---
title: "Panchayatana Temple Plan: Definition & Examples"
description: "The panchayatana plan places a main shrine with four corner sub-shrines on one platform—a Nagara temple form tested in UPSC GS1 art and culture."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/panchayatana-temple-plan"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The panchayatana plan is a Hindu temple layout in which a central principal shrine is flanked by four subsidiary shrines at the corners of its platform.
- What is the difference between the panchayatana plan and the Nagara style?
- Why is the panchayatana plan associated with Adi Shankaracharya?
- Which temples are the standard examples of the panchayatana plan?
- Can the corner shrines house deities other than the canonical five?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

The panchayatana plan is a Hindu temple layout in which a central principal shrine is flanked by four subsidiary shrines at the corners of its platform.

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Example

The Lakshmana temple at Khajuraho, consecrated in 954 CE under the Chandela ruler Yashovarman, follows the panchayatana plan with four subsidiary shrines at the corners of the main temple's platform.

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