Kalinga style of architecture
Also called: Odisha temple style · Topic: Early Medieval North India: Harsha to the Rajputs · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Kalinga style is Odisha's local form of the Nagara (north Indian) temple style. It was at its height from about the 8th to the 13th century. A temple usually has a tall, curved tower over the shrine, called the rekha deul. In front is a porch with a stepped, pyramid-shaped roof, called the pidha deul or jagamohana. Larger temples also add a dance hall (nata mandira) and an offering hall (bhoga mandapa).
Example
The Lingaraja temple at Bhubaneswar (11th century) is a classic example. The style reached its peak in the Jagannatha temple at Puri and the Sun temple at Konark, both built by the Eastern Gangas.
Don't confuse with
- Dravida style: the south Indian style. It has a stepped, pyramid-like tower (vimana) and big gateways (gopurams), not a curved tower.
Related concepts
- Agnikula legend
- Paramaras
- Raja Bhoja
- Bhojeshwar temple
- Bhojshala
- Samarangana Sutradhara
- Chandela dynasty
- Khajuraho group of monuments
- Kandariya Mahadeva temple
- Chaulukya dynasty