THE HINDU TEMPLE FACTS

Temples of God are great centers of worship by our entire community.

This involvement of whole community is a vital factor in Temple worship.

 With great hope of purification of our soul and equal fear of sin the pilgrim will visit the holy places.

 The principal images of Worship, Decorative Sculpture and Sculptural Narration of religious stories and episodes adorn the Temples.

 The principal centers of Temple-worship have been seeds of learning.

 The Temple is focus for all aspects of everyday life in the Hindu community like…, religious, cultural, educational and social sectors.

 The right procedure in worship requires the mastery of scriptures which are chanted in the course of worship.

 Vedas are best preserved till date and their recites are maintained in the Temples.

So that these learned men are approached for instructions by all who aspire for the knowledge. Thus Temples become school of sacred learning.

 Celebrated scholars spurn secular employment and propagate their lore in temple premises through religious discourses in temples.

 Devotional dancing is part of temple-worship and gifted dancers with appropriate training formed a permanent part of the temple staff.

 Temple-worship has supplied the mainspring for the unfoldment of poetic genius.

 In the great days of temple culture there was the spirit and reality of socialization.

 The cast consciousness stands substantially suspended in the temple.

 In socio-ethical fear they have been instruments of communal cohesion, liberalization in caste relations, national unification and elevation in personal morality.

 The Temple is a center for resolving the disputes among the people through Lok-adalat

Temple Administration

Hinduism is a comprehensive way of life but not a separate cult or form of worship.

Hinduism, Indian thought and Hindu philosophy were developed in several stages.

Hinduism is an independent tradition.

 Sanatana Dharma is experience based.

Sanatana Dharma acts as the regulatory moral principles of the universe.

Sanatana Dharma has neither beginning nor end.

The worship place is known as temple.

Construction of temple and mode of worship is governed by several scriptures called agamas.

Agamas deal with individual deities.

There are substantial differences in architecture, rituals, traditions in temples in different parts of India.

Today Temples and Mutts are the two principal institutions of the Hindu Religious System.

After Vedic period Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads came in to existence. During this period there was a reaction from the public against mere rituals and sacrificial observations.

No mention was made about the Temples in the Vedic collection of hymns and prayers, which are known as SAMHITA which originated in the first period of Vedic literature.

Earlier to the Sutra period in one of the Brahmanas the words DEVATHAYATHANAM (House of God) and DEVAPRATHIMA (Image of God) were used.

Gouthama and Apasthamba Dharma Sutras have made definite mention of Temples.

Subsequently, from the days of puranas the construction of temples assumed great importance.

EVELOPMENT

Gupta emperors contributed much towards the propagation of the puranic faith and construction of temples.

The chola period from 1019 A.D. onwards was notable for the large number of new types of temples like those at Tiruvarur and Tanjore as well as the Vaikunta Perumal Temple at Uttara Nalluru. The climax being reached by the Rameswaram and Madurai Temples.

However, successive muslim invasions starting from the 10^th century A.D. led to the destructions of many famous temples in Northern India.

In Deccan, Vijayanagara emperors the greatest of whom Srikrishna Devaraya were greatest builders of Temples and patrons of Hindu Religion, Arts and Literature. But the defeat of the Vijayanagara King at the battle of Talikota in 1565 A.D. by the Bahmani Sultans brought an eclipse of the Hindu religious institutions in the Deccan.

The great deal of Temple constrictions took place at the instance of tribal chieftains like the Nayaks of Madura and Tanjore and Titular kings of the south.

 In India the Hindu Temples not only serves as religious centres but also act as Cultural, Service, Dharma Prachara, Scientific, Entertainment and as a centre for social activities and finally as an educational centre.

 You have the right to perform your actions, but you are not entitled to the fruits of the actions.

Let not the fruits of action be your motive.
Nor let your attachment be to inaction.