The Nagara or The North Indian Temple Style

The art, architectural and sculpture remains that have survived, majority of them (Ancient and Medieval India) are associated with a religion. Most of these are associated with a temple. The style of temple architecture that became popular in northern India is known as nagara. Various religious structures that have been erected are often dedicated to a local cult or forest deities.

Temple Style of North India 

Northern India

• In North India, it is normal for a whole sanctuary to be based on a stone stage with steps paving the way to it
• Unlike in South India, it doesn’t ordinarily have elaborate limit dividers or doors
• Sanctuaries had only one pinnacle or shikharas, later sanctuaries had a few
• The Deogarh is constantly found straightforwardly under the tallest pinnacle

Depending on the shape of the shikhara, following are the subdivisions of Nagara temples:

• Rekha-Prasad/Latina Type: It is the most common and simplest type of shikhara
• It is square at the base
• The top is called the ‘latina’ or the rekha-prasada type 

Phamsana Type

• It is the second major type of architectural form in the nagara order.
• Structures will generally be more extensive
• Their roofs are composed of several slabs that gently rise to a single point over the centre of the building and slope upwards on a straight incline
• In numerous North Indian sanctuaries, this plan is utilized for the mandapas while the principle garbhagriha is housed in a Latina building 

 Valabhi Type: It is the third main sub-type of the nagara order.

• Buildings are rectangular with a roof that rises into a vaulted chamber called the valabhi type
• The edge of this vaulted chamber is adjusted, similar to the bamboo or wooden carts that would have been drawn by bullocks in old occasions
• They are generally called cart vaulted structures
• It is influenced by ancient building forms that were already in existence before the fifth century CE

Central India

• Some of the most established enduring underlying sanctuaries from the Gupta Period are in Madhya Pradesh
• These are relatively modest-looking shrines
• Each has four pillars supporting a small mandapa that looks like a simple, square, porch-like extension before an equally small room that serves as the garbhagriha
• Two important temples are at

Udaigiri: It is on the edges of Vidisha and is a piece of a bigger Hindu complex of cavern places of worship

Sanchi: It is near the Sanchi stupa and is the first temple to have a flat roof

Some Prominent Temples

Deogarh Temple, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh

• It was built in the early sixth century CE, after the small temples of Sanchi and Udaygiri
• It belongs to the late Gupta Period type of temple architecture
• The sanctuary is west-bound, which is more uncommon, as most sanctuaries are east or north-bound
• It has a fabulous entryway with standing models of female figures addressing the Ganga on the left side and the Yamuna on the right side
• It has a panchayatana style of architecture: Main shrine is built on a rectangular plinth with four smaller subsidiary shrines at the four corners (making it a total number of five shrines, hence the name, panchayatana)
• The temple depicts Vishnu in various forms

• The three principal reliefs of Vishnu on the sanctuary dividers are: Sheshashayana on the south, Nara-Narayan on the east and Gajendramoksha on the west

Lakshmana Temple at Khajuraho

It represents the full-fledged developed style of temple architecture.

• It is dedicated to Vishnu and was completed in 954 by the Chandela king, Yashovarman

• As a Nagara Temple, it is placed on a high platform accessed by the stairs

• It comprises an ardha-mandapa (yard), mandapa (patio), maha-mandapa (more prominent lobby) and garbhagriha with vimana
• The Temple plan is of a Panchayatana type. Among the four hallowed places on each edge of the sanctuary, there are pictures of Vishnu in three sanctuaries and Surya in one
• There are four smaller temples in the corners, and all the towers or shikharas rise high, upward in a curved pyramidal fashion topped with crowning elements:

• Amalak: horizontal fluted disc
• Kalash: a vase

 Decoration

• The outer walls of the garbhagriha and the outer and inner walls around the circumambulatory path are decorated with sculptures
• The inside lobbies are additionally improved bountifully
• The entry to the garbhagriha is etched with substantial voluminous columns and lintels cut with little pictures
• The temple also has projecting balconies and verandas
• Thus very different from Deogarh

Other 

Major Temples at Khajuraho Madhya Pradesh

Kandariya Mahadeo Temple

• It is the epitome of temple architecture in Central India
• It is a massive structure and all the features of central Indian temples of the medieval period are present
• Khajuraho’s sanctuaries are known for their broad suggestive figures Numerous Hindu sanctuaries highlight mithun (accepting few) models
• Normally, they are set at the entry of the sanctuary or on an outside divider or they may likewise be put on the dividers between the mandapa and the primary altar
• Khajuraho’s figures are exceptionally stylised with run-of-the-mill highlights: they are in practically full help, remove from the encompassing stone, with sharp noses, conspicuous jaws, long inclining eyes, and eyebrows
• The temples at Khajuraho are all made of sandstone
• Most of the temples at Khajuraho are devoted to Hindu gods
• There are some Jain temples as well

Chausanth Yogini Temple

• It is a Jain Temple and belongs to the 10th century
• It is a temple of small, square shrines of roughly hewn granite blocks
• Each shrine is dedicated to devis or goddesses associated with the rise of Tantric worship after the seventh century
• Several such temples were also dedicated to the cult of the yoginis and are found across Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and even as far south as Tamil Nadu

Conclusion

Most of the art and architectural remains that survive from ancient and medieval India are religious in nature. But, it does not mean that during that time people did not have art in their homes. Generally,  domestic dwellings and the things were made from materials like wood and clay which may have perished, or were made of metal (like iron, bronze, silver and even gold) which was melted down and reused from time to time. Also, religious shrines at that time were made for many local cults in villages and forest areas and may have vanished.