INDIAN PLANNING & ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY – TEMPLES & STYLES [ Town Planning/Architecture Exam]

Indian Planning & Architectural History – Temples & Styles (Notes + 50 MCQ)

This post covers Indian planning & architectural history with focus on temple architecture (Nagara, Dravida, Vesara, regional styles), Indo-Islamic, colonial and modern Indian architecture – plus 50 exam-oriented MCQs for planning / architecture competitive exams.
Quick Index

Revision Notes – Indian Planning History & Architectural Styles

1. Broad Phases of Indian Planning / Urban Form (Very Short Overview)

  • Ancient & Classical – Harappan planned cities; later Hindu / Buddhist / Jain urban centres; temple towns.
  • Medieval (Rajput, Sultanate, Mughal) – Fortified hill towns, palace cities, riverfront and imperial capitals.
  • Colonial – Presidency towns (Bombay, Calcutta, Madras), cantonments, civil lines, port cities, hill stations; introduction of Western municipal/planning laws.
  • Early 20th Century – New Delhi as imperial capital; Improvement Trusts; early Town Planning Acts (Bombay, Mysore etc.).
  • Post-Independence – New capitals (Chandigarh, Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar), metropolitan plans (Delhi Master Plans), institutionalisation of planning (TCP Acts, 74th CAA).

2. Basic Temple Architecture Vocabulary

  • Garbhagriha – Inner sanctum (womb-chamber) housing the main deity.
  • Mandapa – Pillared hall in front of garbhagriha (can be multiple: ardha-mandapa, maha-mandapa, etc.).
  • Shikhara – The superstructure/tower above garbhagriha in Nagara (north Indian) style.
  • Vimana – The tower above garbhagriha in Dravida (south Indian) style.
  • Gopuram – Ornate gateway tower in Dravida temple complexes, often taller than vimana.
  • Amalaka – Fluted circular stone disk on top of Nagara shikhara, often topped by a kalasha finial.
  • Prakara – Enclosure wall / concentric corridors around the temple complex (typical in South India).

3. Nagara Style (North Indian Temple Architecture)

  • Geographical core: North India – roughly north of the Vindhyas.
  • Key features:
    • Curvilinear shikhara (tower) above garbhagriha.
    • Square plan of sanctum, often with projections (rathas).
    • No large boundary walls or gopurams (compared to Dravida); temple often stands on a jagati plinth.
  • Sub-types:
    • Latina – simple curving shikhara.
    • Rekhadeul / Rekha-prasada – tall, strongly curving tower (Odisha/Kalinga terminology).
    • Shekhari / Bhumija – clustered spires around main tower (seen in some central Indian temples).
  • Examples:
    • Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneswar (Kalinga Nagara).
    • Sun Temple, Konark.
    • Khajuraho Group of Temples (Kandariya Mahadeva etc.).
    • Jagannath Temple, Puri (also Kalinga tradition).

4. Dravida Style (South Indian Temple Architecture)

  • Geographical core: Southern peninsula (Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh).
  • Key features:
    • Pyramidal vimana over garbhagriha, composed of stepped storeys.
    • Temple complex enclosed within high prakara walls.
    • Dominant gopurams (gateway towers) on enclosure walls, often multi-storeyed and highly ornate.
  • Important dynasties: Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara, Nayakas.
  • Examples:
    • Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram (Pallava).
    • Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur (Chola) – UNESCO site, massive vimana and Nandi.
    • Meenakshi Sundareshwar Temple, Madurai – multiple gopurams, temple-town pattern.
    • Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam.

5. Vesara & Regional Variants

  • Vesara – Mixed style blending Nagara and Dravida, primarily in Deccan (Karnataka region).
  • Chalukya / Hoysala architecture:
    • Star-shaped plans (stellate), profusely carved pillars and walls.
    • Multiple shrines around common mandapa (trikuta etc.).
  • Examples:
    • Hoysaleswara Temple, Halebidu.
    • Chennakesava Temple, Belur.
    • Temples at Pattadakal (mix of Nagara & Dravida).
  • Kalinga style (Odisha) – often included as a regional Nagara:
    • Rekha deul (sanctum tower), pidha deul (mandapa roofed by pidha).
    • Lingaraj, Mukteshwar, Rajarani (Bhubaneswar) etc.

6. Indo-Islamic & Mughal Architecture in India

  • Structural principle:
    • Trabeate – post-and-lintel (older Hindu-Jain tradition).
    • Arcuate – arches, vaults, domes (Islamic influence).
  • Delhi Sultanate styles:
    • Qutub complex – Qutub Minar, Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, Alai Darwaza.
    • Use of spolia (reused temple columns) in early mosques.
  • Mughal architecture:
    • Large-scale use of red sandstone and white marble.
    • Charbagh garden layout, axial symmetry, domes, iwans, chhatris.
  • Key examples:
    • Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi – early charbagh tomb, UNESCO site.
    • Taj Mahal, Agra – pinnacle of Mughal funerary architecture.
    • Fatehpur Sikri – planned Mughal capital, varied buildings.
    • Red Fort (Delhi, Agra), Jama Masjid, Lahore Fort etc.

7. Colonial Architecture & Town Planning in India

  • Indo-Saracenic style: Mix of Indian (Mughal, Rajput) elements with European structural systems.
    • Features: domes, chhatris, arches + Victorian planning.
    • Examples: Victoria Memorial (Kolkata), Madras High Court, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai (also High Victorian Gothic with Indian motifs).
  • Bombay Gothic & Art Deco:
    • 19th century Gothic Revival (University of Mumbai, CSMT).
    • 20th century Art Deco seafront in Mumbai (Marine Drive, cinema halls).
  • New Delhi: Imperial capital planned by Lutyens & Baker
    • City Beautiful / Baroque axiality, bungalows in garden settings.

8. Modern & Contemporary Indian Architecture (Quick Pointers)

  • Le Corbusier – Chandigarh, Millowners’ Building (Ahmedabad), Shodhan House.
  • Louis Kahn – IIM Ahmedabad campus (with B. V. Doshi as local associate).
  • Charles Correa – Metaphorical and climate-responsive designs: Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya (Ahmedabad), Jawahar Kala Kendra (Jaipur), Kanchanjunga Apartments (Mumbai), Navi Mumbai planning contributions.
  • B. V. Doshi – Aranya Housing (Indore), CEPT campus, known for humane modernism.
  • Laurie Baker – Cost-effective, climate-sensitive brick architecture (kerala; jaali walls, rat-trap bond).

MCQ Practice – Indian Temples, Architecture Styles & Planning History (50 Questions)

Answer the following 50 MCQs and then click “Check Answers” to see your total score and per-question green/red feedback with correct options.

1. The curvilinear tower over the sanctum in North Indian temples is called:

2. The typical tower over the sanctum in Dravida (South Indian) temple architecture is known as:

3. The tall ornate gateway tower in South Indian temples is called:

4. The garbhagriha of a Hindu temple refers to:

5. In Nagara temples, the fluted circular stone element placed below the finial on top of the tower is called:

6. Which of the following temple groups is a classic example of the Nagara style?

7. Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar belongs primarily to which regional style?

8. The Brihadeshwara Temple at Thanjavur is famous primarily for its:

9. Hoysala temples (e.g., Halebidu, Belur) are best described as:

10. Match the temple and its main style:

1. Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
2. Sun Temple, Konark
3. Hoysaleswara, Halebidu
4. Brihadeshwara, Thanjavur
a. Dravida (Chola)   b. Kalinga Nagara   c. Vesara / Hoysala   d. Dravida with large gopurams

11. Which one of the following statements about Vesara style is correct?

12. The term prakara is associated primarily with:

13. Indo-Islamic architecture introduced which of the following structural systems most prominently?

14. The garden layout used in Mughal architecture with four-part division by water channels is called:

15. Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi is important in architectural history because it:

16. Which of the following is not a Mughal architectural example?

17. The Indo-Saracenic architectural style is best described as:

18. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai is primarily associated with which style?

19. Assertion (A): Gopurams in Dravida temples often dominate the skyline more than the vimana.
Reason (R): Later South Indian temple towns expanded by adding successive enclosure walls with taller gateway towers.

20. Assertion (A): Harappan cities show a highly organic, radial street pattern.
Reason (R): They were built around a central cathedral following medieval European tradition.

21. The Bombay Gothic and later Art Deco fronts in Mumbai are associated with which broader phase?

22. Which of the following is not correctly matched?

23. Which of the following pairs (Architect – Work) is correctly matched?

24. Laurie Baker is particularly known for:

25. Which one of the following cities is most associated with Charles Correa’s planning work?

26. The earliest known planned cities in India with a clear grid-iron pattern and drainage are:

27. Which one of the following is not a characteristic feature of Nagara temples?

28. Which of the following correctly pairs the style with its region?

29. Match the architectural phase with a representative example:

1. Mughal   2. Indo-Saracenic   3. Colonial Gothic   4. Modern Indian
a. CSMT Mumbai   b. Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya (Correa)   c. Humayun’s Tomb   d. Victoria Memorial

30. Which of the following sets includes only post-independence planned cities in India?

31. In many South Indian temple towns, the urban form is organised as:

32. Which of the following cities best represents a temple-town with concentric street pattern?

33. Which style of architecture is most directly related to the emergence of bungalows in New Delhi’s imperial capital?

34. Which of the following is not correctly paired (Architect – Key Work in India)?

35. The town planning of Harappan cities primarily reflects emphasis on:

36. Which combination correctly lists only Indo-Islamic/Mughal buildings?

37. Which one of the following statements about temple-town planning is correct?

38. Match the style with a typical element:

1. Nagara   2. Dravida   3. Mughal   4. Indo-Saracenic
a. Curvilinear shikhara   b. Gopurams   c. Charbagh gardens   d. Domes + chhatris on European forms

39. Which of the following is a key goal of post-independence new towns like Chandigarh?

40. Which of the following best describes B. V. Doshi’s Aranya Housing project (Indore)?

41. Which planning idea is closest to the concept of “sector” in Chandigarh?

42. Which Indian city best exemplifies the use of Art Deco architecture at an urban scale?

43. Which one of the following temple complexes is located on an island in the river Kaveri?

44. The planning of New Delhi can be broadly classified under which planning movement?

45. In Indo-Islamic architecture, the transition from square plan of tomb to circular dome is often mediated by:

46. Which of the following is a Jain temple complex noted for its exquisite marble carving (though not strictly a planning example)?

47. Which one of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?

48. Assertion (A): Many colonial hill stations in India (Shimla, Ooty) were planned as climatic refuges.
Reason (R): Their planning emphasised bungalows, clubs and promenades rather than industrial layouts.

49. Which of the following temple sites is associated with Pallava rock-cut and structural temples?

50. For exam purposes, which of the following best summarises the importance of studying Indian temple and urban forms together?

Score: – / 50
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