EVOLUTION OF TEMPLE ELEVATIONAL FORM WITH SQUARE CIRCLE METHOD: LAKSHMAN TEMPLE IN SIRPUR

Abstract

One of the fundamental methods for shaping the constructional geometry of any building is the use of basic shapes: circles and squares. The circle represents vitality or energy, while the square represents strength. In world history, the concept of geometry traces its origins to construction in Egypt and Babylonia, where proportional systems were described through mathematical equations. They later became known as the Pythagorean Theorem, named after Pythagoras. In Ancient India, the concept of geometry starts with the construction of altars for Vedic sacrifices, as per the instructions of the Śulbasūtras. This involved creating circles and squares, converting squares to circles and vice versa, resulting in altars of various shapes and proportionate systems. The intersection of these basic shapes, the square and the circle, is the key to constructional building geometry. For instance, Vesica Piscis is a geometrical element derived from the circle-circle intersection. It has been applied by researchers to examine the geometry of both ancient and modern buildings. Similarly, the Square-Circle Sequence (SCS) is a method derived from the square-circle intersection. Gandotra (2011) used it to study the constructional geometry of the Hindu temples in North India (Nāgara temples). Meister (1985) also applied the square-circle intersection geometric constructional method to define the proportionate system of the Hindu temples in India. Finally, this study attempts to correlate these types of constructional geometry in the evolution of elevational form of Nāgara temples through Lakshman temple in Sirpur. It determines that the building’s elevational form may be derived from the basic shapes of the circle and the square.