Nagara Style or Nagara architectural style is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

style of temple architecture, which is popular in Northern,

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

and

Eastern India East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...

(except the

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

region), especially in the regions around

Malwa Malwa () is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the ...

Rajputana Rājputana (), meaning Land of the Rajputs, was a region in the Indian subcontinent that included mainly the entire present-day States of India, Indian state of Rajasthan, parts of the neighboring states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and adjo ...

and Kalinga. Temples classified as Nagara Style are found in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

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Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

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(areas bordering Odisha) and

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

(southwest and

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areas). In fifth century, the use of simple curved ''

Shikhara ''Shikhara'' (IAST: '), a Sanskrit word translating literally to "mountain peak", refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A ''shikhara'' over the ''garbhagriha'' chamber ...

'' ( spires) begins in the temples; the earliest such temples being classified as Early Nagara Style. The Early Nagara Style was transformed into the Mainstream Nagara Style in the seventh century. This architectural style is one of the two main styles of

Hindu temple architecture Hindu temple architecture as the main form of Hindu architecture has many different styles, though the basic nature of the Hindu temple remains the same, with the essential feature an inner sanctum, the ''Garbhagriha, garbha griha'' or womb-ch ...

, the other being the Dravidian architectural style. Nagara style has three sub-styles or schools, which differ slightly from each other. The sub-styles or schools are ''Orissa school'', ''Chandel school'' and ''Solanki school''. Developed in North India, this style of temple is built on a simple stone platform. One or more ''Sikhara''s are observed in temples, but the earliest temples consist of only one ''Sikhara''. The ''

garbhagriha A ''garbhagriha'' () is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu and Jain temples, often referred to as the "holy of holies" or " sanctum sanctorum". The term ''garbhagriha'' (literally, "womb chamber") comes from the Sanskrit words ''garbha'' for ...

'' is always located directly below the highest ''Sikhara''. Also, the Nagara Style is characterized by the absence of boundary walls, which are widely used in the Dravidian architectural style of

. Some temple complexs and individual structures in the Nagara Style are listed as

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History

Origin and formative stage

The Nagara temple style evolved from the Gupta structural temples. From about the 5th century onwards, the development of Nagara temple style began, which passed through three classes of formative stage and got its present form.

Schools of Nagara Style

Nagara architectural style are observed in northern, western and eastern parts of India. Since its origin, this style has gone through various changes to its present form. Variations within the style have developed over time from region to region, which have come to be recognized as sub-styles. Nagara architectural style has three sub-styles namely ''Chandel'', ''Solanki'' and ''Odisha'' sub-styles.

Chandela School

The ''Chandela School'' or ''Chandela sub-style'' of temple construction originated in

Central India Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...

. It was developed by the Chandel dynasty, the rulers of the Bundelkhand region (then called ''Jejakabhukti'').This school or sub-style of temple construction is also known as ''Khajuraho'' School or sub-style. Temples built in this style have intricate carvings, which adorn the inner and outer walls. The sculptures in the temple are known for sensual themes, which were inspired by Vatsyayana's ''

Kama Sutra The ''Kama Sutra'' (; , , ; ) is an ancient Indian Hindu Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kamasutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly a sex manual on sex positions ...

''. Sandstones are mainly used in the construction of temples. File:RNS Khajuraho23.jpg, Vamana Temple File:Vishwanath N-MP-23.jpg, Vishwanath temple File:The Chitragupta temple, Khajuraho 03.jpg, Chitragupta temple

Solanki school

This ''Solanki'' school or sub-style originated in northwestern India, particularly in the present-day

Indian states India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

and

. As this sub-style expanded and developed, the

Solanki Solanki may refer to: *Solanki dynasty, alternate name for the Chaulukya dynasty The Chaulukya dynasty (), also Solanki dynasty, was a dynasty that ruled parts of what are now Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western India, between and . Their ...

kings provided support and encouragement. The walls of the temple, built in the Solanki sub-style, were without sculptures. Inside and externally the ''

'' and ''

mandapa A ''mandapa'' or ''mantapa'' () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture and Jain temple architecture. ''Mandapas'' are described as "open" or "closed" dependin ...

'' are interconnected. A terraced water tank, known as ''Surya Kund'', is excavated next to temples of this sub-style. This sub-style has also come to be known as the ''Māru-Gurjara'' school or sub-style since the 20th century. File:Rani ki vav 02.jpg, Rani ki vav, Patan, India File:Taranga Jain Tirth, Satlasana, Mehsana, Gujarat, India (2017).jpg, Taranga Jain temple File:Navlakha arial view 03.jpg, Front view of Navlakha Temple

Odisha School

The ''Odisha'' school or sub-style originated in the coastal regions of

eastern India East India is a region consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The states of Bihar and West Bengal lie on the Indo-Gangetic plain. Jharkhan ...

, especially the present

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

and

bordering Odisha. This school or sub-style of temple construction is also known as '' ''Kalinga'''' School or sub-style. File:Lingaraj Temple complex at dusk during Shivratri 2020.jpg, Lingaraj Temple complex File:Konark Temple Panorama2.jpg, Panorama view of

Konark Sun Temple Konark Sun Temple is a Hindu temple, Hindu Surya, Sun temple at Konark about northeast from Puri, Puri city on the coastline in Puri district, Odisha, India.Indian architectural styles