Jagati (temple)

As Jagati in Indian architecture which increases lying platforms are referred to, on which most temples in northern India - later all major tombs of the Mughal period - resting of.

Dissemination

The Jagati platforms are mainly distributed in northern India, but also in Central or South India they come in significantly lower form ( eg Hoysala temples of Belur and Somnathpur ). Was the temple of the Chola dynasty in Tamil Nadu are indeed raised on a pedestal-like base, the base of which is not greater than that of the temple, so that one way to increase circumambulation ( pradakshina ) of the temple is not given (eg Brihadishvara - Temple in Thanjavur ).

Function

Already the early Jagati platforms had several functions: First, it protected the temple from water leaks during heavy rains (thunderstorms, monsoons ) or free-roaming animals (cattle, sheep, etc. ); secondly, it allowed the believers the ritual circumambulation ( pradakshina ), without getting muddy shoes or dirty animal faeces, which would have ultimately a corresponding pollution of the Temple result. In addition, the aufruhende on the platform building received a visual - and thus also symbolic - " increase ".

Development

The early free-standing temple of the Gupta period were in almost flat terrain (eg, Sanchi, Temple No. 17 or Kankali Devi Temple in Tigawa ); the later Gupta Temple already had a strong platform of about 1.50 meters in height (eg Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh, Parvati Temple at Nachna; Shiva temple in Bhumara ), which allowed an increased circumambulation of the temple. Even later came the temple - depending on terrain - without platforms (eg Ramesvara Mahadeva Temple, Amrol or Maladevi temple in Gyraspur ). In the heyday of the Indian temple building, that is, in the 10th - 12th However century rested most of the temples on platforms (eg, Lakshmana Temple and Kandariya Mahadeva Temple at Khajuraho ) could easily be 2.50 meters high in the north of India.

Mughal mausoleums

Were the early Islamic mausoleums of India in the time of the Delhi Sultanate still in flat or - Erdanschüttungen - only slightly elevated terrain (Lodi Gardens ), as already rises which founded the Mughal architecture, Humayun's Tomb, on a clear raised stone platform. All major later tombs of the Mughal follow this example ( Akbar 's Tomb, Itmad -ud- Daula 's mausoleum, Taj Mahal, Bibi- Ka Maqbara, and others). Although the Muslims was unknown a ritual circumambulation of their religious and Memorialbauten, the reasons for the construction of platforms are likely to be otherwise have been basically the same as in the older temples of Hindus.