The north Indian temple is characterised by a distinctive plan and elevation. Originally, the temple comprised a square sanctum and a square or rectangular pillared porch, both covered by a flat roof. Soon after, a covered ambulatory was added round the sanctum and the pillared porch was gradually enlarged to assume the form of a hall, oftern preceded by an entrance porch. The ambulatory, however, remained an optional member, as shrines without an ambulatory continued to be as common as those with one. In course of time a vestibule was added between the sanctum and the hall and the latter tended to develop lateral transepts for ventilation. For the same reason the ambulatory of the sanctum also developed, in due course, a rear as well as 2 lateral transepts. Notwithstanding these elaborations, the sanctum continued to be square or rectangular on plan with one or more offsets on each side. The central offset was always given a greater prominence and was frequently ornamented with a sculptured niche. These offsets were carried upwards along the facade from the base to the top of the superstructure and imparted a pronoun ced emphasis on the vertical lines of the elevation. From about the beginning of the 7th century, the sanctum was roofed by a tall, curvilinear spire (Shikhara) which constituted the most striking cognizance of the northern temple. The spire was initially of 3 vertical proje ctions which gradually increased to 5 and occasionally to 7. All such projections are co vered with a me3sh of Chaitya-dormers and the corner ones display in addition a series of small amalakas at the angles to demarcate the divisiohn of the spire into compressed storeys. The spire terminates in a neck-like constriction(griva)which is surmounted by a large ribbed, cir cular member called amalasaraka, crowned by a kalasha, the pitcherfinial.
In the elevation of temple , the platform is an optional member, but every temple customarily has a socle consisting of moulded courses. The socle supports the wall which may be plain or embellished with figure-sculptures on one or all the offsets. Evolved temples show more than one band of sculptures, which also occur in the recesses between the offsets. The carved frieze on the wall is surmounted by an eave-corni ce or a series of it that separates the wall from the spire, the mandapa(hall) carries a lower pyramidical roof of horizontal tiers.
The main compartments of the temple are axially articulated and have their independent ceilings. Since the construction is based on the trabeate principle, the ceilings are supported either on walls and pilasters or an pillars with their architraves. The vaulted or domical ceilings are built on the principle of corbelling, sometimes aided by inter-locking flanges. On the stone temples, well-dressed and finely-jointed ashlars were used for the face-stoneks and rough-dressed or coarse stones for the hearting. The stone courses are laid dry one upon the other and kept in position by their weight and balance, sometimes with the aid of iron clamps and dowels. In the internal construction of tall spires, the weight was reduced by building a series of superposed hollow chambers, held together by the device of tying opposite walls by beams at frequent intervals.
Thre entrance porch and the mandapa transepts on the developed temples of central and western India are in variably enclosed by an ornamental balustrade whioch is canopied by overhanging eaves. These, together with the frequent clustering in the spire by its submultiples, constiytute minor traits of the style. But the common and basic characteristics of all medieval northern Indian temples are the cruciform plan, the continuation of the main projections and offsets of the plan on the entire elevation and the curvilinear spire, the last constituting its most conspicuous feature.
Temples with these distinctive characteristics are ubiquitous throughout north India and are found as far south as the Tungabhadra valley. As a natural consequen ce of the distribution of the style over such extensi ve territories, regional variations came into being. Despite a basic homogeneity in essential aspects, the various regioinal styles followed their own course of evolution and developed local peculiarities and idioms according to the indigenous genius conditioned by their art traditions and political and cultural environs. The regional tenden cies appeared in the 7th century, became established by the 9th and the 10th centuries and attained full development during the 11th century. After the 7th century, the evolutioin of the northern temples had largely a regional pattern, often influen ced by powerful dynasties.
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