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=== Agni Purana (अग्नि पुराणम्) ===
 
=== Agni Purana (अग्नि पुराणम्) ===
 
The Agni Purana believes that a temple should be constructed with a lot of precision and care. and moreover a lot of things should be kept in mind while erecting the structure of a temple.Lord Agni has described in a perfect manner the Vastu that is involved in the construction of a temple. Adhyaya ninety three of the Purana gives an account of the temple Vastu. The plot of land on which the divine edifice will be erected should be square in shape and should be divided into sixty-four rectangular chambers. Poles of Bamboo should be driven into the four cardinal points of the ground and the strings should be laid down across the eight angular points thereof. The gods respectively occupying the two and six chambers of the ground should be jointly worshipped with the Vastudevata. At the time of worship, the preceptor should meditate upon the Vastudevata in the sacrificial fire receptacle.  
 
The Agni Purana believes that a temple should be constructed with a lot of precision and care. and moreover a lot of things should be kept in mind while erecting the structure of a temple.Lord Agni has described in a perfect manner the Vastu that is involved in the construction of a temple. Adhyaya ninety three of the Purana gives an account of the temple Vastu. The plot of land on which the divine edifice will be erected should be square in shape and should be divided into sixty-four rectangular chambers. Poles of Bamboo should be driven into the four cardinal points of the ground and the strings should be laid down across the eight angular points thereof. The gods respectively occupying the two and six chambers of the ground should be jointly worshipped with the Vastudevata. At the time of worship, the preceptor should meditate upon the Vastudevata in the sacrificial fire receptacle.  
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=== Samaranganasutradhara ===
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This text is dated to the 11<sup>th</sup> century CE and has been authored by Raja Bhojadeva of the Parmara Dynasty.  The Samaranganasutradhara uses the following names which are analoguous to a temple-  Deva-dhishnya  (seat), Surasthana (establishment), Chaitya (a sacred monument which is piled up like the Vedic Agni)  , Archa-griha (house of the consecrated image) , Devata Ayatana (residence) as well as  Vibudha –agara (house of God). The text narrates the details of the five Prasadas created by Brahma for the gods- Vairaja (Brahma), Kailasa (Shiva), Puhspaka (Kubera), Manika (Varuna) and Trivishtapa (Indra).  Temples were designed on the lines of these prasadas using stones and baked bricks. The Vairaja was square, Kailasa was circular, Pushpaka was square , Manika was also circular and Trvishtapa was octagonal . These five main prasadas are divided into many sub-types.  Prasadas were also considered as Jyeshtha, Madhyama and Kanishtha or Adhama.  The auspicious and inauspicious characteristics of temples have also been enumerated. The names of a great variety of Prasadas have also been listed in this viz. Prasadas like Meru (the principal prasada, Prasada-raja), Kailasa (Hara-priya), Sarvatobhadra, Vimancchanda, Nandana, Svastika, Muktakona, Shrivatsa, Hamsa, Rucaka, Vardhamana, Garuda, Gaja, Mrgaraja, Padma and Valabhi. Various kinds of prasadas have been described for different gods  like Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Surya, Devi, Vinayaka , Lakshmi and other deities . The various structural components and dimensions of the prasadas or vimanas have also been explained in the text. The text also furnishes details about the features of Nagara, Dravida and Bhumija Prasadas- three of the main categories of Hindu Temple Architecture.  Details pertaining to the structural components like the base and storeys of the temples as well as characteristics of the other components of these temples like the jagati (the platform on which a temple, specially a Nagara temple is built.
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