Pyramids in Indian Temple Architecture

The traditional Indian architecture is extremely simple and straightforward.

The simple techniques of construction were utilized to build some of the glorious and magnificent buildings that have withstood the test of time. Structural elements like columns and beams were carefully integrated within the buildings to meet the needs of religious and cultural traditions. The vast freedom available to the sthapaka and sthapathi in the design of temples and other spiritual buildings resulted in the development of overwhelming wealth of architectural elements, variety of sculptural forms and decorative exuberances that has become the everlasting symbol of Indian Temple Architecture.

Pyramid of Indian Temple Architecture

The shikhara remains the most outstanding element of the temple and the gateway is usually modest. The prakaras or the walls surrounding the garbha griha were built around the whole complex and were oriented to the cardinal directions. These enclosures had elaborate and magnificent gateways (gopurams) that led the devotees into the sacred courtyard.

Even the most worshipped and sacred Sri Chakra or Meru Chakra in hindusim is pyramid shaped.

A temple is the seat of divinity and is also a sacred institution that aims at giving mental and physical solace to the devotee. The Garbhagruha (Garbhagudi) or sanctum sanctorum encompasses the center or the nabhi of the superstructure. From the square shape of the Garbhagruha to the final (which is a point) is the shikara. This curved form is identified in modern times as the pyramid. The shikara normally refers to the superstructure of the sanctum sanctorum and is the most important part of the temple. The pyramidal superstructure has a number of storeys. The shikara can be a square, circular, hexagonal (6 sides) or octagonal (8 sides). The vertical growth of Shikara is also sometimes used to designate the whole superstructure of the temple.

The term Shikara is frequently mentioned at several places in the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha when referring to the ‘Prasada’ or temple. While the shikara generally refers to the curvilinear vertical growth of the sanctum sanctorum, the gopurams or gate towers refer to the gateways to the various enclosures and a temple. These are also pyramid shaped and the cross-section is reduced as they go up.

Shikara Rules

Generally the pyramidal superstructure has four or eight triangles joined if the garbhagriha was square or rectangular and round shaped if the sanctum sanctorum was circular. The superstructure was solid or hollow. The shikara generally comprises of three parts:

1 The recessed storeys

2 Enclosure surrounding each storey.

3 The dome (stupi or kalasa) rising above the last storey also called the Vimana or Harmya

In certain temples the shikara is formed by placing a flat roof on four pillars. Another slab is placed over the shikara. Slab upon slab diminishing in size as they go up are placed one above the other, topped by a perforated ring stone, known as the amalaka, forming a step pyramid. The added weight of the slabs keeps the roof in position. Many a time an upper chamber for the shrine was introduced for greatly reducing mass and weight.

The surrounding walls around the sanctum sanctorum, which have gateways or

gopurams, also have pyramid shaped roofs with diminishing tiers as they go up, with the outermost enclosure referred as mahamayada. The immediate enclosure around the garbhagriha, known as the Prasada towers above it like a pyramid with diminishing tiers and is also known as the shikara.

The celestial power drawn through the shikaras gives the deity effulgence and metaphysical power. The shikara apart from being a roof for the sanctum sanctorum is also a symbol of divine sanctity giving significant emphasis to the garbhagriha and the principal deity of the central divinity. The top of the shikara tapers to a finial and is known as the kalasa or stupika. One of the learned writers on Temple architecture says that the height of each storey of the pyramidal superstructure diminishes in arithmetical progression, being one-fourth or one-third less than the lower storey, the ground floor not being included.

Pyramids

Pyramids are synonymous with Egypt. In recent times these structures with four triangular sides standing over a square base have entered the domain of Vastu and are being prescribed for many of the imbalances of a building – residential or business. Egypt is a land of pyramids and we have Egyptologists and pyramidologists doing research and throwing light on the antiquity and mystery surrounding them. Egyptologists are archaeologists who specialize studying the ancient Egyptian artefacts.

The term pyramid is derived from the Greek words pyra meaning fire, light, or visible, and the word midos meaning measures. It is also translated to mean fire at the center. This word perhaps denotes the great hidden power of these structures with a square base and four triangular sides that rise upwards to a finial.

Even though Egypt is synonymous with pyramids, we find them in other parts of the world such as China, Mexico, Spain, France, Siberia, Central America, Greece, Cambodia and other countries. The pyramids of Egypt are traced to at least 4000 years back. The Giza pyramids of Egypt date back to about 2500 B.C. The Giza pyramids are generally identified with three major pyramids – Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) or the Great Pyramid, the pyramid of Chephren (Khafu) and the pyramid of Mycerinus (Menkaure). This apart the area spread over thirteen acres of land has six or more smaller pyramids. A remarkable feature of the Giza pyramids is that they are aligned with great precision to the cardinal directions.

The lengths of the four sides of the base of the Great Pyramid are amazingly equal measuring an average of 755.5 feet. The great pyramid, known as the eighth wonder of the world is said to have been built over a period of several decades using 2.3 million limestone bricks weighing an average of two and half to fifteen tons each. It rises up to a height of 481 feet. Several theories are put forth on how such these giant blocks were put in place to create the perfect pyramid. One theory tells us that a ramp, straight or spiral, was raised as the construction carried on. These ramps helped in pushing up the blocks into place.

The entrance to the great pyramid is on the north. The pyramid contains four chambers. The King’s Chamber, lying at a height identified with the pyramid’s center, can be reached only through a narrow passage located at the northern face. A number of corridors, galleries and airshafts lead to the chamber. These pyramids served as burial places for the Egyptian Kings known as pharaohs. A series of other chambers are found above the King’s chamber. Each side of the Great Pyramid rises at an angle of 51 degrees 51 minutes to the top. Not only that, each of the sides are aligned almost exactly with true north, south, east, and west. Vastu texts consider the proper orientation to the cardinal directions as of great significance while referring to the Yoni aspect of the Ayadi Shadvargas.

There are many similarities between the Hindu Shikaras and the Egyptian pyramids. We have referred to Step pyramids. In fact, they are similar to the shikaras with the diminishing storeys that is considered in Vastu Shastra. While the Shikaras drew the cosmic energies into the garbagriha to flood the sanctum sanctorum with divinity, the pyramids drew the cosmic energies to preserve the bodies of the Pharoah Kings who were considered divine. In the villages of India, we even find huts that have tops in the shape of pyramids. It is interesting to note that while pyramids are said to keep foodstuff fresh, the prasadams and other offerings in the garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum of a temple also remain fresh for a long time.

Whether you call it a shikara or pyramid, it is a fact that the shape of these structures influences the flow of energy from the universe and this energy helps in enhancing the overall quality of our life. The most important thing to recognize is that many of their architectural and construction features are similar to that used in Indian temples built thousands of years ago.

It appears that in earlier times people from Egypt and possibly from various other countries did travel to India to learn about its architectural and construction features. A look at the pyramids clearly reinforces the fact that there was a compatible interaction and understanding between the cultures of Egypt and India in the science of Vastu Shastra.

Shri Chakra Yantra with Pyramid Power

Sri Chakra in the Pyramids and in the Indian Temples assuredly channelise the bio-energy continuously. To correct the aura of an individual. To clean a place of unwanted energy interference. Toward off evil. To correct vastu defects. To increase happiness and contentment. To reach one’s goal in life.

In Puja Room

Sri Chakra energised with Cosmic power in the Puja Room helps to protect the home. Also the benefits of visits to several Sri Chakra installed temples is captured in this specially formulated Sri Chakra. The vibration of ancient temples is now here at your home from the puja room. Our body is not only a bio-chemical entity. It is a product of bio-chemical and electro-magnetic energy fields, wrapped by protective and life sustaining bio-energy exchanges with the cosmos. The proper flow of bio-energy is ensured by this Sri Chakra. The pacified system of Sri Chakra calls for no restrictive practices or rituals. It’s very presence uitself is beneficial.

Hindu City - Hidden in secret - Angkor Wat

Ankor Wat

One of the most archeological site of South East Asia, stretching over 400 km2 along with the forested area is Angkor which is the name formally given to the region of Cambodia which served as the base of Khmer empire that bloomed from 13th to 19th century A.D. The word Angkor is actually originated from the Sanskrit word "nagara" which literally resembles a city.The Khmer Hindu monarch King Jayavarman II who called himself as the universal monarch and god-king of Cambodia began the Angkorian period by 800 A.D

Sunset at Ankor Wat

The Angkor Civilization or Khmer Civilization is the name given to an important civilization of southeast Asia, including all of Cambodia and southeastern Thailand and northern Vietnam, with its classic period dated roughly between 800 to 1300 AD. It is also the name of one of the medieval Khmer capital cities, containing some of the most spectacular temples in the world.

It is actually located 200 miles north-west of current capital  city Phnom Penh and is surrounded by jungle. The nearby town of Siem Riep has become a tourist destination on account of Angkor. The city of Angkor is filled with more than a thousand temples and other architectural accomplishments but the greatest sight is the temple of Angkor Wat. 

History 

The ancestors of the Angkor civilization are thought to have migrated into Cambodia along the Mekong River during the 3rd millennium BC. Their original center, established by 1000 BC, was located on the shore of large lake called Tonle Sap, but a truly sophisticated (and enormous) irrigation system allowed the spread of the civilization into the countryside away from the lake.

Hidden temple in Ankor Wat

The Khmer society was a cosmopolitan blend of Pali and Sanskrit rituals resulting from a combined Hindu and High Buddhist belief system, probably the effects of Cambodia's role in the extensive trade system connecting Rome, India and China during the last few centuries BC.The Khmer society was led by an extensive court system with both religious and secular nobles, artisans, fishermen and rice farmers, soldiers, and elephant keepers; Angkor was protected by an army using elephants. The end of Angkor came in the mid-14th century, and was partly brought about by a change in religious belief in the region, from Hinduism and High Buddhism to more democratic Buddhist practices. At the same, an environmental collapse is seen by some scholars as having a role in the disappearance of Angkor.

Dawn at Ankor Wat

The place is famous for several stone temples ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored, and together they comprise the most significant site of Khmer architecture. Visitor numbers approach two million annually. In the year 2007 the place was declared as the largest preindustrial city of the world covering an urban area of about 3000 square kilomaters.

Sunset at Ankor

The temples of Angkor, built by the Khmer civilization between 802 and 1220 AD, represent one of humankind's most astonishing and enduring architectural achievements. From Angkor the Khmer kings ruled over a vast domain that reached from Vietnam to China to the Bay of Bengal. The structures one sees at Angkor today, more than 100 stone temples in all, are the surviving remains of a grand religious, social and administrative metropolis whose other buildings - palaces, public buildings, and houses - were built of wood and are long since decayed and gone.

Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings.

About Temples

Full view Ankor Wat

Many of the temples of the area are Buddhist, but Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple dedicated to the God Vishnu. The temple is surrounded by a moat and encompasses an area of 1,500m by 1,300m (approximately 1 square mile). There are numerous smaller buildings that make up the Angkor Wat compound, and there is elaborate sculpture and carving on every surface. The bas-relief carvings show scenes from mythology, ancient battles, and other aspects of Khmer life. The 5 rounded towers give the temple a distinctive profile. Angkor Wat took 37 years to complete with a work force of more than 50,000 men.

The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.Dedicated to the Hindu Gods Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu. It was a holy place for many. But soon in the ruling of King Jayavaraman VII decided that the Gods of Hinduism had failed him. Buddhism was prevalent in the construction of Angkor Thom, a new nearby capital. The Hindu decorations and deities were replaced by Buddhist carvings, statues, and other art, when it became a Buddhist shrine. 

Ankor

The entire city where Angkor Wat is located extends fifteen miles (24 kilometers) from east to west and eight miles (13 kilometers) north to south. Around the temples the terrain is landscaped by and intricate system of reservoirs, canals, and moats that were used for water control and irrigation. The whole system symbolized the Hindu thought of a central mountain, Mt. Meru, a dwelling place for the Gods. Angkor Wat's five central towers represent the peaks of the holy mountain. The enormous moat surrounding the shrine suggests the oceans at the edge of the world. 

The GAP - Great Angkor Project conducted recent work using radar remote sensing applications to map the city and the surroundings. They result showed that the city covers an area of about 3000 square kilometers and consists of several temples. agricultural farms, residences and hydraulic network and thus making it a world's largest pre-industrial city of the earth.

Architecture

Conventional theories presume the lands where Angkor stands were chosen as a settlement site because of their strategic military position and agricultural potential. Alternative scholars, however, believe the geographical location of the Angkor complex and the arrangement of its temples was based on a planet-spanning sacred geography from archaic times. Using computer simulations it has been shown that the ground plan of the Angkor complex – the terrestrial placement of its principal temples - mirrors the stars in the constellation of Draco at the time of spring equinox in 10,500 BC. While the date of this astronomical alignment is far earlier than any known construction at Angkor, it appears that its purpose was to architecturally mirror the heavens in order to assist in the harmonization of the earth and the stars. Both the layout of the Angkor temples and iconographic nature of much its sculpture, particularly the asuras (‘demons’) and devas (‘deities’) are also intended to indicate the celestial phenomenon of the precession of the equinoxes and the slow transition from one astrological age to another.

Style and Architecture

Temple

The Angkor wat temple is the prime example of Khmer architecture. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone  as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. Angkor Wat has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design, which has been compared to the architecture of ancient Greece or Rome. 

Things to see

The city was accordingly built around a central temple on a hill, which symbolized Mount Meru, the home of the gods.The central tower of each temple also represented Mount Meru. The outer walls of the temple represented the mountains that were believed to encircle the cosmos.

River side Ankor

The many waterways, canals and moats of Angkor served a dual purpose: they symbolized the waters of the cosmos and improved water control and rice irrigation.

Angkor Wat consists of five central shrines, encircled by a moat and three galleries. On the west side of the complex a paved causeway, leading over the moat and under a magnificent portico, extends for a distance of a quarter of a mile to the chief entrance of the main building.

The western exterior forecourt of the main temple contains two "libraries," or smaller temple structures. As of 2004, the library on the left was under renovation by a Japanese archeological team.The area surrounding the exterior moat is a lawned park, incongruous in Cambodia.

Bramha Ankor

Khmer decoration, profuse but harmonious, consists chiefly in the representation of gods, men and animals, which are displayed on every flat surface. Combats and legendary episodes are often depicted; floral decoration is reserved chiefly for borders, mouldings and capitals. 

Vishnu

Sandstone of various colours was the chief material employed by the Khmers; limonite was also used. The stone was cut into huge blocks which are fitted together with great accuracy without the use of cement.

Visitors to Angkor Wat take away varied impressions of these amazing temples. Some gain insight into Buddhism or archaeology, and some relate their experience as connecting with the spiritual energy of the temples. The one common thread, though, is the visitors' impressions of sunrise and sunset. 

The skies over Angkor always put on a show; if you time it right, you can see the dawn or the day's afterglow framed in temple spires or glowing off the main wat. Here are a few hints for catching the magic hours at the temples:

Monks Walking

• The sunrise and sunset views from the upper terraces of Angkor Wat itself are some of the best, though it's a tough climb for some. Ignore half-hearted entreaties by staff to leave after the first clears of the horizon at sunset; stay for the afterglow.
• It's a bit crowded, but the views from Phnom Bakeng (Bakeng Hill), just a short drive past the entrance to Angkor Wat, is stunning at both sunrise and sunset. It's a good little climb up the hill, and those so inclined can go by elephant.
• The open area on the eastern side of Banteay Kdei looks over one of Angkor's many reservoirs, this one full and a great reflective pool for the rising glow at sunrise.
• For the best view of the temples, hands down, contact Helicopters Cambodia Ltd., at tel. 023/213-706. For a hefty fee, you can see the sites from any angle you choose.

Lost and Rediscovered

Angkor was abandoned in the mid 1400s when the Thai armies invaded. With few records surviving from that time, there are no solid facts as to the historical events that took place. It's believed that the capital was moved to Phnom Penh around 1434.

Painting

The ruins of Angkor Wat were rediscovered in 1860 by a French botanist, Henri Mouhot, who was exploring the Cambodian jungles. This lost civilization was of great interest to Western archaeologists and historians who flocked to the site to learn more about the Khmer. Before the ruins were found, even the locals thought the existence of the temple city was likely a myth. Some who had seen the city said that it had been built by the Gods themselves

After the city of Angkor fell to invaders, Angkor Wat receded into the jungle but continued as a Buddhist temple and a pilgrimage site over the centuries.Angkor Wat is the best preserved example of Khmer architecture in Cambodia and is so grand in design that some rank it among the seven wonders of the world.

The historical and mysterious beauty of the archeological city Angkor is a very familiar tourist spot and the culture and religious nature of the temple is well preserved by the visitors and also by the local settlers. The historical story related behind the establishment of the city and the temple is simply inspiring and interesting and these temples serve as the witness of the myths.

ANKOR WAT

Vishnu Temple - treasure of stone hidden in the jungles (Angkor Wat)

Ancient Indian Temple - Angkor Wat - Cambodia

In the north-east of Cambodia, 300 km from its capital Phnom Penh, can be found the capital of the ancient Khmer empire, Angkor. Hidden during centuries in the middle of the jungle, it was totally isolated from the rest of the world until the year 1860 when French missionaries discovered it.

Angkor

The origin of this city is placed in the reign of Jayavarman ll. (810-850 AD), founder of the Khmer Empire, who initiated the cult of the Hindu deities, and the splendour lasted till approximately the year 1225. The architectural complex, which occupies an extension of 400 km2, is composed of monumental temples built during this period and are a jewel of Indian art. In 1992 the UNESCO named the entire monumental complex of Angkor as forming the Patrimony of Mankind.

The main temples temple groups are Angkor Thom, Ta Prom and Angkor Wat. The oldest ones were built with bricks, in the subsequent ones laterite was used, a coloured mud stone, and the most recent are of sandstone.

What is most striking about the Temple of Ta Prom, the only one that has not been restored, is that nature has been gaining territory and the trees, their enormous roots have invaded the monuments, forming a part of the sculpture complex. In Angkor Thom the temple Bayon is found, which was built in the X11 century under the reign of Jayavarman V11, it has a moat of 100 metres depth and an extension of 12 km, which protected a population of around one million persons.

Indian got statue in Angkor

Its tower of 45 m height is crowned by four enormous sculpted heads and surrounded by 54 minor towers, each of them with four smiling heads that, supposedly, represent the king himself.

The most representative temple of the entire complex is the so called Angkor Wat, dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu, ordered to be built by the king Suryavarnam II, who reigned between the years 1131 and 1150 AD It is calculated that for the construction of this temple the same quantity of stone was used as for the construction of the big Egyptian pyramid of Cheops, in Gizeh. Thirty years were needed for the construction. This temple is oriented towards the West, contrary to the other temples, which are oriented towards the East. Five towers of perfect symmetry that represent the five hills of the mountain Meru, the house of the gods and the centre of the Hindu universe form it. A moat and three galleries surround the five central sanctuaries. It has the biggest relieves of the world, which narrate histories from the Hindu mythology. The whole complex occupies two square kilometres and is the biggest religious temple in the world.

The sculptures of the temple of Angkor Wat are in good condition since, after the decline of the ancient Khmer Empire, it became a Buddhist temple and was continuously maintained, which has helped in the conservation, contrary to the other temples of Angkor. What it has not escaped, as is also case of the great majority of monuments in the east, has been from plunder and pillage. Even the torsos of the relieves have been taken away, as can be seen in the images.

Complete Angkor Wat 

The history of Angkor Wat goes back to the second century after Christ, an epoch in which the reign of Funan, of Indian origin, was established. Indian traders settled in the area and during four centuries there was an age of prosperity and tranquillity. The site being located in the transit area between China and India, Hinduism and Chinese Buddhism influenced the habitants, which are reflected in their temples, bringing to mind those of the North of India and Nepal.

The reign of Funan fell in the year 600 against the reign of Chenla, ending commerce with India and the empire from Indonesia came to power. In the year 800 the reign of Kambuja was established, the head of which was Jayavarman I, who built several towns close to Angkor Wat, he was responsible for many social changes and increased his empire towards the north and the east. During centuries Kambuja lived a period of prosperity.

The King Suryavarnam, in the year 1000 planned the construction of the city of Angkor, a task continued by his successor, Udayadityavarnam II, who restored several temples and under whose reign Angkor became at the same time a sacred city and the centre of a vast irrigation system. The expansion lasted two more centuries, a period in which the temple of Angkor Wat was built. But in the beginning of the year 1200 the empires of Khmer and Angkor began to decay. The Thai empire emerged as the most powerful of the area and the conquests of the Khmer empire by the Thai empire lead to the definite abandoning of the city of Angkor. The forest became the master during centuries of many of these temples.

Panorama view of Angkor

Since the year 1908 the Conservatory of Angkor is responsible for the maintenance of the temples, depending on the Government of Cambodia. The civil war that lasted 30 years till the seventies, in which the Khmer Rouge massacred many Buddhists as a part of the social reorganisation, did not do much damage to the temples, several temples were moved to museums for their protection.

The temples currently are being restored with the collaboration of archaeologists from all over the world. But the world can today marvel once again at this masterpiece of stone, and among the ruins contemplate the passage of time and so much history and bygone eras.