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Difficulty: MediumCultural Heritage, Art, Architecture, Bhakti and Sufi Movements

Regarding the architectural characteristics of Hoysala temples constructed in southern Karnataka between the 11th and 14th centuries, evaluate the following statements:

1. Chloritic schist (soft soapstone) was used as the primary building material, enabling sculptors to execute intricate, high-relief carvings.
2. The ground plan of the shrines is typically stellate (star-shaped), built upon a raised platform known as a jagati.
3. The temple superstructure strictly features a curvilinear Nagara latina spire crowned with a large monolithic amalaka.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 onlyAnswer
  2. B
    2 and 3 only
  3. C
    1 and 3 only
  4. D
    1, 2, and 3

Answer

The correct response is the option stating that statements 1 and 2 only are correct.
The statements confirming the use of chloritic schist (soapstone) and the stellate ground plan mounted on a raised jagati are factually accurate characteristics of Hoysala temples. The statement describing a curvilinear Nagara latina spire with an amalaka is incorrect because Hoysala towers are Vesara/Dravida hybrid stepped pyramids.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Statement 1 regarding building material.
Statement 1 is correct. Hoysala artisans shifted from granite to soft soapstone (chloritic schist), which permitted exceptionally detailed scrollwork, jewelry carving, and narrative panels on temple walls.
Soapstone is soft when quarried and hardens upon exposure to air, making it ideal for micro-sculpting.
2
Analyze Statement 2 regarding plan layout and platform.
Statement 2 is correct. Shrines at sites like Belur, Halebidu, and Somanathapura feature star-shaped (stellate) layouts set atop a high raised terrace called a jagati, which serves as a circumambulatory path (pradakshinapatha).
The stellate plan maximizes wall surface area for decorative relief panels.
3
Analyze Statement 3 regarding superstructure style.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Hoysala architecture is a prominent manifestation of the Vesara style (a fusion of Dravida horizontal tiers and Nagara profile elements), characterized by stepped pyramidal towers with kalasa finials rather than pure curvilinear Nagara latina spires with monolithic amalakas.
Curvilinear latina spires with prominent crowning amalakas are characteristic of northern Nagara styles (e.g., Kalinga or Solanki architecture).

Key Concept

Hoysala Temple Architectural Features (Vesara style, chloritic schist material, stellate plan, and raised jagati)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Cultural Heritage, Art, Architecture, Bhakti and Sufi Movements

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