The Kampaharesvara Temple at Tribhuvanam (An Old and Rare Book) Only 1 Quantity Available

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The Kampaharesvara temple represents an important landmark, since there are several features of south Indian temple-architecture that underwent qualitative change in this very temple." How this last of the great Chola temples is an important landmark, and whether the qualitative changes manifested in this temple improve the aesthetic appeal, or do they exhibit a decadence, are the points that are brought out vividly in this monograph by Sri H. Sarkar; the Tamilnadu State Department of Archaeology is thankful to him for kindly agreeing to have it published as one of the publications of this Department. Here is a monograph that gives adequate treatment to the Tribhuvanam temple with a measured plan, detailed drawings of the adhishthanas, a glossary and select photographs. However, for reasons beyond our control, the photographs have not come as one would like to have them.

Sarkar has presented in this work many important aspects of south Indian temple-architecture, hitherto unnoticed. The chapter on the "Architecture of Four Great Temples" is refreshingly an original contribution to the study of south Indian temple-architecture. He has collected vast data on the proportion of height of superstructure in relation to that of sanctum of some of the important temples of the south. While in Orissa the proportion between the height of the sanctum and the height of the vimana has reached a ratio of 1:7, in the south it never seemed to have gone beyond 1:3, which clearly shows emphasis on horizontality of the south Indian temples. That the temples of Tanjore, Gangaikondacholapuram, Darasuram and Tribhuvanam belong to the Mukhya-vimana type is an interesting classification. Sri Sarkar's observations, that the variations introduced in the temple of Tanjore and Gangaikondacholapuram are possibly intended to impart distinct personality seems to be valid.