Taj Mahal Hindu Temple Myth

One of the most popular myths regarding the Taj Mahal and one of the most controversial questions ever asked about the authenticity of the Taj Mahal, "Was Taj Mahal a Hindu temple?" The legend of Taj Mahal being a Hindu temple originally though has no evidence as such. Yet many historians have tried to come up with as many theories as possible to prove the Taj Mahal Hindu temple myth. Read on to know more about this controversial and debatable topic that has sent many historians and researchers in a tizzy.

It is said that the Taj Mahal was actually a temple palace dedicated to lord Shiva. It was built much before the Mughals came to India and was known by the name of Tejo Mahalya. It is said that Shah Jahan came here and plundered the temple and on that very site, built the Taj Mahal. In fact, it is said that every Muslim structure in India was actually a Hindu temple or building that was plundered by the Mughal rulers and converted into Muslim structures after some modifications. Though the Government of India does not support these allegations, as there is hardcore evidence to support the same, many researchers stand by what they think is correct.

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Temples in Himachal pradesh

amarnath Cave Temple at Pahalgam near Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir: A long and arduous trek takes thousands of pilgrims to this ancient shrine each year where Shiva is worshipped as a natural lingam of ice
2 Anjana Devi Temple at Haridwar in Uttar Pradesh: Located on top of a hill near Haridwar
3 Annapurna Temple at Uttar Kashi in Uttar Pradesh
4 Annapurna Temple at Haridwar in Uttar Pradesh
5 Ardhanari Temple at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh: A modern temple with a rare Ardhanari image with carvings of high order
.6 Badrinarayan Temple at Badrinath in Uttar Pradesh: One of the most revered shrines in the country, Badrinath is a well visited Himalayan shrine on the banks of the river Alkananda at a height of 11,400 ft above sea level.

7 Baijnath Temple at Baijnath near Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh: A very ancient stone temple with intricate sculptural work - dedicated to Shiva. I

8 Bajreswari Temple at Kangra near Dharmsala in Himachal Pradesh: Large temple with lofty towers dedicated to Devi worshipped as a lingam. The Guptganga ghats are a km away from the temple.
9 Balaji Temple at Rishikesh in Uttar Pradesh: Modern temple built in the South Indian style.
10 Bharat Mata Temple at Shanti Kunj near Haridwar in Uttar Pradesh: A modern temple

housing images of several deities, religious leaders and national heros portraying unity in

diversity inaugurated by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
11 Bharatji Mandir at Rishikesh in Uttar Pradesh: Oldest temple in Rishikesh dedicated to MahaVishnu.
12 Bijli Mahadev Temple at Bijli Mahadev near Kullu in Himachal Pradesh: Ancient Shiva temple accessible only by foot 11 km away from Kullu. Known for its lightning conducting flag staff.
13 Bisheshar Mahadev Temple at Kullu in Himachal Pradesh: A large stone monument with beautiful icons and carvings.

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Temples in Karnataka

Somnathpur Temple

The temple of Lord Krishna on the shores of River Kaveri situated in the tiny village of Somnathpur is said to be the last and the grandest of Hoysala monuments. This Kesava Temple was built about 740 years ago in 1268 and displayed all the former riches and splendor of the Hoysala architectural style as evident in their temples at Belur and Halebid (then Dvarasamudra). According to the stone inscription in old Kannada at its entrance, it was built during the reign of Narasimha III by his celebrated army commander, Somnath, after whom the temple and the village was named. However, the king bestowed Somnath with his generous donations to help him set up a grand temple to glorify Hoysala craftsmanship and also sanctioned an annual grant of 3,000 gold coins for the temple's upkeep and maintenance.The best and legendary sculptors who were hired for the construction of the temple included the famous Mallitamma, Ballayya, Chaudayya, Bharmayya, Kamayya and Nanjayya. It is said that Mallitamma contributed 40 out of the 194 carved images on the outer walls. Strangely, the images are signed unlike the practices of the time but similar to other Hoysala temples at Belur and Halebid. The main shrine is centrally located and is stellar in shape. Out of the beautiful carved idols that once housed the three sanctums of the temple, idol of Kesava is missing today. However, one can still witness the beauty of idols of Janardhana and Venugopala. Since, earliest Hoysala monarchs were Jains and later they terned to Vaisnavism and Shaivism, they had general tolerance of all faiths. The temple at Somnathpur is unique in design, has fabulous stone carvings and are perfect in symmetry.

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temples in hydrabad(hyd)

Birla mandir temple at hyderabad
Chilkur balaji temple at chilkur near hyderabad ranga reddy district
Peddamma temple at jubilee hills hyderabad
Astalaksmi temple in hyderabad
Sai baba temples at Hyderabad
Sanghi temple at sanghinagar in hyderabad

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Kalahasti Temple history

History

Worship of lord siva was there in India even before Christian era. Saiva saints of first century sang about this temple. The initial stracture of this temple was constructed by the great Pallava dynasty. Tamil Chola kings and the Vijayanagara kings also gave great help for the temple development. Like other great temples, the construction period of Srikalahasthi lasted centuries. Near about tenth century, the Chola kings renovated the temple and constructed the main structure. The outer walls and the four gopurams were constructed in the period of Sri Veera Narasimharayar in twelfth century. The 120 feet high main gopuram and the 100 pillar mandapam were constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, the great Vijayanagara king in 1516.

Nattukkotta Chettiyar of Devakkotta, developed the structure what we see today by spending on million dollar in 1912. This ancient temple dedicated to Lord Siva is one of the panchabhootha stalams (temples celebrating Lord Siva as the embodiment of the primary elements), air being the element in case here, the other five temples being Tiruvannamalai (fire), Chidambaram (space), Thiruvanikkaval (water) and Kanchipuram (earth) respectively.

Sri Kalahasthi is located near the pilgrimage town of Tirupathi and is visited by thousands of pilgrims. The temple is also associated with Rahu and Kethu (of the nine grahams or celestial bodies in the Indian astrological scheme). The river Suvarnamukhi takes the northerly course at Sri Kalahasthi almost washing the west wall of the famous Sri Kalahasthi temple in the Chittor district of Andhra Pradesh. Inside this very large temple situated between two steep hills – Sripuram and Mummidi-cholapuram - is the Sivalinga set to represent the element of Vayu (air or wind), whose presence is evident by a continuous flame which flickers though there is no loophole for air to enter the temple.

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Sri Kalahasthi Temple is in fact considered as the Kailash of the south or Dakshin Kailash. The protector of devotees, the granter of boons, the merciful Lord Siva, the Three-eyed, manifested in the form of Vayu linga in the Bilwaka grove on the banks of river Suvarnamukhi. Lord Siva, manifest in the form of Vayu linga, is known to the devotees as Sri Kalahastheeswara. The greatness of the temple at Sri Kalahasthi is mentioned in the Sivapuranam. There is legend associated with the manifestation of Lord Siva as Vayu linga at Sri Kalahasthi. According to it, Lord Brahama was asked by Lord Siva to create Kailash. As Brahma was struggling with the task, as piece fell on the earth in the south and came to be known as Dakshin Kailash and Lord Siva chose to manifest at Dakshin Kailash as Vayu linga representing wind, is one of the five elements of nature, to satisfy the desires and wishes of his devotees. Ever ready to provide succor to devotees in distress, Lord Siva manifested at Sri Kalahasthi yielding to the request by the three dumb creatures – the Spider, the Serpent and the Elephant.

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templesin karnataka

karnataka has innumerable sites in the Temple Map of India, with its some of its still surviving monuments going back to the 7th century CE. The Badami Chalukyas were the builders of rock cut caves and ancient temple complexes. At Pattadakal, there are Temples in the Dravidian style along with Temples in styles that were later adopted in Eastern and Central India. The sculptural quality in these temples is outstanding.
The subordinate rulers of the Chalukyas were the Gangas and the Kadambas. The colossal monolithic statue of Gomateswara was built by the Gangas in the 10th century CE.

The Badami Chalukyas were succeeded by the Rashtrakutas and the Kalyani Chalukyas. In Southern Karnataka, the Hoysalas reigned supreme. The Hoysalas (12th century CE) were great builders and they built great temples The Hoysalas built temples on raised complex star shaped platforms. This star shaped plan is carried all the way from the platform to the shikhara. Horizontal bands of sculptural motifs and monolithic pillars adorn these temples. There is a profusion of sculptural work in the Hoysala style of temple building.
Also in Southern Karnataka, are temples which benefited from the patronage of the Chola rulers of Tamilnadu. A notable example is the Kolaramma temple at Kolar.
Next, the Vijayanagar Empire founded in the 14th century CE marks the period of great Temple building activity in Karnataka and these temples are characterized by the building of pillared mandapas and lofty entrance towers. Vijayanagar temples have several of the features exhibited by the temples of Tamilnadu, such as a covered pradakshinapatha (circumambulatory path) around the sanctum, and a mahamandapam in front. The ornate pillars are a distinctive mark of the Vijayanagar style.
Several of the monuments in the capital Vijayanagar - now in ruins at Hampi are attributed to Harihara II, Sadasiva and Krishna Deva Raya. The Vijayanagar Empire was destroyed by the Deccan Sultanates in the 16th century and the ruins can be seen at Hampi.
The Mysore Maharajas (Wodeyars) who ruled from around 1400 CE through the British period, with the brief lapse during Tipu Sultans rule, have also made contributions to temples in this State, the Chamundeswari temple near Mysore being a point in illustration.
The temples of the southern coastal/ghat region of Karnataka (such as Kollur) are markedly different in architectural styles and they resemble the Keralite temples to a larger extent.

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Temples in Delhi

Delhi Temple >> Laxmi Narayan Temple
India's capital city, Delhi is the second most widely used entry point in the country, being on the route of most major airlines. It is well linked by rail, air and road to all parts of the country. The remains of seven distinctive capital cities - among them Shahjahanabad and Qutab Minar - can be seen. The one thing that dominates the urbane skyline of Central Delhi is apparently the soaring spire of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. About 1.5 km due west of Connaught Place, this garish, modern, Orissan styled temple was erected by industrialist B.D.Birla in 1938 and was inaugrated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes especially untouchables would be allowed in. The temple enshrines almost all the deities of the Hindu Pantheon, the presiding deity being Narayan (Vishnu, the preserver in Hindu trinity) and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and good fortune. The revered shrine, nestling in the heart of the city, is as famous for its sanctity as for its architecture. Portraying an alluring blend of cream and red, the sacred shrine also affords a curious medley of Hindu mythology and ancient Indian architecture. Enjoy a visit to the temple to savour spirituality and legends, served in a different flavour.
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The architecture is amazing. Built in the Nagara style of architecture interspersed with modern influences, the Birla Mandir awakes from the womb of lush green Link Road reigning the whole terrain. The temple faces the east and is adorned with exquisite carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The other awe-inspiring thing is apparently the soaring spires of the shrine. You will be amazed to see the main spire (shikhara), nestling above the sanctum sanctorum, soaring with its head high at almost 160 ft. Enjoy a leisure walk through the spacious corridors and you will be overwhelmed to see such beautiful friezes and artistic sculptures that only add to the aesthetic beauty of this temple. Do you know that 101 skilled pundits from Varanasi, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, were employed to create this magic in stones. Remember to visit the Buddha shrine, the rippleless walls embellished with fresco paintings depicting the Lord's life and work. Children can also enjoy their hearts out at the miniature rock temples nestling at the backyard of the temple. There is also an arena said to be the erstwhile gym of Bhima, the second Pandava of the Mahabharata fame. An artificial landscape complete with mountains and cascading waterfalls makes for a perfect solitude.

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Hyderbad Chilukur Balaji Temple

Anyone who wish to fulfill their desire should first visit and circumambulate the temple eleven times. After fulfillment of his desire he should again come to the temple and circumambulate 108times This show that Lord bestow his grace on his devotee who seek his help with complete faith in him. The temple also has Shiva Linga, which is also 500 years old.The temple at Chilkur is managed by the hereditary trustee Sri M.V. Soundara Rajan, Sri Ranga Rajan and Sri C.S. Gopala Krishna. The entire family of the archaka, including the women have dedicated themselves to serve the God. Hitherto, a sleepy village, Chilkur has come up as a very important pilgrim centre in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA

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Thousand Pillar Temple

A Specimen Of Kakatiya Architecture4-km from Hanumakonda crossroad in Warangal district is the Thousand Pillar Temple, a fine specimen of 'Kakatiya' architecture and sculpture. It is the main attraction of Hanamkonda. The temple was built by 'Rudra Devi' in 1163 AD.The temple is in shape of a star and has three shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Surya. The temple is built on a 1m high platform on the slopes of the Hanumakonda hill, and has a majestic monolithic Nandi. The black basalt Nandi, a monolith, has a lovely polished finish.There are many small lingam shrines surrounding the gardens. The temple is famous for its richly carved pillars, screens and detailed sculpture. The atmosphere is calm and serene with the sonorous ringing of the puja bells, gentle chirping of the birds and the soothing cool breeze.Places to stay in WarangalAccommodation is available at the hotels in Warangal.

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About Temples

Temples in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has some of the most beautiful temples of South India. The language of the state, Telugu, considered to be one of the classical languages, is the one in which most devotional songs exist. A recent study by the Anthropological Survey of India has revealed that many Indians follow more than one religion. In most parts of India, Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism flourished at the same time (from the last few centuries of the pre-Christian era to the 10th-11th century AD). Thereafter, Islam also joined the three religions and the interactive culture, architecture and traditions became all the richer for it. Andhra Pradesh presents a wonderful opportunity to observe the sharing of religious spaces. The rise of both Buddhism and Jainism in Andhra desa, as in other parts of India, was marked by the many prayer houses they left behind, called differently as stupas and basadis. Muslim rulers built many new mosques and converted some temple complexes into mosques. Andhra has been able to preserve a wonderful form of Hinduism too. Many ancient Hindu texts have been translated into Telugu from Sanskrit since ancient times.


The Chalukyan, the Dravidian, the Nagara, and the Orissan styles of temple architecture can be seen in Andhra Pradesh. The Tirupati is the most visited pilgrim center and the richest temple. It is an ancient temple, which has the idol of the Lord Balaji or Venkatachalapati. The Sree Sailam temple is famous because it is one of the 12 jyotirlingas of Shiva. Sree Sailam is near Kurnool and has the idol of the Mallikarjun in an ancient style. It is believed that Adi Shankaracharya composed the Sivandalahiri in this temple. The Alampur Nava Brahma temple has 9 ancient temples were constructed from 7th century onwards. It is the gateway to Sree Sailam. They are dedicated to the Lord Shiva. The Drakashrama is famous for one of the Pancharama temples. According to the legends, the Shivalingam held by demon Tarak broke into 5 pieces and fell at 5 Pancharama kshetram. Simhachalan means 'hill of lion'. The southern Chola kings and Gangas of Orissa patronized this temple. The Sree Kalahasti temple is one of the Panchabhoota temples of Shiva. The idol in the temple is the Vayu Lingam. It represents wind out of the five essential elements Agni, Vayu, Aakash, Jalam and Prithvi.

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LAKSHMI NARAYAN TEMPLE (BIRLA MANDIR)

Location : Mandir Marg, New Delhi

Constructed By : Industrialist B.D.Birla in 1938

Presiding Deity : Lakshmi Narayan - Lord Vishnu

Best Time To Visit : Janamashtami, Deepawali

The one thing that dominates the urbane skyline of Central Delhi is apparently the soaring spire of the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. About 1.5 km due west of Connaught Place, this garish, modern, Orissan styled temple was erected by industrialist B.D.Birla in 1938 and was inaugrated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes especially untouchables would be allowed in. The temple enshrines almost all the deities of the Hindu Pantheon, the presiding deity being Narayan (Vishnu, the preserver in Hindu trinity) and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity and good fortune. The revered shrine, nestling in the heart of the city, is as famous for its sanctity as for its architecture. Portraying an alluring blend of cream and red, the sacred shrine also affords a curious medley of Hindu mythology and ancient Indian architecture. Enjoy a visit to the temple to savour spirituality and legends, served in a different flavour.

The architecture is amazing. Built in the Nagara style of architecture interspersed with modern influences, the Birla Mandir awakes from the womb of lush green Link Road reigning the whole terrain. The temple faces the east and is adorned with exquisite carvings depicting scenes from Hindu mythology. The other awe-inspiring thing is apparently the soaring spires of the shrine. You will be amazed to see the main spire (shikhara), nestling above the sanctum sanctorum, soaring with its head high at almost 160 ft. Enjoy a leisure walk through the spacious corridors and you will be overwhelmed to see such beautiful friezes and artistic sculptures that only add to the aesthetic beauty of this temple. Do you know that 101 skilled pundits from Varanasi, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, were employed to create this magic in stones. Remember to visit the Buddha shrine, the rippleless walls embellished with fresco paintings depicting the Lord's life and work. Children can also enjoy their hearts out at the miniature rock temples nestling at the backyard of the temple. There is also an arena said to be the erstwhile gym of Bhima, the second Pandava of the Mahabharata fame. An artificial landscape complete with mountains and cascading waterfalls makes for a perfect solitude.

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Lord Venkateswara most sought after God!!

Lord Venkateswara is the Lord for this kali yug. He is famous with other names like lord balaji and govinda. Lord venkateswara is very kind to help any one who prays to Him for help. Tirupathi temple is the abode of lord venkateswara and this tirupati (tirumala) has highest earnings in the world and larger than vatican city. The miracles that lord balaji shows are innumerable. The sorroundings of tirupathi awoke the waves of bhakti on lord venkateswara swamy and the name govinda will be always sung on the tongues of the bhaktas of lord venkateswara. No other God to protect all the people other than lord venkateswara in this kali yuga, as said vina venkatesam na naatho na natha..To know thyself properly , some of the common principles should be understood clearly. These common things will be complicated when analyze to understand. For example , great gurus, teachers say that you can not do business with God, or can not have a deal with God that you will offer some portion of your unexpected profits to him if He helps you. They strongly discourage this habit and they say it is foolishness to offer that way.

But if you see in daily life, the pilgrims and devotees to Tirupathi balaji (Lord venkateswara) are increasing day by day by hundreds and the offerings to Lord venkateswara is raising millions by millions. No other God or temple in the world is getting that much income as Lord Venkateswara do,for the past hundred years. The reason is this: Tirupathi (tirupati) balaji is very famous as aapada mokkula vadu, vaddi kasula vadu, which means that he is the lord who hears to help you in misfortunes, Lord Venkateswara is the lord who likes to take interest, money as a tribute for his help. Normal pundits, normal preachers can not explain how god takes money from devotees. But the cosmic creation is such a wonderful thing that there are many places which human pundits can not explain.

Lord venkateswara or lord balaji listens to bhaktas of three types.. aarthi, artharthi, jnani. He favours specially jignasu also.. when ever there is a danger or problem, people cry , plead for the help of venkateswara of tirupathi (govinda.. govinda). He listens to their call with lot of attention and helps them to come out of the danger easily. Thats why tirupathi balaji has thousands of bhakatas coming to him, by walk or by bus and paying their tribute or offering with lot of bhakti. If you want to know the bhakti you must see tirupathi.

Lord Venkateswara Speciality
Lord venkateswara has taken loan from the god of riches kubera so much money for his marriage and pledged that he would be paying off the interest on the loan from the collections of tirupati temple. So, if you pray to Him that you will offer some portion of the money from the doubtful deal , you may get it in such a way that it was possible only through his help and grace. So the devotee , who got such a benefit come and secretly drops millions of money in the donation box. This became a regular feature which became common to common man. But, we have to analyze and learn some thing from this. Though religious gurus say this is not possible, Lord venkateswara, or Tirupathi balaji likes to help his devotees in their business deals . This is possible only through the form of Lord venkateswara of Tirupathi and he is pleased when they visit Him and pay off his portion. No body can command God to be like this way or that way. We have to observe what is happening around and learn about His ways.This balaji temple is in Tirupathi, andhra pradesh, India. It is Vatican city of Hindu religion.

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temples in nellore

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Nellore)

The Sri Ranganthaswami Temple in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha a resting form of Lord Vishnu. This temple, also called Talpagiri Ranganathaswami temple or Ranganayakulu is one of the oldest temples in Nellore. It is located on the banks of the Penna River and is believed to have been constructed in the 12th century. Just before the main entrance of the temple is a huge tower, called Gaaligopuram, which literally means "wind tower". This tower is approximately 70 feet high and has 10 feet of gold plated vessels on top of it, called kalisams. Every year during the month of march-april(varies according to indian calendar) grand festival is celebrated. these are called Brahmotsavam.

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temples of karnataka

Somnathapura near Mysore houses the Kesava temple - the last great temple built by the Hoysala dynasty.

The village of Somanathapura is named after a minister by name Soma in the court of the Hoysala king Narasimha III (13th century CE), who founded it.

The Kesava temple is a fantastic piece of art. It consists of three identical shrines built on a raised platform - with a common entrance chamber in an enclosed courtyard.

The main shrine is dedicated to Kesava; however there is no image of worship now. The other shrines are dedicated to Janardhana and Venugopala.

These shrines are only about 30 feet in height. Yet they are covered profusely with ornate sculpture of the highest order, as seen in the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebidu, with themes from the Indian epics, nature and so on.

An open corridor runs around the circumambulatory path and it has sixty four cells, meant for housing images of divinities (as in the kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram). These cells are now bereft of images.

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hindu temples andhra pradesh

Trupathi - Tirumalai - Sri Srinivasa

Tirupati is well connected by Air, Rail and Road. Rail: Tirupati is connected by rail with Hyderabad, Vijayawada, via Gudur and Madras via Renigunta and Coimbatore, Bangalore, Cochin via Arkonam, Tiruchi. There are daily direct train services to Tirupati : From Hyderabad - Rayalaseema Express, Venkatadri Express, Krishna Express, Narayanathri Express; From Madras - Saptagiri Express, Tirupati Express; From Visakhapatnam - Tirumala Express. Road: Tirupati is connected by road to all major towns and cities in South India. Direct buses to Tirupati are available from almost all major towns of Andhra Pradesh. APSRTC buses run from all the important places in the state and between Tirupati. Air: Indian Airlines and Vayudoot run daily flights from Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Madras and Bangalore. This Divyadesam is considered to be one of the most important divyadesam and said to be the most powerful sthalam. This Tirumala - Tirupathi sthalam is a cluster of three temples namely: Specials: Keezh Tirupathi - found on the foot hill of Mountain. Tirumala - found on the Mountain. Tiucchanoor - Alarmelamangapuram - which is also found on the foot hill of Tirumala and it is near Keezh Tirupathi temple. for more info visit website www.hindustantemples.com

Hindu temples in Tamilnadu

Thousands of temples with lofty towers dot the skyline of the entire state of Tamilnadu. The Tamils have been the greatest of temple builders. Temples from the pre Christian era as well as those from the 20th century exist in this state, where the ancient rulers have made outstanding contributions to the growth of these monuments of great artistic value.

The most ancient temples were built of brick and mortar. Upto about 700 CE temples were scooped out of rocks. The Pallava Kings (upto 900) were great builders of temples in stone.

The Cholas (900-1250 AD) have a number of monuments to their credit. Mention must be made of the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Tanjavur. The Cholas added many ornate mandpams or halls to temples and constructed large gopurams - towers.

The Pandya Style (Upto 1350 AD) saw the emergence of huge towers, high wall enclosures and enormous towered gateways. The Vijayanagar Style (1350 - 1560 AD) is noted for the intricacy and beauty especially for the decorated monolithic pillars. The Naik style (1600 - 1750 AD) is noted for the addition of large prakarams (circumambulatory paths) and pillared halls.

The above is a rather terse description of the Dravidian temple styles found in Tamilnadu. The age of a temple could be determined from the architectural features exhibitied by it, as well as from references to it in ancient literature.

The Sangam period literature of the pre Christian era refers to some temples. The songs of the revered Saivite Saints (Nayanmars) and the Vaishnavite Alwar Saints that date back to the period 7th to the 9th century CE provide ample references to the temples of those days, and these are a valued source of reference in estimating the age of temples.

In addition, stone inscriptions found in most temples throw a lot of light on the history , and on the patronage extended by various rulers.

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North indian hindu temples

The temples in North India which can be described as the typical Nagara style. These temples escaped the destruction due to invasion. The temples as well as the literature laying down the rules and mode of construction have been well preserved in Orissa. In this style, the structure consists 0f two buildings, the main shrine taller and an adjoining shorter mandapa. The main difference between the two is the shape of the Sikhara. In the main shrine, a bell shaped structure adds to the height. As is usual in all Hindu temples, there is the kalasa at the top and the ayudha or emblem of the presiding deity.

North India Temple Architecture
The basic structure of temples in India is a room or Garbhagriha (sanctum sanatorium) where the idol of the main deity is kept. The temple is approached by a flight of steps and is often built on a platform. A porch covers the entrance to the temples, which is supported by carved pillars. A prominent roof called the shikhara surmounts the top of the Garbhagriha, and dominates the surroundings. As time went, by small temples grew into temple complexes. Some temples have a hall or mandap from where one can reach the sanctum sanctorum.

Temple architecture in India is broadly divided into northern and southern styles, classified by the form and shape of the shikhara and the distinctiveness of its decoration. The shikhara of the temples in South India tend to be made up of distinct horizontal levels that diminish to form a rough pyramid. Each level is decorated with miniature temple rooftops. The shikhara of the temples in North and Central India, in contrast, resembles an upturned cone that is decorated with miniature conical shikharas. Some temples developed their own local flavor apart from adhering to their basic native style.

About Hinduism

Hinduism is a broad label and is difficult to define with any exactness, but it is used by scholars today to refer to the traditional religious beliefs of the people in India, both past and present. The term "hindu" itself means the inhabitants of the "land beyond the indus river," and was used by the invaliding Muslim armies of the 8th and 9th centuries who entered India from the northwest.

Hindi has no actual word for "religion" - Hinduism is not a compartmentalized belief system so much as it is a way of life. As a result, some argue that Hinduism isn't really a religion afterall. It is, however, more like a religion than anything else, but it is important to keep in mind that it isn't a "religion" just like Christianity or Judaism are religions.

It is because Hinduism has developed over the course of 3000 years that it is difficult to define, but scholars are able to distinguish several forms and stages. Among some of the categories are: Vedic Hinduism, Brahmanic Hinduism, Philosophical Hinduism, Devotional Hinduism, and Reformed Hinduism.

Most people regard Hinduism as polytheistic - an idea which is both true and false. It is true that Hinduism has polytheitic elements, but it also as monotheistic and atheistic elements as well. It is diffiicult to describe, but polytheism is simply one way for a person to look at Hinduism. The variety of deities provides people with a variety of ways to fulfill their spiritual needs. Some go further and regard all of the deities as merely aspects of a few, or perhaps of just one deity. Some fo further yet and regard it all as manifestations of a single, impersonal ground of being - not theistic at all. In the end, Hinduism is what one makes of it.

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South Indian hindu Temples

Southern India is dotted with places of religious interest. There are several towns that are referred to as the temple towns owing to the grandeur of the temples they are home to. Southern India is dotted with places of religious interest. There are several towns that are referred to as the temple towns owing to the grandeur of the temples they are home to. Rameshwaram is an island- of Lord Rama's temple at Tamil Nadu is a terrific destination. Along with being a major pilgrimage for the Hindus, Rameshwaram is a happening holiday spot too. Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram.

Architecture of hindu South Indian Temples
This is the style that developed in the Dravida Desam. The Vimana and the Gopurams are the distinctive characteristics of the Southern style. The Vimana is a tall pyramidal tower consisting of several progressively smaller storeys. This stands on a square base. The Gopuram has two storeys seperated by a horizontal moulding. The Prakara or the outer wall, envelops the main shrine as well as the other smaller shrines, the tank.The Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar rulers, the Nayaks all contributed to the Southern style of temples.

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