SPIRITUAL ARCHITECTURE OF INDIA LITERATURE REVIEWS

Islamic Architecture [ ARC60803 ]

Surayyn Selvan | 0309818
APA REFERENCE

PAPER TITLE

Vardia S. (2008). Building Science of

Indian Temple Architecture ( Msc
Dissertion, Universidade do Minho).
Retrieved November 5, 2014, from
http:// http://www.mscsahc.org/upload/docs/new.docs/2008
_SVardia.pdf

Building Science of Indian

Temple Architecture

METHODOLOGY

MAIN TOPIC(S)
OF DISCUSSION

CONTENT

Archival
research
Literary Works
Theoretical
investigations

The paper focuses on

the philosophical and
practical aspects of the
construction of a Hindu
temple and how it
helped to influence its
form and evolution.

The paper begins with the origins of

Hinduism and how it led to the caste
system. It discusses how that
Buddhism was the sole contributor to
monumental architecture in South
Asia. It also states that the main
purpose of a temple is to link man to
God as well as functioning as a centre
for intellectual and artistic life. The
paper then discusses the similar
elements of a Hindu temple in
Sanskrit despite the differing forms. It
also discusses the materials used
such as timber, brick and plaster and
later on excavated stone as well as
the evolution of the forms due to
geographical, climatic, cultural and
linguistic differences. The paper also
discusses the characteristics and the
distinct features of the Nagara style
temples in the North as well as the
Dravidian style temples of the South,

Sears, T. (2008). Constructing the

Guru: Ritual Authority and
Architectural Space in Medieval India.
The Art Bulletin, Vol. 90(No. 1), Pp.
7-31. Retrieved November 5, 2014,
from

Constructing the Guru:

Ritual Authority and
Architectural Space in
Medieval India

The major focus of the

article was the
influence of the gurus
on the development
and the maintenance
of the temples.

such as the sikharas and the

gopurams. The geometry of the Hindu
temples based on Hindu cosmology
and the Vastupurashamandala, which
is the system of proportion based on
the idea of a square as the supreme
geometric form was also discussed.
The process of laying out a Hindu
temple based on the Mandala was
stated as well. The paper also
highlighted the trabeated system,
which is an arrangement of pillars and
pilasters to achieve stability, and the
corbelling system, which was used to
create the interior spaces of a temple
as well as the structural components
such as the base, walls, the
supporting elements, the
superstructure as well as the
mandapa. The construction of the
Hindu temple was also discussed
through its stages. Finally, a
dimensional analysis was done for
the, the Nagara and Dravidian styles.
The article begins by discussing the
roles of Mathas in the religious
institutions. The article then discusses
a matha in Chandrehe. It then
highlights the idea of a matha being a
residential seat of a guru who was

http://www.jstor.org/stable/view/2061
9586

Ray, H. (2009). The Shrine in Early

Hinduism: The Changing Sacred
Landscape. The Journal of Hindu

The Shrine in Early

Hinduism: The Changing
Sacred Landscape

The main focus of this

article is the evolution
of a temple from its

responsible for initiating and

instructing disciples towards the path
to liberation. The interior spaces of
mathas were usually adorned with
sacred texts. The layout of mathas
was also discussed as to
accommodate a range of ritual
activities. The article then discusses
how the matha transformed into an
ashrama, which was a hermitage.
Much like a hindu temple, the
doorway leading up to the interior of
the matha was traditionally
ornamented with sets of divinities.
The paper then discusses the
symbolism of the deities carved on
the entrance. It then discusses the
planning of the interior spaces to
accommodate rituals and daily
activities. The paper also discusses
how a space should be used for
rituals by analyzing the size, format
and placement of the space. Finally, it
then states that a guru in a matha is
to Shiva in a temple, which basically
meant that the matha was used to
highlight the gurus position.
The article begins by discussing the
development of Indian architecture in
India through the study of monuments

Studies, (2), 76-96. Retrieved

November 5, 2014, from
http://jhs.oxfordjournals.org/content/2/
1/76.full.pdf

discovery to the
present, highlighting
the traditional links of
political legitimization
and the emergence of
State in ancient India.

and inscriptions due to the lack of

historical texts. It then discusses the
characteristics of Dravidian temples. It
then states that temple architecture is
defined as imageries of political
patronage. The article then discusses
the methodologies in understanding
the temple architecture through
utilization of ancient scriptures and
through personal communication. The
article then highlights the functions of
temples in ancient Indian history
through the socio-economic scope.
From archeological records, shrines
were used to house deities and
religious inscriptions. It then
discusses the archeological findings
of temples such as the purusamedha,
a fire altar. The article then highlights
the roles of terracotta figurines in
domains of diverse ritual practices.
The patronage of temples was also
discussed due to the debate of
temples being associated with royalty.
Inscriptions on temple walls and
pillars were also discussed. Finally,
the article then discusses the idea of
Hinduism as a cultural identity during
the pre-colonial period.

Geva, A., & Mukherji, A. (2007). A

Study of Light/Darkness in Sacred
Settings: Digital Simulations.
International Journal of Architectural
Computing, 5(3), 507-521. Retrieved
November 5, 2014, from Cumulative
Index of Computer Aided
Architectural Design.

A Study of Light/Darkness
in Sacred Settings: Digital
Simulations

Digital daylight
simulations
Comparisons of
simulations to the
IES guidelines

The main focus of the

research is the study of
light and darkness in
dramaticizing the
spiritual states and the
moods of a user in a
sacred space.

The paper begins by discussing the

role of light in enriching the inner
spiritual experience. It then discusses
the symbolic use of daylighting in
sacred architecture. It then highlights
the lighting techniques that aid in the
experience of being connected to
God. The paper also discusses the
role of lighting in Hindu temples. The
center of a temple is usually dark to
prevent distractions from the
worshipers to allow God to reveal
himself to the devotees. It then
discusses how the worshippers have
to undergo different darkening spaces
before reaching the inner sanctum.
This allows the worshippers to allow
the eyes to become accustomed to
the darkness. The paper focuses on
the Brihadeshvara temple in Tanjore.
After comparing the simulations with
the IES standards, it was found that
the strong religious lighting
requirements overruled any other
considerations. Natural lighting was
used in a progressive manner within
the spaces to allow the worshippers to
get used to the holy darkness within
the inner sanctum. Besides that, the
lack of light contributes to the thermal

Kak, S. (2005). Early Indian

architecture and art. Migration and
DiffusionAn International Journal,
6(23), 6-27. Retrieved November 5,
2014, from
http://www.cs.okstate.edu/~subhashk
/EarlyArchitecture.pdf

Early Indian Architecture

and Art

The main focus of this

article is the
architecture, temple
design and the
centrality of recursion
in Indian art of ancient
India as well as the
continuity between the
Harappan and
historical art and
writing.

comfort in the temple spaces. Finally,

it discussed how computer generated
media can examine the significance of
light and darkness in sacred
monuments, which would allow in the
preservation of architectural features
that relate to lighting.
The article begins by discussing the
sacred geometry during the Harappan
period, which included a symmetrical
arrangement of rooms on a low brick
platform. It then discusses the Vedic
houses in detail through the spaces
the type of housing as well as the
social organization during the period.
Then, the article discusses the
continuity of worshipping the Goddess
during the Harappan period though
religious inscriptions and ancient
artifacts. It then discusses the idea of
continuity and evolution as well as the
Vedic metaphors for art such as the
seed that represents beginnings, the
tree that united the heaven and the
earth, the bindu ( point or dot ) that
geometrical shapes, notions of time
and space are apprehended as well
as the idea of jyothi ( creation through
light ). The paper also discusses the
similarities and comparisons of

modern Indian scriptures as well as

early Brahmanic writings. It also
highlights that the temple is in human
proportions as well as the layout of
the temple, which highlights the
garbhargrha. It also highlights the two
styles of temples, which are the
Nagara and Dravida styles. It then
discusses the images within the
temple that represent movement and
change through the use of projection,
extension and repetition. Finally, the
paper discusses the temple ritual of
self transformation, whereby the
temple is a seat of sacred teaching as
well as the seat for dance.