Valabhi temple type
Also called: Wagon-vault roof · Topic: Early Indian Art and Architecture: Stupas, Rock-cut Caves, Temples · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Valabhi is a sub-type of Nagara (north Indian style) temple. It has a rectangular plan and a rounded roof shaped like the top of a covered cart or wagon. This is called a barrel-vaulted roof. The shape comes from older buildings made of wood and bamboo, and from Buddhist chaitya halls with rounded roofs.
Example
The Teli ka Mandir in Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh (c. eighth–ninth century CE), is the best-known example. It has a tall rectangular tower topped by a wagon-shaped roof.
Don't confuse with
- Valabhi (city): an ancient city in Gujarat, the capital of the Maitrakas. The temple type only shares its name.
- Latina shikhara: square at the base, with a tower that curves inward to a point.
Related concepts
- Puranic Hinduism
- Vaishnavism
- Avatar
- Dashavatara
- Varaha
- Vasudeva-Krishna
- Shaivism
- Linga
- Garbhagriha
- Antarala