Architectural data in the Puranas

by Sharda Devi | 2005 | 50,074 words

This essay studies ancient Indian architectural science as found in technical treatises and the Puranas, with special reference to the Matsya, Garuda, Agni and Bhavishya Puranas. These texts detail ancient architectural practices, covering temple and domestic designs, dimensional specifications, and construction rules. The study further connects ar...

General features: Ground plan and Elevation

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The Matsya Purana says that after pacifying the Vastudeva by sacrificial ceremony and offering, the vastu (selected plot) should be divided into sixteen parts Out of these the four central bhagas (parts) should be used for the creation of garbhagrha and the remaining twelve bhagas should consist of the walls. The height of bhittis should be equal to the length of these four parts. The height of sikhara should be double of that of bhittis. The width of pradaksina should commensurate with the one-fourth of the height of the sikhara. The mandapa attached to the garbhagrha should be equal to the latter. The bhadras on three sides of the ayata, i.e. sanctum should be three-fifth of the garbhagrha; it means, bhadra should be equal to one-fifth of the sanctum. The praggriva also should be erected on an area

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109 60 measuring one-tenth of the garbhagrha The mukhamandapa should commensurate with the dimensions of the garbhagrha. It may be half of the garbhagrha. The Bhavishya Purana is devoted to the solarcult. It furnishes a brief architectural description of a temple to be consecrated to sun-god, especially in chapter 130. But the slokas (17-37) provide some common features and twenty types of temples. This is due to their direct extraction from Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira 61. Special provisions for a sun-temple (suryasya prasadam) are added further, (slokas 49-63) to be discussed in later passages. Here only general features, plan and layout of a temple are narrated. The ground, for the temple, should be divided into sixty-four square parts (padas). The central doorway should be erected in one of the cardinal points. The height of a temple should be double of its area or width (vistara). The decorated part of the wall (kati) should be one-third of the temple's whole height Half of the ground (whole extent) should be covered by the walls (bhittis) all around and the remaining half should be engaged by the extent of garbhagrha. The width of its doorway should be one-fourth of the garbhagrha's length while its (doorway's) height should commensurate with double of its own width or two-fourths, i.e. one half of the garbhagrha's length.

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110 The width of the either doorjambs should be equal to one-fourth of udumbara accordingly the height of the doorframe with the commensurated and the thickness of the jamb should measure one fourth 62 five, of its own width Both of the doorjambs should consist of three, seven or nine vertical (decorative) bands and at the lower end as far as the fourth part of the attitude of the doorframe should be placed the pratiharas while the remaining part should be embellished with mangalyavihagas, 63 srivrksas, svastikas, ghatas, mithunas, patravallis, and pramathas The image (pratima) enshrined in the garbhagrha along with its pedestal (pindika) ought to have a height equal to that of the doorway, diminished by one-eighth, of which two-thirds are appropriated to the image and one-third to the pedestal According to Agni Purana, the plan, elevation and embellishment of templebuilding are dealt within an elaborate manner in chapters 42 and 104 Amazingly enough, chapter 42, contains a sizeable material 64 which tallying with that of Hayasirsapancaratram 65 particularly the 18 slokas of the beginning are exactly the same It is important to decide which text is earlier, and which is later with the copied text of the former However, to be brief, it seems probable that Agni Purana has taken some matter directly from Hayasirsapancaratram which is an important samhita of Agamic literature, datable to the post-Gupta period 66

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111 According to Agni Purana the square ground selected for temple erection should be levelled and divided into sixteen equal parts. Out of these central parts should be engaged for construction of garbhagrha. 67 The remaining twelve are to be used for raising the bhitti. The jangha's height should be equal to the length of the four parts of the ayata, i.e., garbhagrha and double of the manjari's height. An open platform for pradaksina having the quarter breadth of the manjari should be constructed around the prasada. Of the same breadth will be the nirgamas on both sides. The extent of jagati, in front of the edifice should be equal to the height of the sikhara or it may be its double also suitable to the grandeur and gravity of the monument. Aligned with the line of garbhagrha, a mukhmandapa should be elevated, ornated with stambhas in the centre and situated in front of the mandapa. It may be either equal to mandapa or one pada 68 longer than the garbhagrha. The sukanasa should be erected above the front doorway. The gods should be sculptured at the difference of a pada inside the temple. On the prakara, the thirty-two antagas should be carved. Describing the general characteristic and instructions for preparing the ground plan of temples, the Puranas also provides some other proportions for distinct types of temples (i) Lingamana Prasada: According to Matsya Purana the mana (measurement) of this type of temple is the linga or the image enshrined inside. The height of

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112 the linga or image should be equal to its pithika. The height of walls should be thrice of that of linga or image. The width of the sanctum should be two thirds of its own height. The height of sikhara should be double of that of bhittis, and the width of pradaksina a quarter of that of sikhara. The width of the mandapa, in front of garbhagrha, should be double of that of the latter. The width of the mukhamandapa should be half of that of the mandapa or equal to the garbhagrha. The Kapalas 70 should be projecting forward commensurating with the garbhagrha. On the bhittis of these kapalas or kapilis should be constructed the manjari and the sukanasa, the latter measuring half of the former. Above the manjari the vedi (the quadrangular spot on the sikhara below the finial) should be erected. The remaining portion over the vedi is occupied by kantha and amalasaraka. 71 According to GP the Lingamanaprasada as its very nomenclature suggests the linga or the image of the tutelary deity itself serves as the scale (mana) for the measurements of various limbs of the temples pertaining to this category. Here the pedestal (pitha) should be equal to the main image (linga) established above it and enshrined in the divine edifice of this class. The garbhagrha should be double of the height of the linga around the latter and keeping it on its pedestal in the centre. Thus the complete length of the garbhagrha should be just double of the whole height of the linga (the pedestal and the image on it). The length of the

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113 wall (bhitti) should naturally commensurate with the width of the garbhagrha and the height of sikhara is double of that of jangha The sukanghrika or sukanghri should be proportioned with the dimensions of the space covered by the garbhagrha and the pitha inside along with the linga. The nirgamas and the rest should be as has been directed already.72 (11) Garbhamana Prasada: The Matsya Purana says that in this second type of prasada the area of garbhagrha should be divided into nine equal sequares. The linga or the image should be installed in the centre. The remaining eight padas (squares) around it should be utilized for the erection of bhittis. The height of bhittis should be equal to the width of five padas. The width of the garbhagrha should measure three of these padas. The thickness of bhittis will be equal to that of one pada. The height of sikhara should be incommensurate with the double of that of bhittis or ten times that of a pada. The sukanasa will measure the half or two-fourths of the sikhara. The sikhara should be divided into four parts. The lower two will be covered by the sukanasa. The third should create that vedika the fourth should be embellished with kantha and amalasaraka. The kapala should be double of the pada. It should be decorated with patravallis and surmounted by andakas. (iii) 73 Dvaramana Prasada: According to the GP the second specific variety of temples takes its doorway as a scale for determining the

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114 74 dimensions of the sanctuary. According to this arrangement the oneeighth of the height of the doorway should measure four handbreadths (karagra i.e. balista in Hindi). Thus, the height of doorway will be thirty-two handbreadth, i.e. almost 16 feet because the balista is generally equal to six inches which is occasionally stretched upto 8-9 inches also. The height of the doorway is double of its breadth or the breadth is half of the height. The doorway should be erected just in the centre and in front of the pitha (settled in the garbhagrha). The rest of the wall (receiving the doorframe) should be perforated as to function like latticed window. On either side of the doorway, the breadth of the bhitti should be half of the width of the doorway. The height of jangha should be proportionated with the breadth of the doorway, and that of the sikhara should be double of the former. The nirgamas and the sukanghri-to be erected on the top of the wall basing the projections-should be erected in accordance with the previously propounded principles. (iv) Ksetramana Prasada: According to Matsya Purana in this third type of temple the area of the place where the tutelary deity is enshrined should be divided into three equal parts. One of these should be taken as the scale. One part should be covered with rathamkas (projection on walls decorated with sculpture). The two parts should provide the width of the garbhagrha. The height of the bhitti should be equal to the width of the garbhagrha and that of the sikhara the double of it. The nemi (the open place for

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115 pradaksina) should be left around the garbhagrha. The praggriva should measure one-fifth of four times a parts length. In the third part of praggriva the susira is to be constructed. The karnas of the prasada should be erected, besides the dvara at the ends of the garbhagrha. 76 But according to GP in this type of temples the area occupied by 77 the inmate presiding deity should be multiplied by twelve (traivedam) to get the area or the outline plan of the whole construction. The double of the garbhagrha should be the measurement of the outline plan or periphery (nemi). ie the area of the garbhagrha should be half of the whole area of the plot chosen for the establishment of the edifice. The nemi should be left around the garbhagrha and the length of the left part should be equal to the one-fourth of the length of the latter. Thus the 78 situation of the main temple will be in the central part of the nemi (the exterior most line of the platform). The height of the jangha should be equal to the length of the garbhagrha. The sikhara should measure double of the jangha. (V) Mandapamana Prasada The GP refers the fourth type of mandapamana prasada in this dimensions of different portions of the temple commensurate with that of the hall (mandapa). The details of such shrines, however, are not traced in the chapter 47.

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116 Besides this common type of prasada the Agni Purana states that there is one more variety distinguished by its measurements commensurating with the pratima installed inside the garbhagrha. The measurement of the cultimage is treated as an unit for the plan and elevation. According to this theory the auspicious pindika should be proportionately carved according to the measurements of main cult-image. The length of pindika should be half of the garbhagrha whose width, length and height is always equal and hence it is cubical. The height of the sikhara will be double of the height of bhitti. The bhramana i.e. pradaksina should measure one-fourth of the sikhara, the projection of the rathikas be equal to the eighth part of the garbhagrha. The rathikas should be superimposed by arches The sukanasa should be constructed upto the half height of the sikhara aligned with four lines drawn upwards and converged to a point. Above this point a simha should be carved. After establishing After establishing the sukanasa the madhyasandhis should be constructed on both sides. On the top a small vedi is to be elevated creating place for the amalasaraka, kalasa and other crowning members of the spire. The height of the doorframe should be double of its own breadth. Its sakhas should be carved above the udumbara. Canda and Pracanda should be sculptured as door guardians on the lower parts occupying the quarter part thereof. They should be carved as holding danda and cautiously looking into all directions. On the lintel Sri should be beautifully carved along with the elephants holding ghatas full of water, and anointing her.

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117 The height of prakara would be one-fourth of the height of prasada. The gopura would be smaller than the prasada by the quarter part of its (prasada's) own height, e.g. if the prasada is 100 meters high the gopura would be 75 meters high. An image of certain deity measuring five cubits. would be erected on a pithika of one cubit. The Garuda-mandapa should be constructed in front of the main temple. The other divinities namely Varaha, Nrsimha, Sridhara, Hayagriva, Jamadagnya, Rama, Vamana, and Vasudeva should be enshrined facing eight quarters of east, south, west, north, south-east (Agneya), south west (Nairrtya), north west (Vayavya) and north-east (Isana) respectively.81 Chapter 104 of Agni Purana provides different types of plan and elevation. It proposes to divide the land into four sections, one of which would consist bhitti, another pindika and the remaining two, the garbhagrha. If it is divided in five sections, the pindika would be placed in the central one. Perforated walls should be raised in one such division. The sanctum should occupy two such parts of the plot out of these five. The sikhara should cover the place equal to three such parts while the rest would be covered by bhittis. If the plot for the temple is divided into six parts, one part would comprise bhittis, and the pindika and garbhagrha would be built to extend over two such divisions. Thus the pindika and garbhagrha would be equal here. The height of temple should be double of the extent of the plot or even more than double. The breadth of the jagati should be one-

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118 third of the half of the extent of the plot. Thus it would commensurate to one-sixth part of the whole extent. The open pradaksina (nemi) should be left around the prasada. The external circumference (paridhi) would be equal to one-third of the whole plot, and the rathakas would be raised on this paridhi. The images of eight or four gods (devas) namely Camunda, Bhairava and Natesa etc. should be enshrined on these rathakas on the exterior walls of the prasada. 82 This pradaksina would be optional in the prasadas. Aditya should be placed on the east wall and Skanda and Agni on north and west with Yama etc. in the respective directions presided by them. The two parts out of four of the sikhara should be covered by sukanasa Thus sukanasa will be half of the sikhara The third would be occupied by vedika and amalasaraka.83 The vedi should be divided into ten parts. The breadth of the skandha should be equal to five of these parts The griva should measure equal to four such parts while the image of Pracanda (placed on griva) should commensurate with the measurements of three such divisions. The pindika should be extended either upto two corners of the garbhagrha or it should occupy half of the garbhagrha. It may equalise even one-fifth parts of it. It may measure, to be very precise, hundred and six angulas.84

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