Temple and Mosque

Key Concepts:

• Temple Architecture as Historical Evidence
• Historiography of Anwa Temple
• Yadava Dynasty & Patronage
• Bhumija Style
• Gujarat Chalukya Influence
• Design vs. Construction
• Artisan Fidelity
• Material History

1. Introduction: The Temple at Anwa as a Case Study

• The video focuses on the Temple at Anwa, a relatively unknown temple in Maharashtra, India, to demonstrate how temple architecture can reveal insights into social processes, building methods, design principles, royal ambitions, and diplomatic relations.
• The analysis relies solely on material evidence due to the absence of inscriptions, textual references, or copper plates.

2. Historiography of the Temple

• Early mentions of the temple appear in James Fergusson's "History of Indian and Eastern Architecture" (1876), describing it as being in the Jain style. This description was later repeated in publications like the District Gazetteer.
• G. B. Deglurkar and Prabhakar Deo also mention the temple in their surveys of Maharashtra temples.
• Notably, some publications focusing on temples in the region and period omit the Anwa temple, suggesting it was not considered a major site.
• The temple gained prominence with the development of railways in the Nizam’s Dominions, as it was seen as a potential tourist attraction.

3. Architectural Description and Comparisons

• The temple features corbelled domes on the inside of the sabhamandapa (hall in front of the sanctum). The sabhamandapa is semi-open, enclosed by pillars and half-pillars.
• Columns are of varying sizes, a detail often overlooked in drawings of the temple.
• The exterior includes moldings and bands with kirti-mukhas, hamsas (geese), and elephants.
• The four bhadra projections (major projections) include a doorway and niches with images of Vishnu, indicating a possible conversion from a Vishnu to a Shiva temple.
• Comparisons are drawn to temples in Gujarat, particularly the Vimal Shah temple at Mount Abu and the Sun Temple at Modhera, due to similarities in the sabhamandapa design.

4. Yadava Dynasty and the Bhumija Style

• Anwa is located near the Yadava capital at Devagiri (later Daulatabad).
• The Yadavas patronized the bhumija style, exemplified by the Gondeshwar temple.
• Unlike the Anwa temple, Yadava temples like those at Ambarnath and Gondeshwar typically have fully enclosed sabhamandapas.
• The semi-open sabhamandapa of the Anwa temple aligns more closely with Gujarati temple designs.

5. Trade Route and Political Context

• Anwa is situated on a major trade route between Ajanta and Bhokardan, highlighting the role of temples as nodes in trading networks.
• The Yadava king Singhana II conducted successful campaigns against the Chalukyas of Gujarat, bringing back treasure and loot.
• It is suggested that Singhana II may have brought back architectural designs from Gujarat, leading to the construction of the Anwa temple in a style emulating Gujarati temples.

6. Dating the Temple and Aesthetic Influences

• The temple is likely from the mid-13th century, after Singhana II's campaigns in Gujarat.
• The design is considered a copy of established Gujarati temple types.
• The temple features aesthetics found in Jain temples, including figures of sadhaks and sunderis.
• Some figures are depicted in a manner that seems to lampoon Jain aesthetics, possibly due to the temple's original Vaishnava affiliation.

7. Structural Flaws and Construction Techniques

• Drawings of the temple often incorrectly depict all columns as being of the same size.
• The smaller middle columns appear to have been added later to support cracked beams, indicating a structural failure.
• The failure is attributed to the use of basalt stone (local to Maharashtra) instead of the sandstone used in Gujarat, as well as differences in how local artisans understood the design.
• The temple's design is based on a modular grid system, but the placement of domes and the support structure for the central dome were not properly executed.

8. Design vs. Construction: Artisanal Fidelity

• The Khilji mosque at Devagiri, built shortly after the Anwa temple, uses a corbelling technique similar to that of Gujarat, demonstrating the fidelity of artisans to regional materials and construction techniques.
• Artisans build for rulers of all religions, adhering to their traditional methods.
• Design is a top-down approach, driven by literate individuals who travel, while construction is rooted in local knowledge passed down through generations.
• Design knowledge is recorded in texts, while construction knowledge is embedded within the building itself.

9. Conclusion: Material History and Artisanal Knowledge

• The case study of the Anwa temple reveals that architecture can provide more information than texts.
• Material histories, as embodied in the temple's construction, offer insights into design influences, structural flaws, and the role of local artisans.
• Artisans remain true to their regional construction methods, even when implementing imported designs.
• The temple at Anwa highlights the differences between design and construction, and the importance of understanding artisanal knowledge in interpreting architectural history.