Dravida Temple Style evolved in the south-eastern region of India especially in Tamil Nadu.The earliest monuments of this school can be seen at Mamallapuram and at Kanchipuram,both near Chennai. Built by the Pallava dynasty (from about 600 to 900 A.D.),the art of this period spread all the way to Java and Combodia as the Pallavas were great sea-faring rulers.The next stage can be seen in the exquisite Shore Temple of Mamallapuram and the Kailasanatha Temple at Kanchipuram.The vimaana or aspire of the former greatly influenced the spires of the pagodas and shrines of South-east Asia.In the latter temple may be seen the beginnings of the gopuram or gateway which in later centuries developed into gigantic proportions, dwarfing the temple itself. Next in the beauty only to the Shore Temple is the Brihadeeshawara Temple at Tanjore (around 1000 A.D.) of the Chola dynasty.rising to 58 meters,this temple is fully developed with a huge vimaana above the garba-griha,the ardha-mandapa and the maha-mandapa.The spire is topped by an 80 ton monolithic cupola, beautifully carved which was carried to the top by a system of levers and 6km long ramp, a technique similar to that used by the Pyramid builders of Egypt.This temple was so famous that the Prambanan temple in Indonesia was modeled on it.Close by,at Ganaikondacholapuram,is another temple, more feminine in form, of the style.For the first time a new element is introduced in the design, a hall of 150 pillars,which is the precursor of the 1000-pillared halls of later southern temples.The Cholas were even better known for their bronze statuary and stone figure sculptures for which this dynasty has no equals.The bronze figures of Shiva as Nataraja performing the cosmic dance are unparalleled in the field of art.
The Pandyas, who ruled from about 100 A.D.,had their own unique contribution to make in that,for the first time,the towering gopurams of the Dravidian temples started to receive special attention.The tower of the gateways rose in diminishing width, sometimes upto 50 meters or more.On the top of this rectangular mass,was palced a barrel like structure with horse shoe shaped ends.The word gopuram means the way of the cattle, implying a gateway in a rural community through which the cattle were brought in at night.In the temple town enclosing the whole township,the gateway took on a greater importance as it was the entrance not only to the temple but to the temple town. All four sides of the gopuram were covered of stories from the epics, with legends of men and gods and all living things.By the 14th century,a new addition had been made,the Kalyana-mandapa or marriage hall where the wedding of the temple deity and his consort was enacted.At Vijayanagar in Karnataka ruled one of the most dynamic dynasties of the south and at Hampi,the capital may be seen the ruins of their monuments which were destroyed by the five Muslim Sultanates of The South who joined together and spent 6 months razing the temples,giving Hampi the name,the Pompeii of India.The Vittala and Hazara Rama Temples of Vijayanagar are important legacies of this period.The influence of this school of temple building spread to temples in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh where extravagant carvings on walls, pillars and brackets,the huge sizes of the temples and elaborate statuary exist to this day.
The Pandyan phase was further elaborated in the Madurai and Srirangam temples where there are temple towns grown around massive temples.The Meenakshi temple at Madurai is within a rectangular area of 262 meters by 223 meters.There are 11 gopurams in all spread out as far as the eye can see,the tallest 62 meters high.The broad base of this gateway and its curved sweep give it a tremendous feeling of height.The Srirangam Temple (near Trichy) is enclosed in a massive area.Six concentric walls each with its carved gateways,enclose a living temple-town,with bazaars,schools and houses.This temple has 22 massive gateways,the 22nd rising to 73 meters,being the tallest tower in Asia.Another example of this style is the 17th century Rameshawaram temple with its 1230 meters of pillared corridors and the Chidambaram temple with its exquisite carvings of dance-poses.Numerous tanks,pavilions,carved pillars and gopurams are typical of this phase of elaborate and massive temples. Moving to the south-west coast,we come across the temple form of Kerala,the Srikoil.The unique feature is the roof resembling the thatched roof of huts,sometimes conical in shape and at others,like a pyramid.
