Speculative Hindu Temple Architecture: Modern style

India has a wonderful variety of Hindu temple architectures. Each style evolved from previous one during a particular era and under a particular cultural influence. But after colonial period, the style stopped evolving further and all later modern temples we see today have borrowed heavily from the styles that existed before. Although there are a few hipster styles today, but still it’s little bland if you compare it with the kind of architectures that existed before. So, how would’ve been Hindu temple architecture of today’s India if we follow its pattern?

But first let’s check out all types of Hindu temple architecture styles in India and abroad. You definitely must be aware of the most common styles – the north Indian ‘Nagara’, the south Indian ‘Dravida’, and its blend known as ‘Vessara’. But there are many regional styles which often get unnoticed by the common folk. Let’s check them out.

Types of Hindu Temple Architecture

Early Nagara Shikhara with Gavaksha

Dravida Vimana

Vessara style

Kalinga style of Orissa

Bhumija Shikhara, Nagara subtype

Nepali style

Kashmiri style

Maratha syle of Peshwa era with minarets

Goan style with blend of European and Indian elements

Konkani style with Islamic style dome instead of Shikhara

Kerala style

Champa temple of Vietnam

Indonesian style

Khmer-Thai style

More Hindu temple architecture styles updated below.

Bengali style Temple - Chala, Ratna, and Dalan

Kath Kuni style of Himachal Pradesh

Balinese style from Bali, Indonesia

Precursor to Hindu architecture

All of these styles have few things in common. A step-pyramid, human-deity motifs and horse shoe arches known as gavaksh or cow’s eye. Step-pyramid also exists in Shikhara towers of Nagara style, but its curvilinear bend makes it look smooth and less visible. The human-deity motifs seem obvious but the gavaksh motif usually go unnoticed in many styles as it changes forms.

This gavaksh, or chandrashala motif has its origin in the residential structures of the ancient period. Origin of Hindu temple architecture exists in the Buddhist architectures of ancient India. This gavaksh motif existed since then. From ancient reliefs, caves, chaityas to monasteries we understand that ancient Indian houses had a round roof in the shape of a horse shoe. Hence, we see this design everywhere in these religious structures. For the sake of simplification, let us call it ‘house motif’.

Ancient architecture at Nalanda with gavaksha motif

This same design is then seen in the earliest Nagara and Dravida style. Same ‘house motif’ is seen in the Southeast Asian styles where the designers had theoretical knowledge but no physical reference.

Evolution to Modern Hindu Architecture

When Deccan came under Islamic rule, many temples took on mosque like styles, probably to escape demolition. But later during the rule of the Marathas something uniquely wonderful happened. It took the Indo-Islamic and Rajput elements and fused it with the Dravida Vimana, creating the lesser known Maratha style. In this style the house motif had taken the form of Rajput balcony or jharokha, reflecting the style of the residential architecture of the period.

Maratha era temple at Wai

Similarly, the human motifs in these temples also had fashion contemporary to its time. Notice the change in clothing fashion?

Ancient style of clothing

Clothing prevalent during the Maratha rule

Now, using these ideas let us construct a modern style of Hindu temple by taking the step-pyramid, adding a modern house-window motif, and contemporary human figures. This is what we should get.

I created this hypothetical design with modern tower style vimana

It may seem funny, but that’s how it should be organically. We of course do have some other experimental styles at its place, but detail work is usually missing.

Hanuman Temple at Nashik

Siddhivinayak Temple with spires and phamsana shikhara

It is very interesting how our temple architecture designs evolved based on its contemporary surroundings. Afterall, temples are residence of the gods.