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Home > Temples of Kerala > Ground Plan Ground PlanAs per the ground-plan the sreekovils distinctly fall under five types based on the shape viz square (sama-chathura), oblong (rectangle or deerka-chathura), of which the first three types are commonly seen. Elliptical type of sreekovils are rare. Apsidal temples the West Cost according to Sarkar are of five sub-types viz (i) apsidal both internally and externally with width/length ratio of nearly 1:1.5 (ii)semicircular with width/length ratio of nearly 1:1; (iii)apsidal internally but oblong externally and (iv)apsidal externally but oblong internally; and (v)the combination of (i)with (ii)Of these, semi circular sub types are common in North Kerala with few exceptions.All sreekovils belong either to nirandhaara(without an inner ambulatory passage)or saandhaara(with an inner ambulatory passage)type.The discernible features of the axial plan are (i)with garbha-grha alone and (ii) garbha-grha with mukha-mandapa.Mukha-mandapa is a pillared hall or an ante-chamber,(either closed or open)or porch at the front main entrance of the sreekovil.Diagram 7 gives the following types of sreekovils59 as brought out by Sarkar.
Diagram 7 gives only a glimpse of the treasure of architectural excellence of selected 47 sreekovils in Kerala.As the sreekovils is considered the abode of God,the supreme being,every care is taken for its construction,with respect to architecture,beauty,serenity and above all security,as is evident from these sketches.Of the above five board categories of sreekovils square,rectangular and circular types of sreekovils are more common.Circular types are peculiar to Southern Kerala.Rectangular temples which mostly are those of Goddesses or Saastha are also seen in the State.Apsidal sreekovils are seen in Northern and Central Kerala and are rare in other parts of the State.There is only one elliptical sreekovil in Kerala..It is worth-while to cite examples of important sreekovils falling under square,rectangular,circular,elliptical and apsidal categories,having architectural or historical importance.It is further to be noted that these sketches in Diagram 7 depict the ground plans of some selected temples which have some distinct characteristics. I. Square The square sreekovils of importance are Sree AnanthaPadmanabhaswamy temple,Ananthapura(near Kumbla)and Sree Mallikarjuna temple at Kasaragod of Kasaragod district.Sree Rajarajeswara temple at Taliparambu,Sree Subramanya Temple at Peralasseri and Sree Suryanarayana temple at Kathirur of Kannur district;Sree Thali (Siva) temple at Kozhikode of Kozhikode district;Sree Dakshinamoorthi temple at Edappal of Malappuram district,Sree Lakshmi-Narayana temple at Panniyur,Kai-Thali temple at Pattambi,Sree Thali temple at Ongallur and Sree Vishnu temple at Thirumittacode (near Pattambi)of Palakkad district;Sree Rama temple at Katavallur, Sree Maatatthilappan temple at Peruvanam(near Cherpu), Sree Siva temple at Thiruvanchikkulam and Sree Krishna temple at Thirukulasekharapuram(near Kodungallur) of Thrissur district ; Sree Siva temple at Kantiyoor (near Mavelikkara) of Alappuzha district ; Sree Rameswara temple at Kollam in Kollam district and Sree Bhagavathi temple at Thonnal (near Pallippuram) , Sree Mahadeva temple at Kazhakkuttam, Sree Brahma temple at Mithranandapuram (near West Fort, Thiruvanathapuram) and Sree Krishna temple (within Sree Padmanabhaswamy complex) of Thiruvananthapuram district. In Diagram 7 serial numbers 1 to 7 give details of square sreekovila without mukha-mandapa and 8 to 17 with mukha-mandapas. Key to Diagram 7
II Rectangular Rectangular sreekovils are of two categories with lesser width at the front of the shrine and without mukha-mandapa, as against the second category having great measurement at the front and lesser measurement on sides. The first category of temples are mostly seen of Gods, particularly Ayyapa / Saastha. the famous hill shrine of Ayyappa at Sabarimala falls in this category. on the other hand, temples of Goddesses have both types and that too with or without mukhamandapa. the examples of rectangular temples are the Thirumandhamkunnu Bhagavathi temple at Angatippuram of (Malappuram) district, the famous Bhadrakaali temple at Maataayi of Kannur district and Chamundi temple (Thozhuvancode) at Thiruvananthapuram corporation etc in diagram 7 the sketches of the rectangular temples of architectural significance are depicted as Sl. nos. 18 and 19 without mukhamandapa and 20 to 22 with mukha mandapa.
III. Circular Circular temples are seen throughout Kerala, prominent among them being Sree Narayana temple at Ramanthali of Kannur district; Sree Subramanya temple at Kotuvally of Kozhikode district; Sree Bhagavathi (Kunnathu ambalam) at Manjeri, Sree Thali (Siva) temple at Angatippuram and Sree Siva temple at Pulpatta of Malappuram district; Sree Krishna temple at Netherimangalam (Pattambi). Sree Siva shrine in the Sankaranarayana temple at Thiruvengappura Sree Siva temple at Perumkurissi, Sree Sankaranarayana(Rantumoorthi) temple of Thrikkangodu (near Ottappalam) and Sree Siva temple at Thirunellai(near Palakkad) of Palakkad district; Sree Thiruvembilappan (Siva) temple at Venganellur (near Chelakkara), Sree Siva temple at Avittatthur, Irattayappan Siva temple at Peruvanam, Sree Vadakkunaathan temple at Thrissur, Sree Rama temple at Thriprayar and Sree Koodalmaanikyam (Bharatha) temple at Irinjalakutta of Thrissur district, Sree Lakshmana-Perumal temple at Thirumoozhikkulam, Sree Vaamana temple at Thrikkakkara, Sree Perumthirikkovil(Siva) temples at Paazhur and Udayamperoor and Sree Mahadeva temple at Thrikkariyur (near Kothamanglam) of Ernakulam district; Sree Mahadeva temple at Ettumanoor, Sree Vishnu temple Thrikkannapuram , Sree Siva temple at Vazhappalli and Sree Mahavishnu (Narasimhamoortthi) temple at Thrikkodithanam at Kottayam district; Sree Mahavishnu temple at Thiruvanvandoor of Alappuzha district; Sree Siva temple at Kaviyur (near Thiruvalla), Sree Vallabha (Maha Vishnu)temple at Thiruvalla and Sree Parthhaasarathhy temple at Aranmula of pathanamthitta district; Sree Bhagavathi temple at Chittumala(East Kallada), Sree Thrikoteeswaram Mahadeva temple at Punalur and Chennamattu Mahadeva temple at Chathannur of Kollam district; Sree Janarddanaswamy temple at Varkala, Subramanya temple at Manambur, Sree Sankaranarayana temple at Navaikkulam, Sree Vishnu (Krishna) temple at Pirappancode, Sree Siva temple at Neeramankara, Sree Siva shrine Sree Parasurama temple at Thiruvallam, Sree Siva temple at Valia Udyeswaram, Sree Mahadeva temple at Valiasaala and Sree Subramanya temple at Vellanad of Thiruvanathapuram district. It may be noted that circular temples may also have square also garbha-grha. Sketches of the following circular temple having architectural excellence are given in Diagram 7(SI.No 23 to 36)of which SI. Nos 23 to 30 are without mukha-mandapa at 31 to 36 with mukha-mandapa. Of these the Sree Siva temple at Pulpalli (SI. No.23)incompletely ruined. The temple has no superstructure but has magnificent adhishtana and Sanskrit written in Naagaree scripts belong to the period of the middle of ninth century. The site is known as Ambalaparambu having extensive compound and a circular adhishtaana of gigantic proportion. The prathista is swayambhoo.
IV. Elliptical 3.8 Through laid down in Vaasthu-saasthras elliptical or anda-vrttha temples are rarely built. Only Silpis with exceptional skill can execute such marvelous architectural structures. The Sreekovil is Sree Mahadeva temple, Vaikom(SI.No.37 of Diagram 7)is the only templw in the Kerala with an oval shape is evident when the width of antharaala is measured ie, the width from the outer walls of the garbha-grha to the inner side of the baahyabhitthi of the Sreekovil. The remnants of the basement of Koothambalam at the Sree Madadeva temple, Chengannur also reveal that it was elliptical in shape. It is believed that both these structures were built by Perum-Thachan.
V. Apsidal 3.9 Among apsidal temples the Sree Sadasiva temple at Mangalpati (near Kumbla), Sreemad Anantheswara- Vinayaka temple, Madhur,and Sree Mahalingeswaram temple at Adura of Kasargod district; Sree Subramanya temple at Payyannur of Kannur district; Sree Siva temple at Thiruvannur of Kozhikode district; Sree Kalasamharamoorthi (Siva) temple at Thriprangod, Sree Siva temple at Thrikkandiyur and Sree Ayyappa shrine in the Kaarikkadu temple at Manjeri of Malappuram district and Ayyappan kaavu at Panjali and Sree Thali(Siva) temple at Nettumpura(near Vadakkancherry) of Thrissure district reserve special mention. Some of the important apsidal temples which are archaeologically important are depicted as SI. Nos 38 to 47 of Diagram 7.
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