#Megaliths2Temples – An Architectural Vocabulary Of Commemoration | Online Talk by Dr Srikumar M Menon: Talk 331
The valley of the River Malaprabha, in north Karnataka, has a rich tradition of megalith-building. This region is also the setting for some of the earliest temples in stone in southern India. Several temples, like the Meguti Jain Temple, and the Ramalingeshwara and Galaganatha groups of temples at Aihole, are in close spatial proximity of the megaliths. At our Online Talk #Megaliths2Temples, architect Dr Srikumar M Menon examines the relationship of the megaliths with the temples, and explores the possibility that a great majority of the temples in the Malaprabha Valley, are commemorative, or even sepulchral in nature. He uses the established sites of commemoration of the dead, like Huligyemmanna Kolla, near Pattadakal, to unlock the commemorative nature of other temples. With excursions from the main research area of the Malaprabha Valley, to sites like Sravanabelagola, Hampi and a few in the Kumaon Himalaya, he examines the existence of a pan-Indian architectural language of commemoration.
About the speaker
Dr Srikumar M Menon is an architect specialising in ancient and early architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Currently, he works as a Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. His academic interests focus on ancient architecture – prehistoric monuments, as well as later monuments, such as stupas and temples. He was awarded the Homi Bhabha Fellowship for studying “Ancient Landscapes of South India,” and under this project, he has studied the sites of the Malaprabha Valley, Hampi-Hire Benakal region and the Sannati-Sirival region, all in northern Karnataka, leading to deep insights about the continuity of commemorative traditions from prehistoric to later times, and the influence of prehistoric architecture on later monuments. He is the author of three books.