hindu temple

Asia’s Sacred Sites Mid Term Paper: Indian Temple

Trinadh Kumar Pydipally

1

Doing this course showed me how important the spiritual experience is in the world. The

enlightening experience we have when we visit each spiritual center is vast. I myself coming from a

South Asia would like to explain the research and experiences I have done while doing my

undergrad thesis. I have tried to understand the basic principals in constructing of temples in India

while following all the spiritual principals. For my research I have met different people who are

experienced in temple construction. Mr. Perumal stapathi, and his son Mr. Ram Chandran are

temple architects who helped me a lot in my ground work. It is interesting how his whole family has

dedicated their life to design and construct temples. Everyone in their family will be a Stapathi

(temple architect). The interesting part was how both responded to the work I had. Whenever I

wanted to talk to Mr. Perumal Stapathi I had to take printouts of the drawings. On the other hand

his son, Mr. Ram Chandran would like to see my Cad drawings and excel sheets. It is so clearly

visible the modernization of the approach. I have prepared few excel sheets for Mr. Ram Chandran

which help in calculating the perimeter of the temple’s inner sanctum. Before I get to that I would

like to present the intricate procedure taken care in designing an Indian temple. First: parts of the

temple:

1 Parts of Indian Temple



2

Temple proportions replicate human proportions in most ways. This can be related to the Leonardo

da Vinci’s proportions of the Human Figure (Vitruvian Man).

2 Human Proportions relating to Temple proportions

Temple construction in India starts with the selection of site. The site should be near a water body

or on mountain top or in springs with pleasant gardens. The auspicious site for temple is one with

north-east slope. Surroundings need to be peaceful and create pleasant atmosphere. If any trees

with no reproduction, skull bones, rocks, bird inhabitant, ash, hair and skin reduce are found in or

on site, it should be abandoned for temple construction. The site is then tested with a quick check

process. A half meter pit is dug; the soil from this pit is carefully kept separately. After few minutes,

the same soil is refilled. The soil is good for construction of temple if there is a lump on the surface

of the soil. But, if there is a depression, the soil is unfit for temple construction.

3 Image showing the quick soil test for constructing a temple

In India every construction follows the Vastu Purusha Mandala to decide where a certain room

needs to be located. Vastu Purusha is a mythical being who locates himself according to the cosmos

and their positions, which effect the location of rooms in plan. Since Earth revolves and rotates,

Vastu-purusha also constantly changes position every three months. So to overcome this constant



3

moving, the Vastu-purusha mandala is drawn only the day when he matches with the North East

corner. (For construction of north Indian temples they do not wait for the purusha to match, but,

they will locate the position of the purusha at that day and time). Once Vastu purusha mandala is

fixed for a site, the plan of the temple is decided according to the deity who houses the temple.

The plan should match the Gods nakshatras (astrology) for prosperity of the temple. This is done by

Āyadi Shadvarga. The temple inner sanctum is the most auspicious place and is to be designed with

great care. Indian Scriptures of Vastu says that every house is to be constructed according to its

owner’s anthropometric relations. But when we are constructing a temple, the deity’s astrology

would be the reference of measurement.

Āyadi Shadvarga (“with the perimeter of structure should conform”): Each temple plan had to

correspond to the 6 perquisite computations on Aya (course) that determine the proportion of the

building and outline the design solution. According to the site and temple size a random perimeter

is selected and it is calculated according to the computations. After attaining these computations

the following rules will decide if the selected perimeter is good enough for the construction.

4 Vastu Purusha Mandala



4



5

Ādayam (Income): (A x 8)/12

Virayam (Expense): (A x 9)/10

Nakshatram (Star): (A x 8)/27

Yoni: (A x 3)/8

Varam: (A x 9)/7

Thithi: (A x 9)/15

Where A in previous formulas is the perimeter of

the Garbha Griha (temple’s inner sanctum).

Ādayam should always be more than Virayam. (At

Least equal)

Nakshatram: the stars are calculated from the got

star to the god’s star. The no. is then divided by 9

and got reminder should be even or 1.

Yoni: The reminder got should be odd number.

Varam: The reminder got should be 2, 4, 7or 0.

Thithi: The reminder got should be an odd number.

Once the perimeter is obtained from the computations the shape of the inner sanctum is decided

according to the above table. There are many deities for Indian culture and according to which deity

is to be placed in the inner sanctum the shape of the sanctum is decided. The super structure above

the inner sanctum is the Shikara. Depending upon the number of stories of shikara, it is called

ekatala (one head), dwitala (two heads), tritala (three heads)etc. And each type of shikara is further

divided into 5 types. The dimension of garbha griha in plan is multiplied with five different

numbers to get five varieties of Shikara heights for each set of storey. If S is the side of the garbha

griha in plan, then the five varieties of shikaras are:

Santhikam (height is equal to S x 10/7)

Pousthikam (height is equal to S x 1.5)

Jayatham (height is equal to S x 1.75)

Arputham (height is equal to S x 2)

Sarvakamikam (height is equal to S x 2.25)

God shape of inner sanctum

ALL Square

Shiva Circle

Vishnu Octagonal

Peace god Rectangular



6

After the overall height is got, it is divided into number of parts such that set of few parts is for each

storey in shikara. All of these proportions can be obtained in all temple scriptures like

Mayamatham, Kasyapa-shilpam, Visvakarmiam, Maanasaram, Manasaram etc.

According to the decided temple height

the amount of detail is added to the side

of the temple and the shikara The

ornamentation of temples is explained in

Vedic texts like mayamatham, Kasyapa-

shilpam, Visvakarmiam, maanasaram,

manasaram etc., from the elephant trunk

shaped stair hand-rail at the plinth to the

type of god facing the specified direction

at the Shikara.

The temple façade always has recurring

ornamentation elements. This is actually

the transformation of elements from a

small bindi (dot or point) to a fully

ornamented Vimana or gateway. (Shown

in Indian Temple Architecture: Form and

Transformation by Ar. Adam Hardy.)

6 dimension and detail of each side of temple according to decided storey

5 Parts of Shikara



7

7 Temple Plan explain different parts

8 Adam Hardy illustrates the decorations on temples

As this clearly shows most of the initial decisions are taken by the stapathi according to the budget

of the project and the site. Once those are set, the calculations form the guidance for the most part



8

in designing a temple. But temple architects apart from just simply following these rules added

variety to each temple by designing different environment at different temple. The sun temple in

Konark has many places where shadows were used to enhance the spiritual feel of the place. There

are other monolithic mountain temples which were sculptured right into a mountain to form a

temple (Ellora temple, Maharashtra, India). This makes me wonder how much intricate rituals of

other cultures also take in construction of their own spiritual centers.

My own experience of temples is very different at different places. I have visited many temples

around southern India and had very enriching experience at different places. But strangely enough

when I visited Indian temples in America, I did not feel the same level of spirituality. And

interestingly I found the same spiritual experience in some of the churches here. This kind of shows

the kind of integrity the community can have on the building or space itself. The reason I say this, is

Indians visiting temple here are not as concentrated on God as they would be in India. I have

personally seen people here visiting temples just because of some intensions but not to experience

the silent clear inner self. I always wonder is it the people themselves which induce their

spirituality in that place. But after learning about Deborah Willoughby’s spiritual experience in

Grand Canyon, it was clear to me that one’s own perception of space lets them understand nature

and spirituality. Perception to spirituality differs in different cultures like directionality in

circumambulation is different in Hinduism and Bon religion. But the outcome is the same clear

spiritual experience. So I do think ones clear perception of a space can also induce their feelings

into the surroundings.

Bibliography

Sketches (1-7): Marabu Kattada Kalai (Traditional Architecture) by K.Thirugnanam

Sketch 8: Indian Temple Architecture: form and transformation by Adam Hardy

Scriptures: Kasyapam, Mayamatham

Temple the spiritual core: Thesis by Trinadh Kumar Pydipally, 2006, SVCA, Hyderabad, India

Pilgrim’s Progress article by Deborah Willoughby

hindu temple

Documents