THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE TEMPLE

The architecture reflects compromises that enabled collaboration amongst different Hindu groups to build the temple. The architecture epitomizes a new type of temple space allowing adaptation to a congregational style of worship. The architecture reflects the community’s decision to embrace the rituals and doctrines of the Vaikhansas, a Vaisnavite sect significant in south India who maintain that their traditions incorporate vedic elements. Collaboration is indicated by the spatial arrangement of the shrines and their great similarity of style. A delicate balance is achieved in the architecture of the shrines whereby, although a hierarchy of deities is signaled, the gradations of architectural variation are so fine that there appears to be more equipollence among the deities than inequality.

The Temple at Eads differs significantly from Chola temples in its treatment of the mahamandapa (large hall attached to ardhamandapa) and the space made available to the devotees. The tradition is to have a progression of structures in line from east to west, ending with the garbhagriha where the devotee may take darshan (auspicious sight) of the deity.

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