Period of Innovation in Hindu temple Architecture(700 CE to 1000 CE)
Hindu temple is a complexly manufactured entity and has functions and ideologies deeply layered in its formulation, it, therefore, goes without saying that the imagery of the “Temple” is more than just a staggered pile of stone coming together to formulate a spire.
Hindu temple is a complexly manufactured entity and has functions and ideologies deeply layered in its formulation, it, therefore, goes without saying that the imagery of the “Temple” is more than just a staggered pile of stone coming together to formulate a spire. To understand the Hindu temple and its functions, it becomes absolutely necessary to comprehend the concepts and fundamentals of “Hinduism”.
Though it is believed to be naïve to the Indian-Subcontinent for, over a period of more than 3 thousand years, the coining of the term “Hinduism” is relatively newer. However, it does refer to the religious practices those have been carried out by the followers in the past centuries, including the various cults and sects of the ancient times, Hinduism in the light is lesser of faith but can be embodied as a “way of life” to practice living. It is also a collection of Mythologies, beliefs, and tales that have been passed on from generations after another in order to pay homage to their deities.
From the religious customs and the texts of the ancient times, Hinduism has known have maintained itself with dignity and poise. It has borne the constant influxes and consequently transformed itself with times. Generally, the foundations of today’s “Hinduism” lied in the primary Vedic times and traditions of the Iron age, but it is speculated by Historians to have its connection with the “Sapta-Sindhu” culture that we have traced in the Harappan and Mohenjo-Daro times.
The Imagery of a Temple
In the Hindu temple, the potentially divine becomes visibly manifest and therefore approachable by man (Michell, 1977, 1988). The role of the Hindu artist is to give visible form to the values of his society, rather than to communicate a personal interpretation. These values may sometimes also be referred to as ‘collective memory’, which is not individual understanding, or memory, but the collective consciousness of the society.
The temple has always been the center of the intellectual, social, and commoner community of the Hindu subcontinent. Eventually, it progressed into not only being a place of worship but also translated into a nucleus for the developments of ancient towns and connecting routes.
The construction, alignment, and planning of the Hindu temples has revolved around the regulations of the scripture – ‘Vast Shastra’ that is developed during the times of the Vedas- and its inception is speculated by many but not known even today. Ancient writings on Vast Shastra are spread through a diverse body of texts ranging from philosophical texts such as Upanishads to technical manuals encoding artisanal knowledge like the Brihat Samhita and Vastusutra.
Hindu temple architecture is vast and requires an understanding of not only Hindu philosophy, but also the nature of religious practices, rituals, and temple worship in Hinduism
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