Temple Architecture and Significance

The Hindu tradition accords immense significance and sanctity to temples, as is evident from the extensive coverage this topic receives in the ancient scriptural texts. The Vāstuśāstras, Śilpaśāstras, Āgamas and Purāṇas lay out the cosmic, spiritual and social importance of temple architecture and worship.

Cosmological Significance

According to the Vāstupurāṇa, a temple represents the macrocosmic universe itself. Its various components symbolize different aspects of creation - the base (upapītha) is the embodiment of Brahma, the walls represent Viṣṇu's all-pervading form, while the tower (śikhara) depicts the Supreme Lord Śiva (3.1-8). The Kāśyapajñānakāṇḍa states that the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagṛha) is the cosmic womb where the entire universe resides in a state of dissolution (1.2).

Connecting with the Sacred

The Uttarāmīmāṃsā, an Āgamic treatise, expounds on how the temples provide an accessible portal for the individual to experience the Divine (1.13-17). The sacred images (mūrti) installed in the garbhagṛha are not mere representations but are consecrated as living embodiments of divinities through the invocatory process of prāṇapratiṣṭhā described in the Kāmikāgama. Worshipping in temples thus becomes a means to forge a personal connection with the metaphysical.

Socio-Spiritual Function

Texts like the Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa highlight how temples serve as public centers for:

a) The spiritual development of the community through discourses, study circles (3.87.5-14)

b) Celebrations of festivals that reinforce social cohesion and shared Hindu identity (3.88.1-8)

c) Philanthropic acts of charity and community service (3.87.15-22)

Architectural Marvels

The Hindu scriptural authors devote great attention to the architectural sciences related to temples. Works like Bṛhatsaṃhitā, Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra and Mānasāra prescribe intricate guidelines on site selection, mathematical proportions, materials, construction techniques, etc. This underscores how temples were visions of architectural grandeur embodying advanced scientific and artistic thought.

Thus, the temples are not just places of worship but multi-dimensional phenomena - fusing art, science, spirituality, nature, culture and community - making them worthy of the highest reverence as tangible echoes of the sacred cosmic truths they enshrined.

The one and only god: It is believed that according to the Hindu  mythology there are nearly 330 million gods. Though a majority of the Hindus believe in one Supreme Being, gods are considered as divine creations of that one being. These Mahadevas are considered to think and feel way beyond the restricted thoughts and feelings of the human mind. However just like how we like to believe that Hinduism has only one god ,but it has many gods, it is just only for a few of them for whom temples are built and pujas are done regularly. According to contemporary Hinduism some of the most prominent gods who are worshiped are Ganesha, Shiva, Murugan, Vishnu, Shakthi. Some of the other deities for whom daily ceremonies are done at the home include the Brahma, Surya, Saraswathi, Lakshmi, Agni, Chandra. Following the traditional pathway it is observed that the Hindus develop an Ishta Devata ,a personal deity from the many Hindu gods mainly according to the devotees family background or some sort of closeness to one form of divine feeling. However, inspite of having a personal deity there is no sense of conflict to those who worship another deity. This profound understanding and acceptance helps in accommodating different approaches to the divine and at the same time enabling different gods to be worshiped by people within the same temple premises. Some individuals may develop a liking to a particular god based on one‘s own spiritual thoughts and inner needs.

Humans chakrasInner awareness: it is often noticed that after visiting a Hindu temple and receiving the darshan from the majestic gods, it can alter the life. It brings an inner peace to the whole body, mind and soul and alters the flow of the pranas or the life currents in the body. It alters the beliefs and attitudes though the change might be slow and gradual and may take even months together after his visit to the temple to understand the change in onself.  During this period the devotee tends to love the deity more and try and come closer to the supreme while at the same time they tend to believe that the Mahadeva will be there to help and guide his evolutionary pattern of life. According to the ancient science it is believed that obtaining darshan from the great temples of our gods can in fact change the pattern of our karma during our past lives which are seeds now that waiting to be manifested in the future. With the ultimate blessing of the almighty it is considered that these seeds can be removed if the manifestation in the future is not going to enhance the evolution of the soul.

Communication with the world: There are 3 worlds according to Hinduism. The first one being the physical universe, the second is the astral plane where the angels, devas and the spirits reside and third world is the  spiritual world of the deities, the gods. These inner worlds inspire a man to love and devotion which is an extremely wonderful feeling and evolution. It is here in the temple where all the 3 worlds meet and the devotee gets to invoke the gods. A temple is considered as a palace, a sacred place for the visible existence of the divine  and that is exactly why  it was preached by our ancestors to approach a temple in a very sensitive way as it is here where the god resides. They believed that these Mahadevas are the ones who work and live to protect , guide ,open new ways in our lives, remove evil thoughts from our lives .The Divya Darshan that we get can be felt by all devotees and that feeling becomes stronger and more defined as the devotion gets perfect. With the help of this  darshan , there can be a channelizing of the vibratory emanations that radiate from the Mahadevas.

A solution for everything: during the ancient age most of the people always wished to have a house near the temple so that they could visit it frequently. It might sound a little ridiculous to the present generations but they believed that when they went to the temple and came back their mind gets filled with the enormous shakthi or power of the deity literally in every nerve and cell of their body. And when they get back home and light an oil lamp it helps to bring the power of the temple into the home. They considered that in this way they could bring the second world inside their house too and perhaps help bless the rest of the family members who were not able to go to the temple. A lot of devotees enter the temple with a mind filled with sorrows and misery and telepathically communicates it with the god and leave with a ray of hope in their mind. Eventually they tend to forget about their prayer but later when they look back and realize that their problem has vanished. Here lies the question – was their prayer answered by the god who removed all their sorrow or was it something that would have happened even other ways. But the trust and love for the god by the devotees have taken the root where he brings god into his secular affairs and the gods are bringing him into their celestial sphere and enriching his soul with love, energy and radiance.

Puja: the depiction of the god either in the form of a stone, metal, simply marks the place where god will manifest. It purpose and Power of prayer hinduismwould be nice to consider it as an antenna to receive the divine rays of the god. Just like how humans take up one body and then another during the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, just like that even gods go into a period of subtle inhabitation for a brief span of time. On performing pujas which is a religious ritual it is possible to attract the attention of the devas and mahadevas. That is exactly why we do pujas to enhance the communication  which becomes charged or magnetized through our devotional thoughts and feelings and at the same time radiate and affect the surrounding environment. Even chanting the mantras, satsangas or ceremonial rituals all helps to sanctify the process at which gods are drawn ,welcomed to dwell and stay there for a long period of time. The altar takes on a certain power and for this to happen the place must be extremely pure and undisturbed. This makes us feel the purity when we enter a holy place, it gives a feeling of the presence of the divine lord and the radiation from them can also be experienced.

It is quite natural to doubt the real existence of god especially if one is influenced by the western world thoughts, beliefs and attitudes. There is always a constant search for proof to know the existence of god and his wonderful miracles. However, it is believed that the rishis, saints have found a close and enduring relationship with the gods who have been there always to protect the mankind. It is understood and have been learnt from experience from many that it is through their sanction only all things tend to continue and through their will that things tend to cease, because of his grace all good things happen to people. Ultimately everything happens for the good and for a purpose is what we have all learnt to believe.

Introduction. 

The Hindu temple represents one of the most intricate and scientifically advanced architectural traditions in human history. The construction of these sacred edifices followed stringent guidelines prescribed in ancient Sanskrit treatises called Vāstuśāstras, Śilpaśāstras and Āgamas. This paper examines the key principles governing the plan and building process as per these scriptural canons. The Hindu tradition has an ancient and remarkably sophisticated tradition of architecture, with an extensive body of literature prescribing intricate rules and guidelines for the construction of temples. The principal texts dealing with this subject are the Vāstuśāstras, Śilpaśāstras, and Āgamas.

Site Selection and Vāstupuruṣamaṇḍala

One of the first aspects covered is the selection of an auspicious site for the temple. The Mayamata (IV.1-5) states that the land must be examined for bearing auspicios signs like vegetation, animal life, presence of water sources etc. The Mānasāra (VI.1-17) gives an elaborate process called vāstupuruṣamaṇḍala involving astronomical calculations and rituals to energize and sanctify the site.

Mathematical Principles and Proportions

The design and measurements of the temple follow strict mathematical principles based on an ancient ratio system called āyādi. The Kāśyapa Jñānakāṇḍa and Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati describe these in detail. The smallest unit is the tala which is multiplied in various permutations and combinations to derive the proportions for the base (upapīṭha), main sanctum (garbhagṛha), pillars, walls, tower (śikhara) etc.

Materials and Construction

Specific materials like wood, brick, stone, stucco, metal are recommended for different components. The Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra (LXVII.3-15) has an entire chapter on materials. During construction, sacred rituals have to be performed at each stage as per the Kāmikāgama and other texts.

Temple Plan and Components (The Bṛhatsaṃhitā (LVIII.1-100))

1. Garbhagriha: It is referring to the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a temple where resides the murti (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple. The literally means ‘womb-house’ and is a cave like sanctum. Garbhagriha is made to house the main icon (main deity)

2. Mandapa: It is a porch-like structure which is designed as a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals. It is used for religious dancing and music and is part of the basic temple compound. The temples which has more than one madappa called by different names such as Artha Mandapam or Ardh Mandapam, Asthana Mandapam, Kalyana Mandapam, Maha Mandapam, Nandi Mandapam (or Nandi mandir), Ranga Mandapa, Meghanath Mandapa, Namaskara Mandapa and Open Mandapa.

3. Shikhara: It is derived from Sanskrit word 'Shikar' which means mountain peak. It is a curving shape which is mountain like spire of a free standing temple. It is mainly found in North Indian temples.  

4. Vimana: It is pyramidal like structure refers to the rising tower in the temple architecture of North India. It is prevalent in South India.

5. Amalaka: It is term used for a stone disc like structure at the top of the temple shikara.

6. Kalasha: It is topmost point of the temple above Amalaka.

7. Antarala (Vestibule): It is a place between the Garbhagriha and the temple’s main hall (mandapa).

8. Jagati: It is the term used for the platform where people sit for praying.

9. Vahana: This term is used for the vehicle of the temple’s main deity along with a standard pillar or Dhvaj.

Iconography and Decorations

Elaborate guidelines are provided for the iconographic representations of the deities and the sculptural decorations covering every aspect of the temple. For example, the Uttarāmīmāṃsā gives the ratios for images while Lakṣmīdhara comments on their spiritual significance.

Thus, the Hindu sacred architecture integrated art, astronomy, mathematics, geometry, sculpture, regulatory customs and spiritual significance into an incredibly rich tradition documented by the ancient authors in these texts through an extraordinary mastery of language and semantic preciseness par excellence.

The Garbhagṛha. 

The garbhagṛha or womb-chamber is the innermost sanctum where the primary deity's murti or sacred image is installed. It is constructed according to very precise specifications mentioned in Āgamic texts like the Kāmikāgama:

• Structure and Proportions:

• The garbhagṛha is built as a perfect cube whose dimensions follow the āyādi ratios described earlier. Its volume equals the square of the base's side-length (Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati 17.1-8). For a square base of 4 units, the sanctum's height is also 4 units.

• The inner cube has a layered wall cavity with two ambulatory corridors - the garbhaghara and garbhachandramas where other subordinate images can be placed (Kāmikāgama 6.43-52).

• Sanctum Access and Features: Entry is through a solitary doorway. No windows are permitted as the sanctum represents the perpetual womb of creation (Mayamata 12.173-176). A lamp (diparatna) is placed inside for worship. Specific miniature components like pīṭhas are constructed within following detailed shilpa rules.

• Sacred Geometry and Symbolism: The square shape of the garbhagṛha represents the static aspect of Brahman while its cube shape signifies the dynamic expansive essence (Pāranavam in Kāmikāgama 5.19). The four walls denote the four states of consciousness - waking, dream, deep sleep and the transcendental turiya (Uttarāmīmāṃsā 1.5).

Thus the garbhagṛha, through its geometry and ritualistic construction process, recreates a cosmic field or vāstupuruṣamaṇḍala to channel and chrystalise the metaphysical truths and spiritual energies it represents.

Śikhara (Tower) and Imagery

The pyramidal tower architrave was designed using geometry, grids and set-square techniques measured through complex harmonic ratios as outlined in Kāśyapa's canons. Its layered roof elements represented cosmic planes. The profuse iconographic imagery adhered to iconometric ratios and semantic codes that carried esoteric meanings as expounded in the Uttarāmīmāṃsā.

Certainly, here are the details on the sacred process of Prāṇa Pratiṣṭhā according to the Hindu scriptural texts:

Prāṇa Pratiṣṭhā is the ritual of consecrating and infusing the murti (sacred iconic idol) with the divine cosmic energies, bringing it into a ritualistic state of vibrational resonance to act as a conduit for the deity's presence. This process is extensively described in Āgamic texts like the Kāmikāgama, Uttarāmīmāṃsā and others.

Preliminary Rites

Before prāṇapratiṣṭhā, preliminary purificatory ceremonies like bhūshuddi (purifying the earth), shilānyāsa (placing the first foundational brick) are conducted on an auspicious day determined through Vāstu calculations. The murti is painstakingly crafted from special materials like stone, wood, metals following prescribed iconometric proportions.

Invoking Divine Energies

The prāṇapratiṣṭhā ritual involves several stages spread over multiple days of intense Vedic chanting and oblations into the sanctified fire (agniprāṇapratiṣṭhā) by qualified priests. Mystical mantras, yantras and specific rituals are employed to spiritually charge and invoke the cosmic forces into the murti.

According to the Uttarāmīmāṃsā (28.1-10), the presiding deity is ceremonially invited through mantras into the water vessel (jalādhivāsana), then into a consecrated metallic womb (pīṭhārohaṇa), and ultimately into the murti to awaken andenliven it.

Transferring the Divine Essence

The climactic ceremony is the aṃśāntara wherein the divine essence (chaitanya) is transferred from an existing charged idol into the new murti through an intricate tantric process based on the principles of acoustic resonance and vibration (nāda-brahman). This enables the murti to become a living embodiment, blurring the distinction between the metaphysical and physical realms.

The charged murti is then installed in the sanctum's garbhagṛha through an elaborate ritual called prāṇapratiṣṭhā homam amidst continuous masa chanting to finally awaken the three eyes of spiritual enlightenment.

Continuous Worship and Renewal

After prāṇapratiṣṭhā, the murti needs to be ceaselessly worshipped through fire rituals (bhūtāgni), offerings to retain its vibrational sacredness. The process is renewed periodically through intricate punaḥ-prāṇapratiṣṭhā rituals.

Thus, prāṇapratiṣṭhā represents an unparalleled psycho-cosmic technology developed in ancient India to experience the transcendental through icons by harnessing vibrational energies, sounds and geometric forms enshrined in the sacred traditions.