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Varahamihira 's Brihat Samhita is the oldest available text which includes details about the construction of temples in its fifty-sixth adhyaya titled Prasadalakshanadhyayah. and is approximately dated to the 5th-6th centuries CE.  Varahamihira states in the opening shloka of this adhyaya that after one constructs water tanks (salila) and lays out gardens (arama) one must undertake the task of building a temple to augment one 's own glory and religious merit.  (Brihat Samhita 56.1). A person who aspires to attain the lokas through Ishta and Purta Dharmas must engage himself in the erection of temples so that he may procure the merits of both (Brihat Samhita 56.2). Varahamihira lays down that the site of the proposed temple must be divided into sixty-four squares and its middle door must be located in one of the cardinal quarters (Brihat Samhita 56.10). Succeeding shlokas of the text furnish details about the dimensions of the various constituent parts of the temple and their relative proportions. The text also recommends that temple doors must have three, five, seven and nine frames and these numbers confer auspiciousness. The text further lays down that two door keepers must be carved near the door and their size must be 1/4th of the door post.The remaining space must be adorned with auspicious birds, Bilva trees, Svastikas, pitchers, couples, leaves, creepers and flowers and Bhagavan Shiva 's ganas. Many of these motifs are clearly visible in temples from the Gupta Period onward. These motifs can also be seen in rock-cut cave temples dating to the same period (the Gupta Period falls approximately between the 4th c. CE to the 6th c. CE) (Brihat Samhita 56.11-16). The Brihat Samhita presents an inventory of twenty different kinds of temple structures. These twenty types of temples differ from each other in regard to dimensions, arrangements and plan. Their classification is based on number of storeys  and shikharas, divergent dimensions and plan and position of doors etc.The details of the various temples are as follows:   

Varahamihira 's Brihat Samhita is the oldest available text which includes details about the construction of temples in its fifty-sixth adhyaya titled Prasadalakshanadhyayah. and is approximately dated to the 5th-6th centuries CE.  Varahamihira states in the opening shloka of this adhyaya that after one constructs water tanks (salila) and lays out gardens (arama) one must undertake the task of building a temple to augment one 's own glory and religious merit.  (Brihat Samhita 56.1). A person who aspires to attain the lokas through Ishta and Purta Dharmas must engage himself in the erection of temples so that he may procure the merits of both (Brihat Samhita 56.2). Varahamihira lays down that the site of the proposed temple must be divided into sixty-four squares and its middle door must be located in one of the cardinal quarters (Brihat Samhita 56.10). Succeeding shlokas of the text furnish details about the dimensions of the various constituent parts of the temple and their relative proportions. The text also recommends that temple doors must have three, five, seven and nine frames and these numbers confer auspiciousness. The text further lays down that two door keepers must be carved near the door and their size must be 1/4th of the door post.The remaining space must be adorned with auspicious birds, Bilva trees, Svastikas, pitchers, couples, leaves, creepers and flowers and Bhagavan Shiva 's ganas. Many of these motifs are clearly visible in temples from the Gupta Period onward. These motifs can also be seen in rock-cut cave temples dating to the same period (the Gupta Period falls approximately between the 4th c. CE to the 6th c. CE) (Brihat Samhita 56.11-16). The Brihat Samhita presents an inventory of twenty different kinds of temple structures. These twenty types of temples differ from each other in regard to dimensions, arrangements and plan. Their classification is based on number of storeys  and shikharas, divergent dimensions and plan and position of doors etc.The details of the various temples are as follows:   

The Meru Temple is the loftiest temple described in the Brihat Samhita. It rises to a height of twelve storeys and is hexagonal in its plan. It had variegated windows and doors in the four cardinal directions. Its width was thirty two cubits (one cubit is equal to eighteen inches).The Mandara type of a temple is hexagonal with a width of thirty cubits and with a height of ten storeys and shikhara. The Kailasa kind of a temple shares similarities with the Mandara with a height of eight storeys and its width being twenty eight cubits.The Vimana Chhanda is equipped with latticed windows and is as broad as twenty one cubits. The Nandana possesses a height of six storeys with sixteen cupolas and a width of thirty-two cubits. Samudga is a temple with a circular plan and measures eight cubits in width. It has a single storey and only one shikhara.. The Padma temple is said to resemble an eight-petalled lotus. The rest of its feature are the same as Samudga. The shape of the Garuda temple is like that of Garuda or eagle with a tail and wings.The Nandivardhana is similar to a Garuda Temple but the wings and tail are absent. They both have a width of twenty-four cubits and rise up to seven storeys. Further they are both embellished with twenty cupolas. The Kunjara is a temple is similar to a Kunjara's or an elephant's back. It has one storey and is equipped with three chandrashalas and measures sixteen cubits. It is apsidal in form with a barrel-vaulted roof. We find many examples of the Kunjara type of temples. Some of the notable ones are the Trivikrama Temple at Ter (Maharashtra), the Nakula Sahadeva Ratha at Mahabalipuram (Pallavas, Tamil Nadu) and the Durg Temple at Aihole (Chalukyas, Karnataka). The Guharaja measures, like the Kunjara sixteen cubits and possesses a single storey and three chandrashalas. It is shaped like a cave. The Vrisha is a circular temple with a single shikhara. This temple measures twelve cubits. The Hamsa was shaped like a swan with a beak, wings and tail and has one storey, one turret and and a width of 16 cubits. The Ghata temple is shaped like a Kalasha. with a width of eight cubits and one storey and a single turret. The Sarvatobhadra temple has four doors and multiple shikharas. It is endowed with numerous chandrashalas with a breadth of twenty six cubits and a height rising up to five storeys or bhumis. The Simha Temple possesses twelve angles, is embellished with the images of lions and width of eight cubits. The Vritta temple is shaped like a circle. The Chatushkona temple is shaped like quadrangle i.e. it possesses four angles. As the name itself indicates, the Shodashri temple has a total of sixteen angles. The Ashtashri temple possesses eight angles.<ref>Shastri, Ajay Mitra (1969) India as Seen in the Brhatsamhita of Varahamihira'''.''' New Delhi:Motilal Banarasidass Publishers Private Ltd.</ref>   

* '''The Meru Temple''' is the loftiest temple described in the Brihat Samhita. It rises to a height of twelve storeys and is hexagonal in its plan. It had variegated windows and doors in the four cardinal directions. Its width was thirty two cubits (one cubit is equal to eighteen inches).

* The '''Mandara''' type of a temple is hexagonal with a width of thirty cubits and with a height of ten storeys and shikhara.  

* The '''Kailasa''' kind of a temple shares similarities with the Mandara with a height of eight storeys and its width being twenty eight cubits.

* The '''Vimana Chhanda''' is equipped with latticed windows and is as broad as twenty one cubits.  

* The '''Nandana''' possesses a height of six storeys with sixteen cupolas and a width of thirty-two cubits.  

* '''Samudga''' is a temple with a circular plan and measures eight cubits in width. It has a single storey and only one shikhara..  

* The '''Padma''' temple is said to resemble an eight-petalled lotus. The rest of its feature are the same as Samudga.  

* The shape of the '''Garuda''' temple is like that of Garuda or eagle with a tail and wings.

* The '''Nandivardhana''' is similar to a Garuda Temple but the wings and tail are absent. They both have a width of twenty-four cubits and rise up to seven storeys. Further they are both embellished with twenty cupolas.  

* The '''Kunjara''' is a temple is similar to a Kunjara's or an elephant's back. It has one storey and is equipped with three chandrashalas and measures sixteen cubits. It is apsidal in form with a barrel-vaulted roof. We find many examples of the Kunjara type of temples. Some of the notable ones are the Trivikrama Temple at Ter (Maharashtra), the Nakula Sahadeva Ratha at Mahabalipuram (Pallavas, Tamil Nadu) and the Durg Temple at Aihole (Chalukyas, Karnataka).  

* The '''Guharaja''' measures, like the Kunjara sixteen cubits and possesses a single storey and three chandrashalas. It is shaped like a cave.  

* The '''Vrisha''' is a circular temple with a single shikhara. This temple measures twelve cubits.  

* The '''Hamsa''' was shaped like a swan with a beak, wings and tail and has one storey, one turret and and a width of 16 cubits.

* The '''Ghata''' temple is shaped like a Kalasha. with a width of eight cubits and one storey and a single turret.  

* The '''Sarvatobhadra''' temple has four doors and multiple shikharas. It is endowed with numerous chandrashalas with a breadth of twenty six cubits and a height rising up to five storeys or bhumis.  

* The '''Simha Temple''' possesses twelve angles, is embellished with the images of lions and width of eight cubits.  

* The '''Vritta''' temple is shaped like a circle.  

* The '''Chatushkona''' temple is shaped like quadrangle i.e. it possesses four angles.  

* As the name itself indicates, the '''Shodashri''' temple has a total of sixteen angles.  

* The '''Ashtashri''' temple possesses eight angles.<ref>Shastri, Ajay Mitra (1969) India as Seen in the Brhatsamhita of Varahamihira'''.''' New Delhi:Motilal Banarasidass Publishers Private Ltd.</ref>   

== विष्णुधर्मोत्तर पुराणम् || Vishnudharmottara Purana  ==

== विष्णुधर्मोत्तर पुराणम् || Vishnudharmottara Purana  ==