Nagara Architecture Of Ayodhya's Magnificent Ram Mandir Explained With Pictures

The grand temple at Rama Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya will follow the Nagara style of temple architecture, reports TOI.

What is Nagara style of temple architecture?

The basic form of a Hindu temple contains the following architectural elements:

• Garbhagriha - the small room where the principle deity/deities of the temple reside

However, apart from the basic common elements with the spiritual significance, the Indian landscape is adorned with temples with a wide variety of architectural styles that developed under regional rulers.

The Nagara style of temple architecture is found in northern India. Nagara school is further subdivided into different schools based on region like Odisha, Khajuraho, Solanki etc.

In the Nagara style, the temple is generally constructed on a upraised platform called jagati. Mandapas are present in front of the Garbhagriha. These are adorned with the Shikhara, the tallest one being above the Garbhagriha.

Unlike the temples in south India, Nagara style doesn’t usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways (South Indian temples often sport magnificent Gopurams). Generally, there is no water tank in the temple premises and the pradakshina patha is covered.

Reportedly, the stones from Banshi mountains in Rajasthan will be used for the construction.

There are different types of Shikhara found in Indian temples. A comparison with Khajuraho Vishwanath temple, also built in Nagara style, shows the similarity between the two.

Note that the main shikhara of the two are remarkably similar. They rise upward in a curved pyramidal fashion, ending in a horizontal fluted disc called an Amalaka topped with a Kalasha. This is called the latina-style shikhara.

South Indian temples, on the other hand, generally have stepped pyramid that rises up linearly rather than in a curve, known as Vimana. Also, this style doesn’t sport Vimanas over the mandapas, but only the main shrine. In Nagara style, however, mandapas are also adorned with shikhara.

This is what the main shikhara will look like from the inside:

The Ayodhya Ram temple will have five mandapas between the garbhagriha and the entrance- kudu mandapa, nritya mandapa, rang mandapa - in that order. The kirtan mandapa and prarthana mandapa will be on the either side.

The chief architect of the temple is Chandrakant bhai Sompura, who designed the Akshardham temple in Gujarat. His grandfather Prabhakarji Sompura had designed the Somnath temple.