Which of the following pairs is correctly matched with the shape of its roof?

Question

Which of the following pairs is correctly matched with the shape of its roof?

1. A. Latina — rectangular, wagon-shaped
2. B. Phamsana — slabs rising to a point, straight incline (Correct answer)
3. C. Valabhi — tall, curving inward sharply
4. D. Latina — low and broad with stepped roofing

Correct Answer

Option B — Phamsana — slabs rising to a point, straight incline

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Phamsana — slabs rising to a point, straight incline.

Key Points

• These are the three sub-types of the Nagara (North Indian) temple *shikhara*:
  • Latina (rekha-prasada) — a square base with a curvilinear tower curving inward to a point; the commonest Nagara form.
  • Phamsana — broader and shorter, its roof made of straight slabs rising in a gentle, straight incline to a single point.
  • Valabhi — rectangular, with a vaulted, wagon-shaped roof, so named for its resemblance to a bamboo wagon.
• Options A and D misdescribe Latina (wagon-shaped and stepped belong elsewhere), and C gives Valabhi the Latina profile.
• The Nagara/Dravida/Vesara classification is a fixed SSC favourite — learn Nagara by its three roof profiles.

Additional Information

• Indian temple architecture divides into three broad styles: Nagara (north), Dravida (south) and Vesara (the Deccan hybrid).
• A Dravida temple is enclosed by walls with towering gopurams over the gateways, and its tower is the pyramidal vimana — against the Nagara shikhara, which rises directly over the sanctum.
• Common vocabulary either style may be tested on: garbhagriha (sanctum), mandapa (pillared hall), amalaka (the ribbed disc crowning a Nagara tower) and kalasha (the finial above it).

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

निम्नलिखित में से कौन सा युग्म इसकी छत के आकार से सही सुमेलित है?

1. A. लैटिना - आयताकार, वैगन के आकार का
2. B. फमसाना - एक बिंदु तक उठने वाली स्लैब, सीधी ढलान
3. C. वलभी - लंबा, तेज़ी से अंदर की ओर झुका हुआ
4. D. लैटिना - सीढ़ीदार छत के साथ कम और चौड़ा