Changes

== देवालयः ॥ Temple ==

== देवालयः ॥ Temple ==

The worship of any deity through the medium of images is again two-fold, viz.,  

The worship of any deity through the medium of images is again two-fold, viz.,  

* Private worship of idols performed in smaller scale usually at home or in small gatherings. It involves lesser resources and mostly is a private affair.  

* Private worship of murti or vigrahas performed in smaller scale usually at home or in small gatherings. It involves lesser resources and mostly is a private affair.  

* Public worship of idols in temples is large scale activity involving a large number of people, procedures and runs systematically.   

* Public worship of murti or vigrahas in temples is large scale activity involving a large number of people, procedures and runs systematically.   

Private worship of images in one's house is included in the fold of Devapuja also called as devatarcharna (देवतार्चना). Public sites where deities are worshipped are called variously as Devalaya, mandir, temple(according to different languages) where the image of the deity is consecrated through a process called '''Pratishta (प्रतिष्ठा)'''. Such worship is thought to be the best as it allows the celebration of festivals and the performance of the varied items or modes of worship (उपचाराः । upacharas).<ref name=":1" />   

Private worship of images in one's house is included in the fold of Devapuja also called as devatarcharna (देवतार्चना). Public sites where deities are worshipped are called variously as Devalaya, mandir, temple(according to different languages) where the image of the deity is consecrated through a process called '''Pratishta (प्रतिष्ठा)'''. Such worship is thought to be the best as it allows the celebration of festivals and the performance of the varied items or modes of worship (उपचाराः । upacharas).<ref name=":1" />   

* चलार्चप्रतिष्ठा ॥ Chalarcha is where the image can be lifted up, moved to another place.  

* चलार्चप्रतिष्ठा ॥ Chalarcha is where the image can be lifted up, moved to another place.  

* स्थिरार्चप्रतिष्ठा ॥ Sthirarcha is where the image is fixed on a pedestal or is not meant to be lifted up or moved to a different place.  

* स्थिरार्चप्रतिष्ठा ॥ Sthirarcha is where the image is fixed on a pedestal or is not meant to be lifted up or moved to a different place.  

Pratishta (consecration of idol) involves elaborate procedures performed by the acharyas as prescribed in puranas and agama shastras.   

Pratishta (consecration of murti or vigraha) involves elaborate procedures performed by the acharyas as prescribed in puranas and agama shastras.   

== पवित्रता ॥ Sanctity ==

== पवित्रता ॥ Sanctity ==

The basic idea behind the rituals involving any piece of architecture is that it is an act of aggression against Nature and proper rituals must be performed to make sure that the balance of Nature is not disturbed. The natural wildness of the site, in the form of the Vastu Purusha, a demon in its wild, uncontrolled state, has to be tamed. The various kinds of spirits that dwell at the site need to be expelled and the site should be readied for the sacred presence, and in the case of a temple, for the sacred presence of the deity. 

The basic idea behind the rituals involving any piece of architecture is that it is an act of aggression against Nature and proper rituals must be performed to make sure that the balance of Nature is not disturbed. The natural wildness of the site, in the form of the Vastu Purusha, a demon in its wild, uncontrolled state, has to be tamed. The various kinds of spirits that dwell at the site need to be expelled and the site should be readied for the sacred presence, and in the case of a temple, for the sacred presence of the deity. 

This is the basic idea at the foundation of any Hindu building, sacred, civil or military. The word ‘Vaastu’ denotes the site and everything that contains in it, not just the building. This is fundamentally different from the understanding in the West, where the corresponding word ‘architecture’ only denotes the building. This is what the great scholar Prasanna Kumar Acharya has to say about ‘Vastu-shastra’, the science of ‘architecture’ and related fields:<blockquote>''“In the Vastu-shastras the term architecture is taken in its broadest sense and implies what is built or constructed. Thus in the first place it denotes all kinds of buildings, religious, residential, and military; and their auxiliary members and component mouldings. Secondly, it covers town-planning; laying out gardens; constructing market-places including ports and harbours; making roads, bridges, gateways, triumphal arches; digging wells, tanks, trenches, drains, sewers, moats; building enclosure walls, embankments, dams, railings, landing places, flights of steps for hills and bathing ghats and ladders. Thirdly, it connotes articles of furniture such as bedsteads, couches, tables, chairs, thrones, wardrobes, baskets, cages, nests, mills, conveyances, lamps and lamp-posts for streets. It also includes the making of dresses and ornaments such as chains, crowns, head-gear and foot and arm wear. Architecture also includes sculpture and deals with carving of phalli, idols of deities, statues of great personages, images of animals and birds. It is also concerned with such preliminary matters as the selection of site, testing of soil, planning, designing, finding out cardinal points by means of a gnomon, dialling and astronomical and astrological calculations.”''</blockquote>But the Hindu temple, specifically, is more of a sacred than social or cultural site. Exclusively in Bharatiya dharmashastras many procedures for establishing 'soucha' (शौचम्) used in the meaning of cleansing, sanctifying and purifying a place or thing are in place, which are not seen in any other cultures of the world. Sanctity in word (achieved by the utterance of speech and mantras), thought (achieved by having good thoughts) and deeds (achieved by the physical act of cleaning the place, use of cow-dung etc) is a concept adhered to by the Temple administrators. hence the homas, pujas and sevas conducted in temples follow the rituals to maintain the sanctity of the place.  

This is the basic idea at the foundation of any Hindu building, sacred, civil or military. The word ‘Vaastu’ denotes the site and everything that contains in it, not just the building. This is fundamentally different from the understanding in the West, where the corresponding word ‘architecture’ only denotes the building. This is what the great scholar Prasanna Kumar Acharya has to say about ‘Vastu-shastra’, the science of ‘architecture’ and related fields:<blockquote>''“In the Vastu-shastras the term architecture is taken in its broadest sense and implies what is built or constructed. Thus in the first place it denotes all kinds of buildings, religious, residential, and military; and their auxiliary members and component mouldings. Secondly, it covers town-planning; laying out gardens; constructing market-places including ports and harbours; making roads, bridges, gateways, triumphal arches; digging wells, tanks, trenches, drains, sewers, moats; building enclosure walls, embankments, dams, railings, landing places, flights of steps for hills and bathing ghats and ladders. Thirdly, it connotes articles of furniture such as bedsteads, couches, tables, chairs, thrones, wardrobes, baskets, cages, nests, mills, conveyances, lamps and lamp-posts for streets. It also includes the making of dresses and ornaments such as chains, crowns, head-gear and foot and arm wear. Architecture also includes sculpture and deals with carving of phalli, murti or vigrahas of deities, statues of great personages, images of animals and birds. It is also concerned with such preliminary matters as the selection of site, testing of soil, planning, designing, finding out cardinal points by means of a gnomon, dialling and astronomical and astrological calculations.”''</blockquote>But the Hindu temple, specifically, is more of a sacred than social or cultural site. Exclusively in Bharatiya dharmashastras many procedures for establishing 'soucha' (शौचम्) used in the meaning of cleansing, sanctifying and purifying a place or thing are in place, which are not seen in any other cultures of the world. Sanctity in word (achieved by the utterance of speech and mantras), thought (achieved by having good thoughts) and deeds (achieved by the physical act of cleaning the place, use of cow-dung etc) is a concept adhered to by the Temple administrators. hence the homas, pujas and sevas conducted in temples follow the rituals to maintain the sanctity of the place.  

== यज्ञवेदी ॥ Vedic Fire Altar ==

== यज्ञवेदी ॥ Vedic Fire Altar ==