The Ancient Concept of the Temple: A Symbolic Study

Abstract

The temple is the holy place away from the distracted mind, where the human mind gets new consciousness and inspiration, that is why the temple has been designated with the words Devalaya, Devayatan, Devkul, Devgriha, Devdham and Devlok etc. The temple looks like an architectural structure when viewed from a distance. But if we study the temple carefully, we find that the temple is a combination of various symbols. Behind the construction of each part of the temple, there is some esoteric intention. Different parts of the temple represent the whole story of human life. If there are four ashrams in it, then the story of immortality and rebirth is also included. The temple has its own religiosity, but it also has a combination of various mystical experiences. The temple has been compared to the human body and its various parts have been equated with the different parts of the temple. The whole universe is contained in the temple. It is the entire creation in itself. The ancient Indian Vedic tradition defines the entire creation with the metaphor of Purusha. In the Vastu texts, it has been given the name of Vastu Purusha and the temple has been called the image of Purusha. Since the temple is the entire universe in itself and it is integrated with the human body, therefore the human body is a moving universe.