The Architecture of Myth: Programmatic Patterns in Temples of North India and Their Purāṇic Inflections

Abstract

Medieval temples in North India frequently exhibit a pattern in the depiction of their core deities within
the cardinal niches, often presenting a triadic arrangement that unites distinct yet complementary
manifestations of the divine. This configuration structures the devotee’s circumambulatory
experience, creating a sense of cohesion within the temple space.
This presentation examines one dominant pattern, which I term the “Fierce Trinity”—that is,
Andhakavadha, Naṭeśa, and Cāmuṇḍā—in the bhadra niches of North Indian temples. From the 10th
century CE onwards, as seen in the Ghaṭeśvara Mahādeva Temple in Badoli, Rajasthan, this specific
arrangement became prominent in Śaiva temples. Through case studies, this paper explores how
Purāṇic discourse is embedded in architectural and iconographic programmes. The recurring
representation of these three deities is examined through their Purāṇic episodes, symbolic
significance, and iconography to assess how this sequence conveyed interconnected themes and
structured the devotee’s ritual encounter, ultimately enacting ritual efficacy.
By situating these architectural and iconographic patterns within the materiality of Purāṇic
production, the study demonstrates that temples functioned not only as sites of worship but also as
narrative landscapes that governed and shaped devotional experiences. It further argues that temple
spaces employed cross-regional and cross-dynastic visual languages, contributing to a shared
iconographic tradition across medieval North India.