The Vesara Style: Hoysala and Chalukya Temple Architecture

1.1 What is the Vesara style?

Indian temples fall into two broad orders. Nagara is the northern order and Dravida is the southern one. Vesara is the name for a style that mixes the two.

The word appears in some ancient texts for a hybrid style. That style became popular after the middle of the seventh century. It is linked with the Chalukyas of Karnataka.

1.2 How can you tell the three apart?

Look at the tower first. North India has a curving shikhara. South India has a pyramidal tower called a vimana, with a gateway tower called a gopuram.

Vesara temples borrow from both sides. The Deccan lay between north and south, so its builders could draw on either tradition.

2.1 What is Pattadakal?

Pattadakal is a group of Chalukya monuments in Karnataka. It was built in the seventh and eighth centuries. The site reached its high point as a blend of northern and southern forms.

It became a World Heritage Site in 1987. Nine Hindu temples and a Jain sanctuary stand there. Temple building shifted here from Badami around the middle of the seventh century.

2.2 Which temples are Nagara and which are Dravida?

Ten temples stand at Pattadakal. Four are in the Nagara style and six are in the Dravida style. Galaganatha is the notable Nagara example.

Sangamesvara is the oldest temple in the complex. Virupaksha is the largest and best known.

2.3 Who built the Virupaksha temple?

Queen Loka Mahadevi, chief queen of Vikramaditya II (733 to 744), had it made. It was built around 740 to mark her husband’s victory over the kings of the South.

It is the most elaborate of all Chalukyan temples at Pattadakal. Hybridisation of several styles was the hallmark of Chalukyan building.

2.4 What is special about Papanatha?

Papanatha began in the Nagara style and was later changed to the Dravida style. That is why one account names it a Vesara temple. Another account calls it an early Dravida example.

Its walls carry scenes from the Ramayana and the Kiratarjuniya. The names of the characters are carved beside the figures.

3.1 How did Chalukya building change over time?

Pulakesin I set up the Chalukya kingdom around Badami in 543. These early Chalukyas ruled most of the Deccan until about the middle of the eighth century. Then the Rashtrakutas took over.

The Western Chalukyas ruled from 973 to 1180. They are also called the Kalyani or Later Chalukyas.

3.2 What marks each stage?

Stages as grouped in the CEC e-module. Early work took the form of rock-cut caves, while later work was in structural temples.

A group of four rock-cut temples at Badami is noted for fine craftsmanship. Their walls and pillared halls carry images of gods and people.

4.1 Who were the Hoysalas?

The Hoysalas of Karnataka rose to prominence as Chola and Pandya power faded. Remains of around a hundred of their temples have been found in the southern Deccan. Three are discussed most often: Belur, Halebid and Somnathpuram.

The three temple complexes date from the 12th to 13th centuries. They were chosen as the most representative examples of the Hoysala style.

4.2 What is a stellate plan?

Hoysala builders started with a plain square shrine. They cut angular projections from it, and the plan began to look like a star. This is called a stellate plan.

The star effect is then covered with carved animals and deities.

5.1 Why is the carving so fine?

Hoysala temples are made of soapstone, a relatively soft stone. Soft stone let artists carve very fine detail. You can see this in the jewellery of the gods on the temple walls.

Carving covers the entire surface of the building. A sculptural gallery, a tiered frieze and a walkway around the shrine are typical features.

5.2 What is special about Halebid?

The Hoysaleshvara temple at Halebid was built in dark schist stone in 1150. It is a double building, with a large hall for music and dance. A Nandi pavilion stands before each building.

In the lowest frieze, hundreds of elephants walk in procession. It is said that no two elephants are in the same pose.

5.3 What happened to the towers?

The towers of the Halebid temple and of the nearby Belur temple fell long ago. Small carved models flanking the entrances show how they looked. Because of this, the two temples are often judged by their walls and carving rather than their height.

In all, these temples are easy to tell from other medieval temples. They have star-like ground plans and a profusion of decoration.

5.4 Why are they called Vesara?

Their style seems neither completely Dravida nor Nagara. It lies somewhere in between. For this reason Hoysala temples are sometimes called hybrid, or Vesara.

The style was built by careful selection of features from the present and the past. This gave the Hoysalas an identity apart from neighbouring kingdoms.

6.1 How are the Chalukya and Hoysala styles linked?

The tradition begun by the Chalukyas of Badami matured under the Hoysalas. Hoysala artists followed the Chalukya way of decorating walls with projections and niches. For this reason Chalukya architecture is seen as the source of Hoysala art.

The Doddabasappa temple at Dambal shows the link. It stands on a raised platform in a stellate plan with 24 points.

6.2 What came after the Hoysalas?

Vijayanagara was founded in 1336. Its architecture joins the old Dravida tradition with Islamic styles. The neighbouring sultanates showed those styles.

Dates and ideas from the sources listed below.

7.1 What has the exam asked about Nagara and Vesara?

The trap swaps the towers. Nagara has a curving shikhara. A tiered, pyramidal tower belongs to Dravida.

7.2 What should you remember?