Atemple (from theLatintemplum) is aplace of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such asprayer andsacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in English, while those of other religions are not, even though they fulfill very similar functions.
Religions whose places of worship are generally not called "temples" in English includeChristianity, which haschurches,Islam withmosques, andJudaism withsynagogues (although some of these use "temple" as a name).
The form and function of temples are thus very variable, though they are often considered by believers to be, in some sense, the "house" of one or moredeities. Typically, offerings of some sort are made to the deity, and other rituals are enacted, and a special group ofclergy maintain and operate the temple. The degree to which the whole population of believers can access the building varies significantly; often parts, or even the whole main building, can only be accessed by the clergy. Temples typically have a main building and a largerprecinct, which may contain many other buildings or may be a dome-shaped structure, much like an igloo.
The word comes fromAncient Rome, where atemplum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, oraugur.[1] It has the same root as the word "template", a plan in preparation for the building that was marked out on the ground by the augur.
Hindu temples are known by many different names, varying on region and language, including Alayam,[2]Mandir,Mandira,Ambalam,Gudi,Kavu,Koil,Kovil,Déul,Raul,Devasthana,Devalaya,Devayatan,Devakula,Devagiriha,Degul,Deva Mandiraya, andDevalayam. Hindu temple architecture is mainly divided into theDravidian style of the south and theNagara style of the north, with other regional styles.
The basic elements of theHindu temple remain the same across all periods and styles. The most essential feature is the inner sanctuary, thegarbhagriha or womb-chamber, where the primarymurti orcult image of a deity is housed in a simple bare cell. Around this chamber there are often other structures and buildings, in the largest cases covering several acres. On the exterior, the garbhagriha is crowned by a tower-likeshikhara, also called thevimana in the south. The shrine building may include anambulatory forparikrama (circumambulation), one or moremandapas or congregation halls, and sometimes anantarala antechamber and porch between garbhagriha and mandapa.
A Hindu temple is a symbolic house, the seat and dwelling ofHindu gods.[3] It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together according toHindu faith. Inside itsgarbhagriha innermost sanctum, a Hindu temple contains amurti or Hindu god's image. Hindu temples are large and magnificent with a rich history. There is evidence of the use of sacred ground as far back as theBronze Age and later during theIndus Valley civilization.[4]
Buddhist temples include the structures calledstupa,wat andpagoda in different regions and languages. A Buddhist temple might contain ameditation hall hostingBuddharupa, or the image ofBuddha, as the object of concentration and veneration during a meditation. The stupa domed structures are also used in a circumambulation ritual calledPradakshina.
Temples inBuddhism represent the pure land or pure environment of aBuddha. Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire inner and outer peace.[5]
Three types of structures are associated with thereligious architecture ofearly Buddhism: monasteries (viharas), places to venerate relics (stupas), and shrines or prayer halls (chaityas, also calledchaitya grihas), which later came to be called temples in some places. The pagoda is an evolution of the Indian stupas.
The initial function of a stupa was the veneration and safe-guarding of the relics ofGautama Buddha. The earliest archaeologically known example of a stupa is the relic stupa located inVaishali,Bihar in India.
In accordance with changes in religious practice, stupas were gradually incorporated into chaitya-grihas (prayer halls). These are exemplified by the complexes of theAjanta Caves and theEllora Caves (Maharashtra). TheMahabodhi Temple atBodh Gaya inBihar is another well-known example.
As Buddhism spread, Buddhist architecture diverged in style, reflecting the similar trends in Buddhist art. Building form was also influenced to some extent by the different forms of Buddhism in the northern countries, practisingMahayana Buddhism in the main and in the south whereTheravada Buddhism prevailed.
A Jain temple, called aDerasar, is theplace of worship forJains, the followers ofJainism.[6] Some famous Jain temples areShikharji,Palitana temples,Ranakpur Jain temple,Shravan Belgola,Dilwara Temples andLal Mandir. Jain temples are built with various architectural designs. Jain temples in North India are completely different from the Jain temples in South India, which in turn are quite different from Jain temples in West India. Additionally, amanastambha (literally 'column of honor') is a pillar that is often constructed in front of Jain temples.
A Sikh temple is called a gurdwara, literally the "doorway to the Guru". Its most essential element is the presence of the Guru,Guru Granth Sahib. The gurdwara has an entrance from all sides, signifying that they are open to all without any distinction whatsoever. The gurdwara has aDarbar Sahib where the Guru Granth Sahib is seen and aLangar where people can eat free food.[7] A gurdwara may also have a library, nursery, and classroom.[8]
The temple-building tradition ofMesopotamia derived from the cults of gods and deities in theMesopotamian religion. It spanned several civilizations; fromSumerian,Akkadian,Assyrian, andBabylonian. The most common temple architecture of Mesopotamia is the structure of sun-baked bricks called aziggurat, having the form of a terracedstep pyramid with a flat upper terrace where the shrine or temple stood.
Ancient Egyptian temples were meant as places for thedeities to reside on earth. Indeed, the term the Egyptians most commonly used to describe the temple building,ḥwt-nṯr, means 'mansion (or enclosure) of a god'.[9]
A god'spresence in the temple linked the human and divine realms and allowed humans to interact with the god through ritual. These rituals, it was believed, sustained the god and allowed it to continue to play its proper role in nature. They were, therefore, a key part of the maintenance ofmaat, the ideal order of nature and of human society in Egyptian belief.[10] Maintainingmaat was the entire purpose ofEgyptian religion,[11] and thus it was the purpose of a temple as well.[12]
Ancient Egyptian temples were also of economic significance to Egyptian society. The temples stored and redistributed grain and came to own large portions of the nation's arable land (some estimate as much as 33% by theNew Kingdom period).[13] In addition, many of these Egyptian temples utilized the Tripartite Floor Plan in order to draw visitors to the center room.
InThe Temple in Man, a work byR. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, the author explores the idea that Egyptian temples, particularly theTemple of Luxor, are metaphysical representations of the human body. Schwaller de Lubicz suggests that these temples reflect the cosmic and spiritual order through their proportions and design. The author argues that the ancient Egyptians embedded knowledge ofsacred geometry andspiritual awakening into their architecture, and that the human body itself is a temple that mirrors the harmony of the universe. The work connects the metaphysical symbolism of the temples to esoteric concepts, showing how the architecture reflects human anatomy and cosmic laws.[14]
Greek and Roman temples were originally built out of wood and mud bricks, but as the empires expanded, the temples grew to monumental size, made out of materials such as stone and marble on raised platforms. While the color has long since faded, The columns would have been painted in white, blue, red, and black. Above the columns would have been a sculpted or painted depiction of a myth or battle, with freestanding sculptures in thepediment triangles. The roofs were tiled and had sculptures of mythical animals or deities on the tops or corners. Greek temples also had several standard floor plans with very distinct column placement.[15]
Located in the front of the temple were altars intended for sacrifices or offerings.Ouranic altars were usually square, lined with a metal pan for burnt offerings, and a flat top which was necessary for the ouranic gods to receive offerings.Chthonic altars, calledbothros, were pits dug into the earth for liquid libations of animal sacrifices, milk, honey, and wine. The building which housed the cult statue oragalma in itscella was located in the center of the temple in Greek architecture, while in Rome, the cella was in the back.[15] Greek temple architecture had a profound influence on ancient architectural traditions.
Greco-Roman temples were built facing eastward, utilizing the rising sun in morning rituals. The location each temple was built also depended on many factors such as environment, myth, function, and divine experience. Most were built on sites associated with myths or a place a god had been believed to have performed a feat, or founded a town or city. Many Roman temples had close associations with important events in Roman history, such as military victories. Temples in cities were often dedicated to the founding deity of the city, but also served as civic and social centers. TheTemple of Saturn even held the state treasury and treasury offices in its basement.[15]
The Romans usually referred to a holy place of apagan religion asfanum; in some cases this referred to a sacred grove, in others to a temple. Medieval Latin writers also sometimes used the wordtemplum, previously reserved for temples of the ancient Roman religion. In some cases it is hard to determine whether a temple was a building or an outdoor shrine. For temple buildings of theGermanic peoples, theOld Norse termhof is often used.
AZoroastrian temple may also be called aDar-e-mehr and anAtashkadeh. A fire temple in Zoroastrianism is the place of worship for Zoroastrians. Zoroastrians reverefire in any form, and their temples contains aneternal flame, withAtash Behram (Fire of Victory) as the highest grade of all, as it combines 16 different types of fire gathered in elaborate rituals.
In the Zoroastrian religion, fire (Atar), together with clean water (Aban), are agents of ritual purity. Clean, white "ash for the purification ceremonies is regarded as the basis of ritual life," which, "are essentially the rites proper to the tending of a domestic fire, for the temple fire is that of the hearth fire raised to a new solemnity".[This quote needs a citation]
Other than the base constructed from an elevated platform of earth and stones, most parts of Chinese temples are made of timber carpentry, with parts of brick masonry and glazed ceramics for roofs and tile decorations. Typical Chinese temples have curved overhanging eaves and complicated carpentry of stacked roof construction. Chinese temples are known for their vivid colour and rich decorations. Their roofs are often decorated with mythical beasts, such asChinese dragons andqilins, and sometimes also Chinese deities. Chinese temples can be found throughoutMainland China andTaiwan, and also whereChinese expatriate communities have settled abroad; thus Chinese temples can be found inChinatowns worldwide.
Sojiwan temple, an example of typical 9th-century Javanese temple architecture.
Candi is anIndonesian term to refer to ancient temples. Before the rise of Islam, between the 5th to 15th centuries, Dharmic faiths (Hinduism and Buddhism) were the majority in the Indonesian archipelago, especially inJava andSumatra. As a result, numerous Hindu temples, locally known ascandi, were constructed and dominated the landscape of Java. Thecandi architecture follows the typicalIndonesian architectural traditions based onVastu Shastra. The temple layout, especially in theCentral Java period, incorporatedmandala temple plan arrangements and also the typical high towering spires ofHindu temples. Thecandi was designed to mimicMeru, the holy mountain and the abode of the gods. In contemporaryIndonesian Buddhist perspective,candi refers to a shrine, either ancient or new. Several contemporaryviharas in Indonesia, for example, contain an actual-size replica or reconstruction of famous Buddhist temples, such as the replica ofPawon[16] andPlaosan'sperwara (small) temples.
According to local beliefs, the Java valley had thousands of Hindu temples that co-existed with Buddhist temples, most of which were buried in the massive eruption ofMount Merapi in 1006 CE.
Temples of theMesoamerican civilization usually took the shape ofstepped pyramids with temples or shrines on top of the massive structure. They are more akin to the ziggurats of Mesopotamia than to Egyptian ones. A single or several flight(s) of steep steps from the base lead to the temple that stood on the plateau on top of the pyramid. The stone temple might be a square or a rounded structure with a door opening leading to a cella or inner sanctum. The plateau on top of the pyramid in front of the temple is where the ritualistic sacrifice took place.
Some classic Mesoamerican pyramids are adorned with stories about the feathered serpentQuetzalcoatl orMesoamerican creation myths, written in the form of hieroglyphs on the rises of the steps of the pyramids, on the walls, and on the sculptures contained within.[17] Notable example includeAztecAcatitlan andMayanChichen Itza,Uxmal andTikal.
InJudaism, the ancient Hebrew texts refer to a "sanctuary", "palace" or "hall" for each of the two ancient temples inJerusalem, called in theTanakhBeit YHWH, which translates literally as 'YHWH's House'. In English "temple" is the normal term for them.
The Greek wordsynagogue came into use to describe Jewish (andSamaritan) places of worship duringHellenistic times and it, along with the Yiddish termshul, and the original Hebrew termBeit Knesset ('House of meeting') are the terms in most universal usage.
Since the 18th century, Jews in Western and Central Europe began to apply the nametemple, borrowed from the French where it was used to denote all non-Catholic prayer houses, to synagogues. The term became strongly associated withReform institutions, in some of which both congregants and outsiders associated it with the elimination of the prayers for the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple, though this was not the original meaning—traditional synagogues named themselves "temple" over a century before the advent of Reform, and many continued to do so after.[18] In American parlance,temple is often synonymous withsynagogue, but especially non-Orthodox ones.
The termkenesa, from the Aramaic for 'assembly', is used to describe the places of worship ofKaraite Jews.
The wordtemple has traditionally been rarely used in the English-speakingWestern Christian tradition. InIrish, somepre-schism churches use the wordteampall. The usual word forchurch in theHungarian language istemplom, also deriving from the same Latin root.Spanish distinguishes between the temple being the physical building for religious activity, and the church being both the physical building for religious activity and also the congregation of religious followers.[20]
The principal words typically used to distinguish houses of worship in Western Christian architecture areabbey,basilica,cathedral,chapel andchurch. The Catholic Church has used the word temple in reference of a place of worship on rare occasions. An example is the Roman CatholicSagrada Familia Temple in Barcelona, Spain and the Roman CatholicBasilique du Sacré-Cœur Temple in Paris, France. Another example is the Temple or Our Lady of the Pillar, a church inGuadalajara,Mexico.
Some Protestant churches use this term; above the main entrance of theLutheran Gustav Vasa church inStockholm,Sweden, is acartouche in Latin which reads "this temple (...) was constructed by king Oscar II."
Beginning in the late 18th century, following theEnlightenment, some Protestant denominations in France and elsewhere began to use the wordtemple to distinguish these spaces from Catholic churches.Evangelical and other Protestant churches make use of a wide variety of terms to designate their worship spaces, such as church,tabernacle or temple. Additionally, some breakaway Catholic churches such as theMariavite Church inPoland have chosen to also designate their central church building as a temple, as in the case of theTemple of Mercy and Charity inPłock.
The Book of Mormon, which Latter Day Saints believe is a companion book of scripture with the Bible, refers to temple building in the ancient Americas by a group of people called theNephites. Though Book of Mormon authors are not explicit about the practices in these Nephite temples, they were patterned "after the manner of the temple of Solomon" ([21]) and served as gathering places for significant religious and political events (e.g. Mosiah 1–6; 3rd Nephi 11–26).[22]
Freemasonry is afraternal organization with its origins in the eighteenth century whose membership is held together by a shared set of moral andmetaphysical ideals based on short role play narratives concerning the construction of King Solomon's Temple. Freemasons meet as a Lodge. Lodges meet in aMasonic Temple (in reference to King Solomon's Temple), Masonic Center or a Masonic Hall, such asFreemasons' Hall, London. Some confusion exists as Masons usually refer to a Lodge meeting as beingin Lodge.
Göbekli Tepe, located in southernTurkey, was built between the 8th and 10th millennium BCE. Its circular compounds on top of atell are composed by massive T-shaped stonepillars decorated with abstract, enigmaticpictograms and animalreliefs.
Shrines of the traditionalChinese Ethnic Shenism are calledmiao, orancestral hall in English.Joss house is an obsolete American term for such kind of places of worship.
Shintoistjinja are normally calledshrines in English in order to distinguish them from Buddhist temples (-tera,-dera).
Taoist temples and monasteries are calledguan ordaoguan (道观, literally 'place of contemplation of the Tao') in Chinese,guan being the shortened version ofdaoguan.
^ALAYAM : The Hindu Temple;An Epitome of Hindu Culture; G.Venkataramana Reddy; Published by Adhyaksha; Sri Ramakrishna Math;ISBN978-81-7823-542-4 ; Page 1
^Kramrisch, Stella (1946).The Hindu Temple. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 135, context: 40–43,110–114, 129–139 with footnotes.ISBN978-81-208-0223-0.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help), Quote: "The [Hindu] temple is the seat and dwelling of God, according to the majority of the [Indian] names" (p. 135); "The temple as Vimana, proportionately measured throughout, is the house and body of God" (p. 133).
^Hill, Victoria (January 23, 2023)."Plans announced to rebuild, relocate Anchorage Alaska Temple".KUTV. RetrievedJuly 6, 2024. (The Anchorage Alaska Temple is being relocated and resized. While the new temple is under construction, the existing temple is open and will be decommissioned and demolished after the new one is dedicated).
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