The ancient sages always considered the human body to be the abode of God. Temple architecture and spaces within have been synchronised with the human body. Great deal of thought and philosophical semiotics is represented through temple design
–Dr Ujwala Chakradeo
India is a very large and vast country and has a long tradition. It is a matter of research as to when, where and how the construction of the temple began. From the Vedas we get information about the altars of the Vedic period and the buildings used for some other religious rituals. The original text on VastuShastra is said to be in the Sthapatya Veda. There are four Vedas; the Sthapatya Veda is a part of the Atharva Veda out of these. Many texts based on this original work were written later. In 2010, the treatise ‘SamaranganSutradhar’ completed one thousand years. There is anevidence that King Bhoj wrote that treatise in 1010. Mayamtam was written eight hundred years ago. 800 to 1200 A.D. is considered to be the golden age of temple construction in the history of India.
Sanctum where the idol is placed in the temple symbolises the womb, the GarbhGriha. Maturity and advanced status of the Bhartiya society is reflected through these nomenclatures and ways of treating spaces in the temples.
Today’s age is scientific age which gives immense importance to science and evidence. Social conditions and background of Bharatiya society during when these treatises were written is not really known to us. Yet, today, as scientific discoveries continue to happen we are drawn to these treasures of our forefathers.
