Dravidian

(adjective)

An architectural idiom that emerged in the Southern part of the Indian subcontinent or South India, consisting primarily of temples with pyramid shaped towers that are constructed of sandstone, soapstone, or granite. 

Related Terms

Examples of Dravidian in the following topics:

  • Architecture of Hindu Temples

    • Hindu architecture, representing a plurality of beliefs, is commonly divided into the northern Nagara and southern Dravidian styles.
    • In the southern Dravidian style, the tower or gopuram consists of progressive smaller stories of pavilions.
    • Differentiate between the northen Nagara and southern Dravidian styles of Hindu temple architecture

  • Southern Style Temples in Southeast Asia

    • Dravidian architecture was an architectural idiom that emerged in the Southern part of the Indian subcontinent, or South India.
    • Dravidian-style temples consist almost invariably of the three following parts, arranged in differing manners according to the age in which they were executed:

  • Nayak Architecture

    • The temple has 10 ornate gopurams and a hall with 985 pillars, each of which is a sculpture in the Dravidian style.
    • Nayak civic architecture combines Dravidian and Islamic styles, as exemplified by the palace erected by King Thirumalai Nayak of the Madurai Nayak dynasty in 1636 CE.