The Hindu Temple v1.c9.s8: Proportions of the Maṇḍapa

The Hindu Temple v1.c9.s8

Language: English

Proportions of the Maṇḍapa

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The Prāsāda at all times is the temple proper. The other structures which are combined with it are subservient to it. This is expressed in their proportions which are based on those of the Prāsāda. By proportionate measures and the theme of its walls and not only by propinquity, contiguousness or coalescence with the building of the Prāsāda is the Maṇḍapa part of the temple. At first, however, in some of the earlier temples, having a Maṇḍapa structure, it was added to the Prāsāda after the construction of the latter. The Maṇḍapa of the Paraśurāmeśvar temple in Bhuvaneśvar is the result of such an afterthought; its squat shape with its clerestory roof appears shunted on to the wall of the Prāsāda which prior to this combination had been carved in every detail. But it is not only as an afterthought, as in this particular case, that the Maṇḍapas of some of the earlier Prāsādas give no rhythmical response to the theme of the Prāsāda; they offer an unmitigated contrast. The Uttareśvar temple at Bhuvaneśvar, whose Maṇḍapa and Prāsāda were planned and set up at the same time and are contemporary with the Paraśurāmeśvar temple shows the problem which confronted the Sthapati.⁴⁹ A century or more had to pass before he arrived at the perfect solutions showing the Prāsāda as the main building and temple proper, with the Maṇḍapa as the lesser part of the sacred structure, following its rhythm in the particularities of its own form. In Orissan temples the integrity of the two buildings is more strongly retained than elsewhere, but even there one wall surrounds their continuity and only indicates their separateness by a deeper recess than any produced by the buttresses of the wall of the two structures. Within this juncture (saṃsṛti; S.S. LXVI. 17) lies the porch (antarāla) of the Prāsāda or Garbhagṛha, fulfilling the function of the Mukhamandapa of the more ancient temples. This small porch is marked on the outside of the Prāsāda (Pls. XLVIII, XLIX; cf. also Figs. on pp. 255-56) by a buttress carried on to the Śukanāsā, at the prescribed height which regulates the height of the Maṇḍapa.

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⁴⁹ By building instead of the 'clerestory' "dvichādya" roof of the Jagamohan (cf. also the Vaital Deul, Bhuvaneśvar), a "trichādya" roof as on the Jagamohan of the Simhanātha Temple at Baramba, Cuttack, the Jagamohan is seen to rise towards the shape it was to be given in subsequent ages, as Piṛhā Deul, having a pyramidal superstructure composed of the roofs of many storeys.

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The superstructure of the Maṇḍapa must not exceed in height the Śukanāsā of the Prāsāda (S.S. LXVII. 102; 110). The Śukanāsā, however, at different periods and in the various types of temples itself varies from having half the height of the Śikhara to a less 'perfect' proportion. While thus the height of the Maṇḍapa depends upon the height of the temple and its Śukanāsā, its proportion is not a fixed one; in plan however the centre of the Maṇḍapa is in a fixed proportion to the Garbhagṛha; its central square has the same area (S.S. LXVII. 43).⁵⁰ This central space is marked as a rule by four pillars, forming a Catuṣkī, a pavilion, whose pillars, by underpinning, help to support the roof or dome. The intercolumnia of the central square have the maximum measurement. The other pillars

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⁵⁰ In a Nirandhāra Prāsāda (Fig., p. 230A, Ambarnāth) this square is the Garbhagṛha proper. In a Sāndhāra Prāsāda (Fig., p. 255, Khajuraho) it is the Garbhagṛha with Kanda (or Antarabhitti); the area of the square in this instance is measured from the outer corners of

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PLAN OF LAKṢMAṆA TEMPLE (954 A.D.), Khajuraho.

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The complete correlation of Prāsāda and Maṇḍapa (Mahāmaṇḍapa) is seen by the walls of this Sāndhāra temple comprising within one rectangular space, the Garbhagṛha with its own or internal wall (antara-bhitti), porch (antarāla) and ambulatory, as well as the Mahāmaṇḍapa with its four central pillars. These lie in one line with the respective pillars of the Antarāla and the lateral walls of the Garbhagṛha; and furthermore with the pillars of the balcony of the ambulatory behind the Garbhagṛha, in one direction, and with the internal pillars of Maṇḍapa and Ardha-Maṇḍapa in the opposite direction.

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The transepts are formed by the lateral balconies of the ambulatory (pradakṣiṇa) and by those of the Mahāmaṇḍapa. The Talacchanda, the rhythm of this unified plan, is akin to those of the schematic plans (pp. 250, etc.) drawn following the ‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’’.

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The Lakṣmaṇa Temple is a ‘pañcāyatana’ temple: four subsidiary shrines are placed in the corners of its high terrace; they are connected by a high stone bench with a sloped back which acts as parapet. The two small shrines near the steps face inward, the two of the back face outward, so that all the five temples open their doors to the devotee who has ascended the terrace.

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The main buttresses or graded planes of the exterior of the temple are indicated in projection (cf. B. L. Dhama, op. cit. Pl. III).

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the pillars, whereas in the Nīlakaṇṭheśvara Temple in Udayapur (Fig., p. 256) it is to be measured from the inner corners of the pillars.

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are placed at equal distances from each other, in aliquot parts, and originally, half of the intercolumnia in the centre: 64 pillars is their maximum number in the Puṣpaka Maṇḍapa (S.S. LXVII. 12). The significance of this number has its base in the number of squares of the Maṇḍūka-Maṇḍala.

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The Maṇḍapa is either square or rectangular. It should have the width of the Prāsāda (S.S. LXVII. 98; Fig. on p. 255) or its width is equal to the height or diagonal of the Prāsāda (S.S. LXVI. 8). These are the most perfect proportions; or else it should be double—it has twice the width of the Prāsāda in the Udayapur Temple (below) or its length is 1¾ of the width of the Prāsāda.⁵¹ Any of these proportions may be chosen according to the available space (LXVII. 10) and other

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⁵¹ Various intermediate proportions are specified in the S.S. LXVII. 1-4. In smaller temples, the Maṇḍapa increases in size to 2¼ and 2½ of that of the Prāsāda.

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[Figure: PLAN OF NĪLAKAṆṬHEŚVARA TEMPLE (1059–1080 A.D.). Udayapur, Gowalior (Pls. LII–III). from Cunningham, ASR, vol. VII. Pl. VI.]

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The very substantial walls of this stellate Nirandhāra temple extend from its perimeter to the Garbhagṛha and Mahāmaṇḍapa, etc. as outlined in the plan. In this type of temple, the buttresses project radiately, and not axially, as usual.

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considerations. "As is the Prāsāda, so is the Maṇḍapa in front of it." (ib. 24b). This applies to its walls and their theme.⁵²

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⁵² The pillars have their parts adjusted in height to the division of the perpendicular wall (Burgess-Cousens, 'Architectural Antiquities of Northern Gujarat', op. cit., p. 24. Wall and pillars are one in nature; being perpendicular supports, they have the same name (jaṅghā); pillars are carved on the walls; the wall is either pillar or offset and, but for the interior of the Garbhagṛha, where as a rule, it is plain, it scarcely answers to the term wall as understood in architecture elsewhere and also in the earlier temples. Actual pillars on the other hand in extant medieval Hindu temples do not form part of the Prāsāda unless they support the roof of the balconies of Sāndhāra Prāsādas (Fig. on p. 255). Full pillars are an exception in the Prāsāda (Fig. on p. 257). They belong to the Maṇḍapa.

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Walls however are dispensable in the Maṇḍapa, it is then an Ākāśa-maṇḍapa (ib. 23) such as are for example the Sabhā-maṇḍapas in Gujerat; these are entirely

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[Figure: PLAN OF VIJAYĀLAVA COLĪŚVARA TEMPLE ON MELAMALAI (Cola period) Nārttamalai, Pudukkottai. From JISOA, vol. V. p. 85.]

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This Sāndhāra temple has a circular Garbhagṛha around the Liṅga; pillars in the ambulatory; the walls of the Maṇḍapa are without buttresses; those of the Prāsāda have the regularity which distinguishes South Indian Temples. The Temple faces west.

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Six—originally seven—small shrines, each consisting of Prāsāda and Maṇḍapa are set around the main temple.

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separate from the temple which comprises within its walls the Gūḍha or "closed" Maṇḍapa.

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The same themes, but varied in their proportionate application, link the Maṇḍapa, built in one or the other of the 8 or 27 possible varieties, to the Prāsāda. The entrance to the Maṇḍapa may be equal in width to that of the Prāsāda, but exceeds its height by ¼, ⅓ or ½ (S.S. LXVI. 20) or it should be 1½, 1⅔, 1¾ or twice the door of the Prāsāda (S.S. LXVII. 97-98).

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Within these margins of proportionate measurement the true Sthapati shows his mastermind in such temples like the one at Ambarnāth; its proportions corroborate and make use of the rules. The distance for example from the square of the Garbhagṛha to the Catuṣkikā, the central square of the Maṇḍapa, is the diagonal of these congruous squares.⁵³ So intimately moreover are the two structures locked into one building that in this temple the centre of the Garbhagṛha is the corner of the square on edge, formed by connecting the angles of the offsets of the wall of the Maṇḍapa (p. 230A).

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⁵³ The division of an area marked by pillars is measured from their outer corners, as a rule. The Maṇḍapas of South Indian temples are classified according to the number of their pillars; the 4 pillared, 12, 16, 32 and 100 pillared Maṇḍapa have each their special name and those having more than 100 pillars are known as Viśāla (I.P. IV, XXXII. 97-116; cf. Fig. on p. 257). The synonyms for pillar are: Sthāṇu, Sthūṇa, Pāda, Jaṅghā, Caraṇa, Aṅghrika, Stambha, Talipa and Kampa ('Mayamata', XV. 2). The proportionate measurements of Maṇḍapa and Prāsāda, of the pillars and intercolumnia, are dealt with in the 'Īśānaśivagurudeva-paddhati', l.c.

Linked texts (6)

Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra — Bhoja, Sanskrit
Mayamata — Maya, Sanskrit
Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati — Īśānaśivagurudeva, Sanskrit
Lakshmana Temple
Parasuramesvara Temple
Nilakanthesvara Temple