Historic Perspective Of The Art And Architecture Under The Nayaks

Abstract

In the history of the art and architecture of Tamilnadu, Pallavas, the Cholas, Pandya, Vijayanagara, and the Nayaks played a vital role. The whole Tamil region was divided into three districts Nayakship during the rule of Krishnadevaraya. They were Madurai, Tanjore, and Senji. The Nayaka temples of the Thanjavur region form a unique category. The Tanjore Nayaks constructed more the building than the Senji Nayaks. Many temples and mandapas were constructed during the Tanjore Nayak period.The temple architecture had a gradual pace of growth and faced constant changes in their conversion to a new form of convert an emerged. The nature of the new forms was based on the techniques and the religious structure followed during that particular period. The style of architecture of the Nayaks had to elaborately discuss based on their art form. Whether they created new forms or adopted the old style of architecture without any individuality of their own. It is very evident while discussing their style that they openly followed the convention of Vijayanagar architecture. In Tamil Nadu, several temples were built by the Pallavas, Cholas, and Pandiyas. This custom prevailed even during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire with some alternations. The Chola temples which were extended by the Nayaks had the pathways and 1st interior compound walls. A considerable amount of new stylistic features are introduced by the Tanjore Nayak artists. Fundamentally the Madurai, Tanjore, and Senji Nayaks strictly followed the grammar and norms as prescribed in the silpa and agamic texts. They constructed the temples and also tended to imitate the earlier structures and forms in various temples and repetition was a common feature. However decorative elements played a major role in their temples and they were exaggerated in Tanjore Nayak temples. The Tanjore Nayaks gave special importance to the bigger size of every segment of the structures and sculptures.