One of the things that I always observe when I look into the history, the culture and the way of life of any country and its people is to marvel at the style of their architecture. India's architecture of its ancient temples and edifice from thousands of years ago all the way to its colonial past is something to behold. I personally believe that the Indian civilization has a very distinct architecture and their architects have been excellent in adapting the influence of various architectural styles that influenced India from the different dynasties and waves of peoples and cultures that settled in their land.
There are many types of Indian architecture and mostly the architecture of major Indian temples, palaces and even mausoleums are built based on the historical, cultural and religious aspects of India or the region where the edifice is built. Sometimes they are built just because of personal reasons like the famous Taj Mahal.
The Buddhist, Mughal, Orissan and the Fort architecture are some of the styles of Indian architecture to name a few. Though one of the most awesome architecture that is one of my favorite is the Gopuram style. The Gopuram or Gopura are the ornate towers that are usually seen in Southern India. These are beautiful towers that serve as an entrance to a temple. The towers are usually colorful and above each tapering gopuram, the area is divided into many storeys which diminish in size as the gopuram tower narrows. The top of the tower is crowned with a stone finial. The gopurams are filled with beautiful sculptures, carvings and paintings with themes from Hindu mythology, most in particular associated with a deity.
Such is the beauty of Indian architecture. I love its very Eastern origin and I believe it can hold its own among the major architectural styles in the Old World and across Asia.
Photo Credit: Gopuram of a Hindu Temple
Photographer: Robin Thomas
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robin-thomas/
Photo Credit: Details of the Gopuram of the Sri Meenakshi Temple
Photographer: Boxelf
Photo Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxelf/
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