The Concept of a Temple (देवालयस्य सङ्कल्पना)

Introduction

Almost every civilization throughout the course of human history developed a religious system centering around some kind of super natural or divine power. Belief in such a concept of a divine power in Indic culture can be traced back to the pre-historic times. Neolithic cultures in India have produced evidence of highly stylized images of mother goddesses who embody fecundity. Due to the paucity of more convincing evidence, we cannot say with exactitude about the religious conditions prevailing during the time of the Sarasvati-Sindhu Civilization (c. 3500 BCE-1900 BCE). However it is certain that this civilization did possess a religious system and structures like the Great Bath at Mohen-jo-daro may have served as some kinds of religious buildings. We do not have a concrete proof about the existence of temples during this civilization though some scholars are inclined to consider an apsidal structure unearthed at the site of Banavali in Haryana as a temple. The origins of Sanatana Dharma are embedded in the Vaidika Dharma. The Vaidika Culture represented by the vast corpus of literature consisting of the Veda Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads had a very highly developed religious organization. The Yadnya Samstha was the nucleus of Vaidika Dharma and it is through the myriad Yadnyas, Richas and Samans that our Vaidika ancestors expressed their devotion to the Vaidika Devatas. The Yadnyas were performed in specially designated areas known as Yadnya or Yaga Shalas and it would be in the Yadnya Shalas that the Chiti or altar would be constructed. Almost all scholars on temple architecture converge on the point that the Hindu Temple evolved from the Vaidika Chiti as a response to the growing impact of the Bhakti traditions. In addition, it is highly doubtful whether temples existed during the Vaidika period.

Temples enable us to connect to the divine and are thus channels which help us transcend our mundane material world and attain Moksha. Temples are known by different names: Devalaya, Devayatana, Mandira, Prasada,Vimana, Devagriha etc. They are essentially a structure where the presence and potency of the divine are felt. In other words, temples are the very abodes of God or Ishvara or Bhagavan. The Isanasivagurudevapaddhati, an early medieval Shaiva text testifies that the temple is a concrete form of Lord Shiva and should be contemplated on and worshipped and the temples made up of the presence of Lord Shiva and Shakti. The site of a temple is invariably a Tirtha irrespective of its location. . According to the Vishnudharmottara Purana images should be installed  in forts, auspicious cities, markets , in villages of cowherds where there are no markets , in gardens , on river banks , mountain tops, valleys and particularly in caves. The construction of temples is concomitant to the installation of the images at the different localities just mentioned. The presence of water is essential at the site where a temple is built.

Temples (देवालयाः) are one of the most redeeming and prominent hallmarks of Sanatana Dharma and its most representative feature. The land of Bharata is perceived as the land of temples with every region manifesting its own unique traditions of temple architecture and culture. Temples, as a general practice are constructed in the close vicinity of tirthas (तीर्थानि) which mean fords or crossing places on rivers or sea shores. The word 'tirtha' is derived from the Sanskrit root (धातु ) Tr (तृ ) which means a ford or crossing at a water source. At a spiritual level a tirtha is understood as a means to help us cross the ocean of existence (भवाब्धि ).

This article needs editing. Add and improvise the content from reliable sources.