Indian Art & Culture
Dravidian architecture
Architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture
Overview
Dravidian architecture, or the Southern Indian temple style, is an architectural style in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from Southern India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century.
Source: Wikipedia — Dravidian architecture (CC BY-SA)
Key concepts
How Dravidian architecture connects to the ideas, people and events around it.
Hindu temple architecture, the principle form of Hindu architecture, encompessas many different styles, though the basic form of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the garbha griha or womb-chamber, where the primary Murti or the image of a deity is housed in a simple bare cell.
South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, occupying 19.
A vimana is the structure over the garbhagriha or inner sanctum in the Hindu temples of South India and Odisha in East India.
A garbhagriha, also known in Tamil as a moolathana or karuvaṟai, is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu and Jain temples, often referred to as the "Holy of Holies" or "sanctum sanctorum".
Shikhara, a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples.
A gopuram or gopura is a monumental, usually ornate entrance tower of a Hindu temple in the Dravidian architecture of South India and Sri Lanka.
A Dvarapala or Dvarapalaka is a door or gate guardian often portrayed as a warrior or fearsome giant, usually armed with a weapon - the most common being the gada (mace).
Vastu shastra is a traditional Hindu (Sanātana) system of architecture, originating in ancient India, based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement, and spatial geometry.
Revise Dravidian architecture
Flashcards and a quick quiz, built from this map.
Questions about Dravidian architecture
What is Dravidian architecture?
Dravidian architecture, or the Southern Indian temple style, is an architectural style in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from Southern India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century.
What are the key concepts related to Dravidian architecture?
The main concepts connected to Dravidian architecture include Hindu temple architecture, South India, Vimana (architectural feature), Garbhagriha, Shikhara, Gopuram, Dvarapala, Vastu shastra. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.
Which exams cover Dravidian architecture?
Dravidian architecture is part of Indian Art & Culture, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC MTS, SSC GD and 41 more exams.