Introduction
The Hindu temple is unique amongst the religious structures of the various faiths
of the world. For, while all other places of worship are essentially congregational
in nature, the Hindu temple, no matter how huge, is primarily designed to facilitate
a one-on-one conversation with God. This difference is fundamental and vital in
appreciating the nature of the temple. It is the core of a philosophical outlook
to worship that varies with all other faiths of the world, including India's very
own Buddhism.
India being a very large country indeed, it should come as no surprise to find that
there are extremely diverse styles and forms of temples. The three main architectural
schools are Northern, Deccan and Southern. These divisions are very loose and porous
and are used more as referential shorthand than anything else. The Vaastu (Indian
architectural style) philosophy also developed rapidly as it was increasingly used
to design temples. Elaborate rules evolved about the suitability of sites and the
choice of building materials as well as the many regulations and practices concerned
with building and sculpture. This is far too copious to go into now.
It also seems odd that India has very few temples which are older than a thousand
years. There are many reasons for this state of affairs. Old structures used to
be built in wood and burnt-clay bricks. It was when India finally began to build
in stone instead of merely excavating cave temples from hillsides, that the physical
evidence begins to appear.
The Indian temple is a supreme aesthetic achievement. In it are found elements of
all the plastic and performing arts India ever knew. In fact when classical dance
was almost extinct in the early part of the 20th century, the desperate people who
sought to revive it finally found what they were looking for, carved on the walls
of a great many temples. Clues about the musical styles abound too, for every temple
is built according to a particular musical note, which is amplified fractally into
beautiful shapes! We get information about the religious, scriptural and mythological
beliefs of the people as well as a fine idea of their creative energy just by wandering
around a temple complex. In that sense an Indian temple is a literal living time
machine, transmitting culture across the centuries. It would be fair to say
that unless a person understands the Indian temple he has no hope of understanding
India.
It should not, come as in a surprise in the circumstances to learn therefore, that
the temple used to be the center of social life of the region, especially, South
India where a temple may still be an actual little town ship, self sufficient unto
itself. Worship was a private matter, but culture flourished in the many halls and
pillared corridors that surrounded the main shrine.
indiayogi will bring you some of the more interesting temples of India from time
to time. Most of them are live temples, still in use for worship, but sometimes
we will also cover a temple that used to be of great religious or cultural significance.
Background, legends, beliefs and so on, will, of course be gone into. We trust that
you will have an illuminating time here.
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