Which of the following temples has/have a Nagara-style shikhara?

Question

Which of the following temples has/have a Nagara-style shikhara?

1. Malegitti Shivalaya, Badami

2. Huchimalligudi Temple, Aihole

3. Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh

4. Virupaksha Temple, Pattadakal

1. A. 1 and 2
2. B. 2 and 3 (Correct answer)
3. C. 3 only
4. D. 3 and 4

Correct Answer

Option B — B

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Option B.

Key Points

• The Nagara style is the North Indian temple form, marked by a curvilinear shikhara.
• The Dravida style is the South Indian form, with a stepped, pyramidal vimana.
• Explanation: The Huchimalligudi temple at Aihole (2) and the Dashavatara temple at Deogarh (3) carry Nagara-style shikharas.
• Deogarh is a Gupta-period temple and among the earliest in India to have a shikhara.
• Why the other options are wrong: The Malegitti Shivalaya at Badami (1) and the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal (4) are Dravida-style structures.

Additional Information

• Pattadakal is notable precisely because temples of both styles stand together there; the Virupaksha temple is Dravida and was modelled on the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram.
• Aihole is often called the cradle of Indian temple architecture because it preserves experiments in several styles.