As great men think alike, whether contemporary or not, Treatise on sculpture and Architecture has been written or at least inscribed on Earth in the form of creations, mostly by those actually practising therein, across the world, whether in Greece or Rome, Babylonia or Egypt and so in India or Iran. It basically inducts theory and practice in Architecture based on building of palaces, edifices, Collosium, Pyramids, Halls, Minarets and Columns or so on and so forth. So in this field, the school of thought emerges from practice, at the instance of great practitioners.

However, the Treatise in Temple Architecture is unique in so far as it deals on palatial dwellings for gods and goddesses or even celestial creatures. They are known as Prasadas or Mandirs . Temple Architecture is now widely known to the world and accepted as a profession in its technical term while it very much existed in Ancient India since the era of vedas. The two basic architectural styles pertaining to creation of temples, arising under the geographical and cultural influences, in India are Nagara Shaily (North Indian) and Dravidian Shaily (South Indian).

The Artisans and Architects involved in actual building of temples of above two styles hail from communities associated with respective style (Shaily ). In Northern India, the Sompuras are involved in designing and building mostly Nagar style of Temples.

Amongst the Sompura families involved in temple architecture, the family of Padmashree Prabhashankarbhai Oghadbhai has been one of the leading practitioners of Nagar shaily of Temple building and designing. The post independent era of India has witnessed the most reputed and esteemed project of redesigning of Somnath Temple known as Somnath Maha Meru Prasad, carried out and executed by him. He was indeed known as a learned protagonist of Nagar shaily and for the benefit of posterity he inscribed what he knew, learned and practised in the form of books, now regarded as classics. As such as many as twelve books on temple architecture published during his lifetime are to his credit, still leaving some of the manuscripts.

The Artisans and Architects involved in actual building of temples of above two styles hail from communities associated with respective style (Shaily ). In Northern India, the Sompuras are involved in designing and building mostly Nagar style of Temples.

Amongst the Sompura families involved in temple architecture, the family of Padmashree Prabhashankarbhai Oghadbhai has been one of the leading practitioners of Nagar shaily of Temple building and designing. The post independent era of India has witnessed the most reputed and esteemed project of redesigning of Somnath Temple known as Somnath Maha Meru Prasad, carried out and executed by him. He was indeed known as a learned protagonist of Nagar shaily and for the benefit of posterity he inscribed what he knew, learned and practised in the form of books, now regarded as classics. As such as many as twelve books on temple architecture published during his lifetime are to his credit, still leaving some of the manuscripts.

The heritage of Padmashree P.O. Sompura has proved to be the heritage of Nagar Shaily, now being whole heartedly carried out further by me, not only as his grand son but a disciple to him and the Nagar Style the perpetuated and developed.

Blessed by grand father and endowed by mercy of omniscient gods, I have been able to associate with different sects of religion viz. : Shaivette, Swaminarayan, Jain etc.

During the Span of last two decades, I have planned, designed and executed projects of various temples in India and abroad, the glimpses of which are depicted in this small book and they are self explanatory.

While the esteemed readers and viewers as also patrons and well wishers of temple Architecture would hopefully appreciate my modest contribution in this noble field of activity, it would not be our of place to add that assignment of planning and designing Ram Janma Bhoomi is being considered as a great opportunity to exhibit worth of our family wedded to Temple Architecture not just for livelihood but charisma of life time achievement. It would be, to my mind, continuity on a greater scale, of immense values in life as cherished on getting Best Architect of the year 1997 award or incorporation of my creation of Shri Akshar Purshottam Swaminarayan Temple at London in Guineas Book of world record or appreciation of Akshardham at Gandhinagar by viewers of the world, as also quite a few renowned projects like 108 Bhaktivihar or other creations at Singapore or Pittsburgh, USA.

:: CHANDRAKANT B. SOMPURA: TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE ::

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