Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.47

v2.c11.47

The oldest Hindu architectures were some grottoes in the Gupta Dynasty. With the decline of Buddhism, Hinduism began to flourish. In medieval times, many dynasties in northern and southern India believed more in Hinduism, which promoted the development of architecture art of Hindu temples. Around 10ᵗʰ century CE, Hindu architecture entered into its heyday. Buddhism emphasised peace, while Hinduism advocated dynamic change, so the Hindu architecture art also presented a completely different style and features. From the time span, architectural scale and artistic style, southern Indian temple architecture was of typical significance in India. The Brihadeeswarar Temple built in the early 11ᵗʰ century CE in Tanjore during Chola Dynasty was the biggest temple in India, commonly known as Great Stupa of Tanjore. Many frescoes, sculptures and all sorts of adornments made the majestic temple gorgeous. Sri Meenakshi Temple in Madurai was built in the 17ᵗʰ century CE, and was also a famous temple in southern India. Ellora Caves mentioned above regarding Indian carving had 17 Hindu grotto temples, while Elephanta Caves are Hindu grotto temple. Compared with the Buddhist temple, Hindu temples had not only difficulty in engineering but also more abundant artistic connotation.