in two steps the first, dealing with decorative divisions 45, and second, the dimensions. 46 In table 3 we have given the names of different types of temples as mentioned in some of the vastusastra including the Matsya Purana and Bhavishya Purana There are very minor variations in the names of different types as Bhavishya Purana and Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira replace Kunjara for Gaja, and Samarangana Sutradhara calls Caturasra as Rucaka The Matsya Purana and Bhavishya Purana also provide a type-wise description of temples. as follows: Meru: According to Matsya Purana the Meru temple is (sringa), four dvaras, sixteen storeys (bhumis) and variegated sikharas It should be 50 cubits. (hastas) in extent. But according to Bhavishya Purana it is thirty-two cubits (hastas) wide. It is sexangular, have twelve storeys (bhumis), variegated windows (vicitrakuharas) 47 and four doorframes or entrances It further adds the height as thirty-nine hastas, and omits the six angles.4 48 Mandara: It has twelve bhumis, many sikhara and faces. Its extent is 45 hastas. The Bhavishya Purana says that it is thirty hastas in extent, and has ten bhumis and a sikhara. Kailasa: It consists of nine storeys Its extent should be forty hastas, however Bhavishya Purana says that it is twenty-eight hastas in extent. It has one sikhara and eight bhumis.

103 Vimanaacchanda: It should be similar to Kailasa with eight storeys and many sikharas Its extent is 34 cubits. The Bhavishya Purana says that the Vimana type of temple is twenty-one hastas in extent and contains jalagavaksas. Nandana Its summit should be similar to horns (visanaka) Its extent is thirty cubits As the descending order follows it might have six bhumis. The Bhavishya Purana says that it is thirty-two hastas in extent. It has six bhumis and sixteen andas, spires. It seems to present the conception of angasikharas, clustering the main sikhara as nucleus. Samudgaka: It is sixteen-sided It consists of candrasalas and two bhumis. It is ornamented with five andakas. The Bhavishya Purana says that the samudgaka shape is round (vrtta), it has one bhumi and one srnga (turret). Padma. It is similar to Samudgaka. It has three bhumis and beautiful sikhara. Its extent is twenty cubits, whereas Bhavishya Purana describes it eight hastas in extent, lotus-shaped as its nomenclature suggests. It also has one bhumi and one srriga. Garuda: It is composed of seven bhumis and it has three candrasalas. Another type of Garuda-prasada has ten or twelve bhumis and sixteen sides. Its extent is eight cubits. Nandivardhana: It may comprise seven bhumis. Its extent is thirtytwo hastas. The Bhavishya Purana says that the Garuda and Nandi types of temples

104 are of same shape namely that of Garuda, the mythical bird. Their extent is twenty-four hastas They must be adorned with seven storeys and twenty andas Gaja Its shape is similar to a gaja, i.e. elephant Its extent is sixteen hastas It has many candrasalas. Mrga: It will be decorated with candrasalas, big praggriva and six bhumis. It has sixteen sides. The Bhavishya Purana says that the Kunjara and Guharaja types of temples are sixteen hastas in extent on all four sides at the bottom. The shape is similar to the back of an elephant with three candrasalas Vrsa. It should be without sides, i.e., circular. Its height will be similar to the valabhicchandaka prasada. Its extent is four cubits (internally). It will have five andas and two bhumis, the Bhavishya Purana adds that it is twelve hastas in extent and circular in shape with one srriga and one bhumi. Hamsa. Adorned with candrasala and praggriva, this will be like Simha-prasada The Bhavishya Purana adds: 'It is similar to the hamsa in shape with the extent of twelve hastas, one smiga and one bhumi.' Kumbha: Its shape symbolises a kumbha, i.e., pitcher. Its extent is sixteen hastas. According to Bhavishya Purana ghata is circular in shape like a

105 kalasa with extent of eight hastas. It too consists of one srriga and one bhumi. Sarvatobhadra: It consists of sixteen sides, many sikharas, citrasala and five bhumis. Its extent is thirty cubits. According to Bhavishya Purana it is twenty-six hastas in extension, has four entrances, many sikharas, many attractive candrasalas and five storeys. Simha: Its shape is similar to a simha, i.e., lion. Its extent is sixteen hastas. The Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira says that simha is covered by lions while Bhavishya Purana says that it is lion-shaped 49 other details are similar in both texts namely, the twelve angles (or arms) and the extension measuring eight hastas. Vartula: This prasada also will be similar to Simha and Hamsa but its extent is given as twenty cubits. Caturasra: Four-cornered. Astasra: Eight-cornered. Sodasasra: Sixteen cornered. The Matsya Purana says that all these three temples will be similar to Simhaprasada. About Vitta, Catuskona, Sodasasri and Astasri type of temples the 50 Bhavishya Purana is mum. But Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira tells that these four are shaped according to their names, i.e. they are circular, quadrangle, sixteen-angle and octangle

106 respectively and are dark in the interior with five andas above (the superstructure). The Matsya Purana says that seven parsadas from Meru to Sarvatobhadra are considered to be jyestha (high), the eight from Vrsa to Mrgaraja are madhyama (medium) and the five from Hamsa to Sodasasra are kanistha (low) ones. After this abridged description the Matsya Purana presents a list of twenty types of temples. The same list is found in, Bhavishya Purana, Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira, Vishvakarma Prakasha, and Samarangana Sutradhara, with minor changes. These types are supposed to be the earliest ones. Stella Kramrisch appears to be very right when she says that 'The twenty temples form the nucleus of a development of each variety and its ramifications. These represent a liberal assortment of architectural shapes. A selection was made and five basic shapes were to ramify in the several schools of medieval architecture in forty-five variations and also in different sets of sixty-four shapes each'. 51 The Agni Purana and GP classify the temples in five categories each consisting of nine models and thus producing a list of 45 types of temples. 52 A table consisting of these models may be presented as follows:

Table 4 GP and Agni Purana: Comparative details on Temples 107 S No Name ci Class Shape 1 Vairaja Caturasra (quadrangular) 2 Puspakakhya ayata (rectangular) 3 Kailasa Vrtta (circular) 4 Malikahvya 55 Vrttayata (apsidal) 50 Tripistapa 58 Astasra (octagonal) Name of Models Meru, Mandara, Vimana, Bhadraka, Sarvatobhadra, Rucaka, Nandana, Nandivardhana and Srivatsa Valabhi, Grharaja, Salagrha, Mandira, Vimana, Brahmamandira, Bhavana, Uttambha and Sivikavesma. Valaya, Dundubhi, Padma Mahapadma, Mukuli, 53 Usnisi, Sonkha, Kalasa and Guvavrksa 54 Gaja, Vrsabha, Hamsa, Garuda, Simha,56 Bhumukha,57 Bhudhara, Srijaya and Prthividhara Vajra, Cakra, Mustika, Vabhru Vakra, Svastikakhanga, 59 Gada, Srivrksa and Vijaya or Svetavijaya Bhadraka is mentioned as Bhadra in Agni Purana Caruka in Agni Purana is a variation from Rucaka. Nandana is mentioned as Nandika in Agni Purana Vimana in GP is as Visala in Agni Purana Prabhava in Agni Purana seems as Uttamkha Mukuli is described as Vardhani in Agni Purana Guvavrksa name in GP perhaps is referred to as Khavrksa in Agni Purana Whereas Malika in GP occurs as Manika in Agni Purana Garuda is mentioned as Garutman in Agni Purana Rksnayaka in Agni Purana is mentioned as Simha in GP Bhumukha in GP is named as Bhusana in Agni Purana Vabhru is mentioned as Vajrasvastika in Agni Purana Mustika is a variation from Svastika Citra is a variation from Vakra. Srivrksa is mentioned as Snikantha in Agni Purana

108 The technical names of different types of temples are common in many cases. We have also seen that in some instances the architectural details are identical. The lists of the Agni Purana and the GP on the one hand, and the Matsya Purana, the Bhavishya Purana, the Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira and the Samarangana Sutradhara on the other are strikingly similar. Among the 20 types of temples, the Matsya Purana has the best description In respect of brevity and explicitness and precision, the Suprabhedagama a south Indian treatise contains the smallest number of types. The Vishnudharmottara Purana describes one hundred and one varieties of temples. It also tells us as to the images of which gods are to be installed, and which ones are to be avoided in a particular type of temple.