Answer

Hinduism

Hindu architecture and structural designs are thought to have developed progressively over long periods, extending hundreds of years (Cartwright, 2020). In its most rudimentary form, this temple consisted of modest rock-hewn “shrines” to sophisticated decorated structures straddling the entire breath of the Indian sub-continent. Historically, temples acted as shelters for revered depictions of particular Indian depictions. Additionally, these figures were ornamented to preserve the memory of past events in Indian mythology. Today, modern temples characteristically tower over surrounding buildings tailing off in a “canonical style”. This design is widely used today, and represents the most accurate depiction of modern Hindu architecture. These varieties contain crucial components as well as superior style designed through analytical geometry.

Comparison of different temples

From analysis of text from Cartwright (2020) delineates two broad categories of architecture: early temples and Gupta varieties.

Early Temples

Modern Hindu temples are believed to have been impacted by antique designs from the Buddhist communities with edifices such as the “stupa” featuring prominently. Literary evidence shows that early temples had “rock-cut cave” designs and maintained repetitive patterns of ornamental “gavaska” window arrangement (Cartwright, 2020).

Gupta architecture

Further evidence from the assigned text show that the Gupta varieties were introduced during the 4^th and 5^th century CE and are considered to be the earliest of the “free-standing” types and has such features as “towers and projecting niches” (Cartwright, 2020).

This variety was initially constructed from wood and terracotta. However, available evidence shows that the designers eventually switched to brick and stone, particularly “sandstone, granite, schist, and marble” (Cartwright, 2020). The Gupta temples were distinctly devoid of mortar and as such were made from perfectly chiseled stones. Despite these improvements, the most notable cave temples from the Gupta era lasted up to the 5^th century and include the “Udaigiri” types located at Malwa” (Cartwright, 2020). At present, some of these temples remain, especially the ones at “Deogarh” and the 6th century “Dasavatara” temple devoted to Vishnu (Cartwright, 2020).

Hindu Temple Features

A typical Hindu temple consists of eight principal directions each denoting a god, “dikpala” (Cartwright, 2020). In certain instances the directions are depicted “in sculpture” on surfaces external to the temple. Anchored on extravagantly engraved podiums known as “adhisthana”, the temple is also represented in antique Hindu literature, the Vastu Shastras, as the sanctified “mountain Meru or Kailasa”, the Himalayan abode of Shiva (Cartwright, 2020) . In fact, the top elevations of the temple, together with their many fortifications are virtually indistinguishable from “mountain masses”. For instance, the Kandariya Mahadeva temple which dates back to the 11^th century The 11th century and the Bhubaneswar located “Rajarani” constructed in the 12^th century at temple at Bhubaneswar are notable examples (Cartwright, 2020).

Having said that, it is worth noting that the greatest aspect of Hindu architecture was the garbhagriha, typically referred to as “womb-chamber”, and consists of a tiny sacred chamber found near the middle of the temple (Cartwright, 2020). Popular tradition regards this place highly as it is believed that the garbhagriha is the point from which “energy flows” and radiates in all directions. Thus, it is a representation of the architecture of temples in the period under review. For instance, when viewed from three perspectives, these temples are characterized by “blind doors “which are believed to symbolize the probability of the “deity’s energy” vanishing from the “inner garbhagriha” The preceding portals also referred to as ghana dvara have also been linked to “secondary niche shrines” (Cartwright, 2020).

On the whole, Cartwright (2020) analysis show that the antique temple varieties were essentially garbhagriha ion nature, but with the passage of time, had improvements made and replicated various geographical locations replicated “across temple sites”. By the 10^th century, the same temple varieties had been popularized to craft, a “canonical architectural design in the first place (Cartwright, 2020). The most notable of aforestated temples featured a doorway “rdhamandapa” and pillar supported hall “mandapa” which led to the introduction of the “garbhagriha”components completed by the 8th century CE in the Decca. They also had a remarkable feature, the Sikhara, which is idealized as a superior and most popular alternative to garbhagriha. (Cartwright, 2020).

 Historical and regional development of the changes

Data from Cartwright (2020) confirms limited evolution of the temple architecture on various geographical locations including the conspicuous aspects such as the “Orissa, Kashmir and Bengal temples” ((Cartwright, 2020). Yet, two universal varieties are delineated and identified as the “Nagara (North) and Dravida (South)” varieties. In this regard, the “sikhara” strongholds in Nagara temples tend to rise in a nonlinear manner, and are additionally embroidered with arches referred to as the gavakshas, and layered by “an amalaka” an enormous rock- fluted stone disk (Cartwright, 2020). The exterior surfaces of the Nagara temples are believed to represent an intricate exterior of the predictions.

Since these changes are delineable as ratha and eventually- as it is thought- the number will increase to seven on both edges will facilitate the creation of multiple recesses. On the contrary, the Dravida strongholds, known in some instances as Vimana, espouse several characteristically dome-shaped cornices, overlaid by a smaller dome (Cartwright, 2020). The outer parts of the “walls of Dravida” temples are characterized by some ordered “entablatures” which in many instances are accompanied by a sculpture. Some temples, particularly in the Southern parts of India have had special features on them for generations. One of such features include “ritual bathing tank or pool” known in local Hindu parlance as nandi mandapa, could include a “barrel-vaulted shala” top surface, and generally encased in an enclosed courtyard consisting of a gate, gopura, which are expected to attain gigantic dimensions in proportions greater than the temple itself (Cartwright, 2020). A case in point is the “Brihadishvara Temple complex” located at Tanjavur, is one of the most important examples from which each of the aforestated features are observed (Cartwright, 2020).

Why the temple is such an important place within the Hindu tradition

From the Indian tradition, the temple was central to the people of India, often according the people concerned with the best chance to commune with the creator. As a result, the temple was widely regarded as the “dwelling place of a particular god, the devalaya” (Cartwright, 2020). Consequently, based on the aforestated reasons, the temple was regarded as sacrosanct (tirtha) and the best point of convergence for heaven and earth, the home of the gods, which have to be magnificent to fit a location of her stature (Cartwright, 2020).  As a rule of the thumb, the chosen place must be prepared to the desired level.