The Dravidian style of South Indian temple architecture:

• The Dravidian style of Architecture has five main components:
  • Compound Wall: The Dravida temple is enclosed within a compound wall.
  • Shikhara: It means the crown or stupa at the top of the temple.
  • Vimana: It is the shape of main tower of the temple. It looks like a pyramid with styles inscribed on it.
  • Gopuram: In its center, the front wall has an entrance gateway, which is known as a Gopuram/Gopura.
  • Mandap: Mandapa (mandapam) in south Indian temple architecture, is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals.
  • Garbhagriha: Garbhagriha is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu temples where resides the murti (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple.
  • Temple tank: Within the compound itself a large water reservoir/temple tank is situated.
• In the main temple tower, subsidiary shrines are either integrated or situated beside the main temple as independent, separate small shrines.
• The most famous temple cities of Tamil Nadu are Kanchipuram, Thanjavur or Tanjore, Madurai, and Kumbakonam, where during the 8th-12th centuries, the function of the temple was not limited to religious matters alone.
• Temples, controlling vast areas of land, became rich administrative centers.
• Just like the main categories of nagara temples have several subdivisions, there are also subdivisions of Dravida temples.

 

Subdivisions of Dravida style architecture:

There were five subdivisions of Dravida style Architecture. They are following:

• Kuta or Caturasra: square-shaped
• Shala or Ayatasra: rectangular-shaped
• Gaja-prishta or vrittayata or elephant-backed: elliptical
• Ashtasra: octagonal
• Vritta: circular

 

Among others, numerous kingdoms and empires such as the Cholas, the Chera, the Kakatiyas, the Pandyas, the Pallavas, the Gangas, the Kadambas, the Rashtrakutas, the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, and Vijayanagara have made a major contribution to the architectural evolution of the Dravida.