Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c36.11

c36.11

The third characteristic of the Hoysala temple is the design and treatment of the tower or *sikhara*, which, on account of its prominence, may be regarded as the key-note of the style Although it is separated from its substructure, consisting of the walls of the vimana, by a wide projecting cornice or eave, the stellate system is carried through this to produce a fluted effect on the tower above. As in other regional developments the upward tendency is however modified and balanced by a scheme of horizontal lines and mouldings, which resolve the whole tower into an orderly succession of tiers, diminishing as they rise to terminate at the apex in a low parasol-shaped finial. The motifs that make up the horizontal and vertical pattern of the sikhara consist of a complex grouping of miniature shrines and niches, each tier being separated either by a sunk moulding or a fretted string-course. In mass this type of tower has no effective height, and its contours, being a section of a parabola. are not strong in outline. There is a certain plastic beauty in its rich sculptured texture, but architecturally it is formless, and lacks structural strength