The word temple is derived from a Latin word that means templum, a sacred precinct. From the definition, the temple is the precinct for spiritual and religious activities. Apart from the religious precinct, it is also an integral part of social, cultural, and economic life. Religion has always been the defining feature of Indian culture, and temple worship is one of its main manifestations. Additionally, a significant aspect of Indian culture has been temple culture.
Temples are often social organizations that are part of the public domain. They are maintained by shared interests and constructed via group effort. The labor and financial resources of the supporting community are correlated with their size, complexity, and opulence. Large and majestic, artistically designed and skillfully completed, adorned with sculptured panels, ornate carvings, and decorative motifs on walls and pillars, some temples are also lavishly furnished and intricately managed.
Table of Contents
Idea of Temples in Indian Culture
India is a country known for its temples and its spirituality. The conventional Hindu temple is designed symbolically. Its location, construction, and ceremonies are all important. They are all intended to point forth the road that man must pursue to progress and achieve Self-realization spiritually.
The majority of shrines in India are located on the hills. The pathways leading to these temples are tight and rocky. Everyone had to go in a single line up the hill. Before they could reach the shrine, they had to overcome the various challenges and hardships of the jungle trail.
The temples at a high altitude represent that all spirituality is above all achievements in the world. To be spiritual and to gain spirituality, an individual has to put in extra effort. The individual has to be sincere in his path with consistent efforts. The path to the temples suggests that the individual who is in search of knowledge is his spiritual quest. He is alone with no support. The individual can seek the help of experts, but he must alone to go on his own in his quest for truth. This was the base of the temple and the history behind it. Still, today, there are various transport available to be there, through which an individual lacks the experience of solitude when he enters the temples.
Philosophy of Temple Construction
Temples are constructed to establish communication between God and humans. The ceremonies and rituals have mostly influenced the forms of temple architecture carried out in the temples. It is also important that divinity be identified with the temple’s fabric and that the temple’s form reflects the form of the universe. Thus, consideration is given to all aspects of the temple’s construction, including the ground layout, vertical elevation, and site selection. By developing exact measurement methods and sacred mathematical treaties, cosmic conceptions are formalized symbolically.
Spirituality is considered to be the ultimate wisdom. Hence, the temple is a place of transit. Apart from the spiritual center, serving as a hub for culture, the temple saw the development of various schools of architecture, dance, music, painting, and sculpture throughout the nation. This led to the emergence of diverse systems in the performing and visual arts, even though they were all descended from the same spiritual stock.
Key Elements of Temples
A Hindu temple represents much more on a philosophical level. It depicts the terrestrial world (Prithvi), the heavenly world (akasa), the astral world (svarga), and the world below (patala). As a result, the walls are covered with exquisite detailed carvings and paintings showing not only main deities but also semi-divine deities, mythological creatures, flora, fauna, and aquatic life.
Temple architecture has evolved, and the style shifts with the shifting dynasties and regions. While the architecture of Hindu temples varies by place, the following major components have been constant,
Garbhagriha
The garbhagriha is normally part of the temple’s main horizontal axis, which runs east-west. In temples with a cross-axis, the garbhagriha is usually located at their crossing.
The garbhagriha’s position is ritually directed at the point of total equilibrium and harmony as a microcosm of the Universe.
Mandapa
The passage leads to Garbhagriha and the place which is meant for all to be there together.
Shikhara
The main feature of a Hindu temple that is most noticeable from the outside is the shikhara that covers the garbhagriha chamber, which houses the presiding deity.
However, collectively, these components produce an atmosphere that is both spiritually meaningful and breathtaking, highlighting the cultural and religious significance of Indian temple building. They represent deities, as in India, sculptures, idols, and other works of art are used to symbolize the many deities that are worshipped and honored in the temples.
Temples are considered to be holy places where believers can engage in worship, meditation, and other practices to establish a spiritual connection with the almighty. They are intended to be locations of transcendence and tranquillity, where the spiritual and material realms converge.
In addition to being locations for communal gatherings, temples are also used by locals for social and cultural events like festivals and charitable endeavors.
Architectural Styles of Indian Temples
Hindu temples fall into two main categories: Nāgara and Drāvida, depending on their geographical location and architectural style.
Nagara Style
A temple designed in the Nāgara style has a four-sided plan. While the entire temple plan might be oblong, the garbhagriha is a perfect square. The primary deity’s image or idol is kept in the garbhagriha, also known as the sanctum sanctorum. The mandapa, where worshippers gather for darźana, is the pathway that leads to the garbhagriha. Roofs were flat when temples were first being built. The temple’s roof took on a pyramidal shape during the following phase of building. Here stood the tall spire known as the shikhara, tapering off at the top. The temple complex saw additional additions in later phases. The garbhagriha was encircled by a pradakshinapatha, and more mandapas were added. Gavaksa were occasionally added to promote cross-ventilation.
A Nāgara temple is usually situated on a jagati, a tall platform, over which a pitha, a smaller platform, is built. A smaller platform called adhisthana rises above this and serves as the foundation for the temple’s superstructure. A Nāgara temple also contains bhadra, sirsa, amalaka, bijapuraka, and rathika, among other elements.This temple style is often known for its cravings and decorations.
Dravida Style
The temple plan for this architectural style is known by its hexagonal or octagonal shape. These temples mark six angas, as adhisthana, pada, prastara, griva, shikara, and stupi.
The South temples are embellished with exquisite and intricate decorative details. The sculpture’s carvings are what initially draw your attention. The prastara’s decoration, which resembles hara (garland) around the entire structure, is made up of tiny shrines that resemble vimanas. The sculptures varied according to the god the temple was devoted to.
