Karnatic temple architecture

Karnatic temple architecture, style of architecture employed largely in the Karnātaka (formerly Mysore) area of southern India. Closely allied to the South Indian style, it developed a distinctive idiom in the mid-12th century under the Hoysaḷa dynasty. The temples of this dynasty are characterized by multiple shrines around a central hall and above all by the extreme exuberance of the sculpture and ornamental decoration. The high plinths of the temples are elaborately covered with horizontal...