Most of the distinctive elements of Hindu temple architecture developed from the temples built by the Gupta dynasty between the 3rd to 7th centuries. The earliest Gupta temples are flat-roofed. Just a few decades later, a small tower seems to be added on top of the temple. They are all free-standing/structural temples built from bricks and stones. The Pallava period between the 7th and 8th centuries saw an interesting group of monolithic rock-cut architecture. This group of temples and rathās were created by carving out or excavating a single piece of rock. Temple architecture made great progress under the Chalukyan kings between the 5th and 8th centuries. The temples in Aihole, Pattadakal, and Badami are examples of this group, with some of them having influences from Buddhist architecture. There was impressive growth in temple architecture under the Chola kings between the 9th and 13th centuries. The Hoysalas (11th to 14th centuries), with their technical skill, attention to detail, and imagination have made remarkable contributions to temple architecture. The zenith of temple architecture is seen between the 10th to 12th centuries when each geographical region developed its own distinctive style: Nāgara style in the north, Veśara style in the central Deccan, and Dravida style in the south.
