From fifth century A.D. onwards, a distinct style of temple architecture developed in the northern part of India, known as the Nagara style of architecture. Even in the Nagara school, different sub-schools emerged in western, central and eastern parts of the country. Some of the features of the Nagara style are:
The temples generally followed the Panchayatan style of temple making, which consisted of subsidiary shrines laid out in a crucified ground plan with respect to the principal shrine.
Presence of assembly halls or mandaps in front of the principal shrine.
Outside the garbhagriha, images of the river goddesses, Ganga and Yamuna, were placed.
There were no water tanks or reservoirs present in the temple premises.
The temples were generally built on upraised platforms.
The porticos had a pillared approach.
The Shikharas were generally of three types: Latina or rekha-prasad: They were square at the base and the walls curve inward to a point on the top.
Phamsana: They had a broader base and were shorter in height than the Latina ones. The slope upwards on a straight line.
Valabhi: They had a rectangular base with the roof rising into vaulted chambers. They were also called wagon-vaulted roofs.
The vertical end of the shikhara ended in a horizontal fluted disc, known as the Amalak. On top of that, a spherical shape was placed known as the kalash.
Inside the temple, the wall was divided into three vertical planes called rathas. These were known as triratha temples.
Later, pancharatha, saptaratha and even navaratha temples came into existence. The vertical planes were used as different panels to make narrative sculptures.
The ambulatory passageway or the pradakshina path around the sanctum sanctorum was covered.
Generally, the temple premises did not have elaborate boundary walls or gateways. Under the Nagara School, the following three sub-schools emerged:
Odisha School:
In different parts of the Kalinga empire, a distinct style of temple architecture developed. Some of its features are:
The exterior walls were lavishly decorated with intricate carvings, but interior walls were plain.
There was no use of pillars in the porch. Iron girders were used instead to support the roof.
The shikharas in the Odisha school were known as rekhadeuls. They were almost vertical roofs which suddenly curved inwards sharply.
The mandap was known as jagmohan in this region.
The ground plan of the main temple was square.
Temples were surrounded by a boundary wall as in Dravidian style of temple architecture.
garbhagriha through the sea-facing pagoda), Jagannath temple at Puri, Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar, etc.
Khajuraho School:
In the central part of India, the Chandela rulers developed a distinct style of temple making of their own – known as Khajuraho school or Chandel school.
The features of the temples here include: In these temples, both the interior and exterior walls were lavishly decorated with carvings.
The sculptures were generally erotic in their themes and drew inspiration from Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra.
The temples were made of sandstone.
The temples had three chambers – garbhagriha, mandapa and ardha-mandapa. Some temples had a vestibular entrance to the garbhagriha known as antarala.
The temples were generally north or east facing.
Panchayatan style of temple making was followed. Even the subsidiary shrines had rekhahttps.
Solanki School: (also known as Maru-Gurjara style)
In the north-western parts of India including Gujarat and Rajasthan, this school developed under the patronage of the Solanki rulers. The features of this school are:
The temple walls were devoid of any carvings.
The garbhagriha is connected with the mandapa both internally as well as externally
The porticos have decorative arched gateways known as torans.
A unique feature of this school is the presence of step-tank, known as Surya-kund in the proximity of the temple.
The steps of the tank are full of small temples.
There are wooden carvings present in these temples.
The Solankis used a variety of material to make temples including sandstone, black basalt and soft marble.
Most of the temples are east-facing and designed such that every year, during the equinoxes, the sunrays fall directly into the central shrine.