मोस्ट इंपोर्टेंट कंट्रीब्यूशन ऑफ इंडियन आर्किटेक्चर
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India has, since ages, been a confluence point of many different schools of architecture. From the majestic Rajput forts to the sky-high south Indian temples and from the epitome of beauty Taj Mahal to the intricate cave temples of Ajanta and Ellora, the opulence of Indian architecture is mind-boggling. The South Indian temple architecture enjoys a unique position among the various architectural styles found in India and elsewhere.
While the ancient temples of north India were periodically and methodically razed by the invading armies of Mahmud of Ghazni, Muhammad of Ghor and the like, many temples of south India, especially those in Tamil Nadu, have managed to survive due to their relatively favourable geographic location, far away from the invasion-prone northern India. Though Hinduism has long been followed all over India, different schools of temple architecture came into being, resulting in vastly different temple layouts and appearances. Needless to say, the rituals, prayers and offerings vary vastly as well. 'Vaastu Shastra', the ancient Hindu texts on architecture, divides the temple architecture into three types: 'Nagara' or northern style, 'Dravida' or southern style, and 'Vesara' or hybrid style. The hybrid style can be seen in the areas in and around the Deccan plateau that occupies a huge chunk of peninsular India.
In the Nagara style temples, the tower is beehive shaped. Such a tower is called 'Shikara', the plan (top view) of which is based on a square. The 'Shikara' directly over the 'Garbha Griha' (Sanctum Sanctorum) is, in general, the tallest.