Documentation & Analysis I Urban Design
Architectural Character and Special Features:
Materials
•The temple complex has red sandstone shrines dedicated to lord Siva.
• The locally available granite and sand stone are largely used for the main structures upto the vimana and its super structure being built in brick and lime. Black granite is used for pillars, jambs, lintels, decorative motifs and icon.
Construction techniques
•The temples are constructed within a double walled stone enclosure.
•Its walls and porches feature exquisite carvings, and the doors depict scenes from the Shiva Purana. The walls, gateways, and ceilings of these temples display exemplary rock-cut architecture, featuring seamless carvings of flowers and figures from solid granite rocks.
Architectural Style
•Built during the Kakatiya dynasty, almost 20 to 22 temples of different shapes and sizes are found in the complex.
•The main attraction is of the ‘Sabhamandapa’ porches. Two ‘Madanikas’ or ‘Salabhanjikas’ are on northern side portico. Apart from these, mythical figure brackets such as Gaja-Kesari, Half human-Lion form riding on elephant, Horse-head Lion back on elephant are also arranged under the eves in eastern and southern side porticos.
Typology
•the complex currently has two east –facing Siva shrines.
•The temples were built with a square and circle principle of Hindu architecture.
