Civil Engineering and Architecture Vol. 11(3), pp. 1407 - 1414
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110323
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Decoding the Geometrical Construct of Rama Temple, Sirpur

Saumya Shrivastava ^*, Abir Bandyopadhyay , Vandana Agrawa
Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology Raipur, India

ABSTRACT

Construction of Hindu temples in India started from about 1^st C BCE, but today there are very few examples of those temples. In the state of Chhattisgarh (erstwhile known as Dakshin Kosala), which is in central India, there is evidence of the construction of brick and stone temples from 5^th C CE. These temples are categorized either as 'Rectilinear Type' or 'Stellate and Semi- Stellate Type'. Though these temples have survived the ravages of time, the techniques of their construction and the principles of their layout on the ground are lost in ambiguity. Some research has been performed on the plan forms of the temples, the elevational levels, the philosophy embedded in them etc. but very less work has been done on the geometric construct of the plan form of the stellate temple of Chhattisgarh. This paper aims to decode the hidden geometric construct of one of the earliest brick stellate temples of India, which is Rama Temple in Sirpur, Chhattisgarh. For this, a primary survey was conducted and detailed measurement at the base level of the temple was done. The measured drawing was then drafted, and the layout was verified statistically and otherwise from various published research works based on canonical texts to arrive at some principles of geometric layout. Prima facie studies show that some ancient geometrical principles are followed in the layout of the planform of this temple. Similar studies on other temples will prove the principle of laying out such temples in India and thus will help in filling up a gap in the lost legacy of temple architecture in India.

KEYWORDS
Temple Architecture, Geometric Construct, Proportions, Measurement, Computer-Aided Drawings

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Saumya Shrivastava , Abir Bandyopadhyay , Vandana Agrawa , "Decoding the Geometrical Construct of Rama Temple, Sirpur," Civil Engineering and Architecture, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 1407 - 1414, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110323.

(b). APA Format:
Saumya Shrivastava , Abir Bandyopadhyay , Vandana Agrawa (2023). Decoding the Geometrical Construct of Rama Temple, Sirpur. Civil Engineering and Architecture, 11(3), 1407 - 1414. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110323.