Some of the earliest temples in stone created in southern India are at the sites of Aihole, Badami (Vatapi) and Pattadakal in the Malaprabha valley of Karnataka. The area emerged by the 6th century as the cradle of experimentation with temple architecture, stone artwork, and construction techniques. At our Online Talk #EarlyArchitects, architect Dr. Srikumar M. Menon looks at some of the monuments of the Malaprabha valley, and casts a glance at the artisans who created them. He also looks at the quarries from where the raw material to create these monuments was sourced, to gain insight into the lives and craft of these early temple architects.

About the speaker

Dr. Srikumar M. Menon is an architect specialising in ancient and early architecture of the Indian subcontinent. His academic interests focus on ancient architecture – prehistoric monuments, as well as later monuments, such as stupas and temples. He is the author of two books – Ancient Stone Riddles: Megaliths of the Indian Subcontinent and Comets: Nomads of the Solar System, both published by Manipal University Press. Currently, he is Associate Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, and is engaged in efforts to understand evolution of principles of construction and stone-working in early temple architecture, and the practice of architecture in Early Historic to Medieval Periods in India, including tracking early artisans of ancient India.