Wooden temple architecture

THE VAST mountainous Western Himalayan region within the Indian territory comprises Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. But they have very long and common history and socio- cultural inheritance. This commonness is reflected in religious beliefs, social customs and practices and art and architectural forms and styles. Including as it does many ethnic groups, distinctive localised peculiarities are also to be seen.

The author describes in detail various ethnic groups like the Gujjars, Khashas, Gaddis, Kiratas, Mons, Dards and Hunjas. They lend diversity to the cultural milieu with an underlying coherence and unity. This unity in diversity is reflected in the art forms, particularly in the much-neglected wooden temples and the deities housed in them.

The study is divided into two parts. The first is about the raciocultural background responsible for the evolution of the wooden temple architecture. The second part is the classification and typologies of the wooden temples based on their elevational peculiarities and other features. The author has also tried to dispel certain incongruities in the usage of terms like ``pagodas''.

In the chapter on Pantheology, he describes the various cults that were popular among different ethnic groups. Some of them are the cults of Naga, Mahashu, Jamalu, Dom, Sirgul, Bijat, Bavindra and Maishurs. The impact of the Brahmanical traditions is seen in the cults of Vedic sages, Hindu gods and goddesses, cults of Pandavas besides Buddhist cults.

There are temples for Pandava brothers at Masalik, temple for Manu Rishi and for Duryodhana at Saur, Karna at Deorah, Nagadevata at Pangi, Hidimba Devi at Dhungri (Manali).

Based on extensive field survey and analysis, the author has outlined seven broad types based on their elevation. They are: cabled roof temples, common in Chamba and a few in Kullu valley; composite-roofed temples, e.g. Vishnu temple at Sajala; tower temples e.g. Thainag Devata temple at Harwani; multi-tiered pyramidical temple, normally with conical top e.g. Tripurasundari Temple at Nagar and Triyogi Narayana Temple at Deyar; canopied composite roofed temples, e.g. Mahadeva temples at Behna and Shamshar (near Ani), Dakshineshwar temple at Nirmad; Bhavani temple at Mannan near Shilari, Markula Devi Temple at Udaipur; circular-roofed temples e.g. Durga temple at Sharai-koti located in a mountain peak in the Indus-Tibetan mule road; composite temple is the type in which the classical stone temples and the later wooden superstructure have been combined e.g. the well- known pilgrim centre Mahasu Devata Temple at Hanol, associated with Chakrapur from where the Pandavas escaped from Lakshamandap in the Jamuna.

Profusely illustrated with colour photographs and drawings, the volume is a valuable contribution to the cultural and architectural study of the little known wooden architectural gems of the Western Himalayas.

K. V. RAMAN

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