Question

What is the architectural design of Ram Mandir which is built at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh?

• A. Dravidian style
• B. Nagara style
• C. Vesara style
• D. Indo-Persian style

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:

• Indian temple architecture is broadly grouped into Nagara style (north India), Dravidian style (south India), and Vesara style (a mix, seen in parts of Karnataka).
• Nagara style temples are found mainly in north and central India, and are marked by a curvilinear tower called a shikhara rising over the sanctum.
• The Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, being in Uttar Pradesh, a north Indian state, follows this Nagara style, with its curved shikhara design.

Step 1: Recall the three broad temple styles of India.
Dravidian belongs to the south, Nagara to the north, and Vesara is a hybrid style limited mostly to parts of Karnataka.

Step 2: Place Ayodhya on this map.
Ayodhya is in Uttar Pradesh, squarely in the north Indian temple-architecture belt.

Step 3: Match the style to the location and design.
A north Indian temple with a curvilinear shikhara tower, like the Ram Mandir, is built in the Nagara style, not Dravidian, Vesara, or Indo-Persian, since Indo-Persian style is used for mosque/tomb architecture, not Hindu temples.

Final Answer: Nagara style