Read the passage and answer the question:
Temple building in the region had a long history, going back to dynasties such as the Pallavas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Cholas. Rulers very often encouraged temple building as a means of associating themselves with the divine - often, the deity was explicitly or implicitly identified with the king. Temples also functioned as centres of learning. Besides, rulers and others often granted land and other resources for the maintenance of temples. Consequently, temples developed as significant religious, social and economic centres.
Which of the following was NOT an important component of temple architecture?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Barahdari
Option (1) Gopuram — A part of temple architecture. The gopuram is the royal gateway of a temple; at Vijayanagara these towering gateways often dwarfed the towers of the central shrines.
Option (2) Garbhagriha — A part of temple architecture. The garbhagriha is the small square room of the temple that houses the image, with a single doorway for the worshipper to enter.
Option (3) Mandapa — A part of temple architecture. Mandapas or pavilions, with long pillared corridors running around the shrines, were a distinctive feature of the temple complexes of Vijayanagara.
Option (4) Barahdari — Not a part of temple architecture. A barahdari (from ‘barah’, twelve, and ‘dar’, door) is a pavilion with twelve doorways that let the air flow freely. It belongs to the palaces and gardens of Indo-Islamic and Mughal architecture, not to the temple.
Note: The term ‘barahdari’ is not in NCERT (2026-27); it is explained here for the benefit of the students.
NCERT (2026-27): “5.2. Gopurams and mandapas … In terms of temple architecture, by this period certain new features were in evidence. These included structures of immense scale that must have been a mark of imperial authority, best exemplified by the raya gopurams (Fig. 7.7) or royal gateways that often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines, and signalled the presence of the temple from a great… distance. They were also probably meant as reminders of the power of kings, able to command the resources, techniques and skills needed to construct these towering gateways. Other distinctive features include mandapas or pavilions and long, pillared corridors that often ran around the shrines within the temple complex. Let us look at two temples more closely – the Virupaksha temple and the Vitthala temple.… 10.3 Building temples … Around the time that the stupas at sites such as Sanchi were acquiring their present form, the first temples to house images of gods and goddesses were also being built. The early temple was a small square room, called the garbhagriha, with a single doorway for the worshipper to enter and offer worship to the image.…” |