Temples In India: The Significance Behind The Architecture And Methods Of Worship

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Temple as a piece of unusually refined architecture, is a place where God's virtues are extolled, his Leelas worshipped, a centre of religious activities. It is believed by many that God plays the mightiest role ever in our lives.

Temple building is not a mere exercise, an art, or a strenuous sculpting adventure, but it is a science that is built to precision, keeping in mind all that matters, to elevate the experience of prayer and worshipotherworldly.

Although India is a land of temples, that we come across very frequently, at every step, we have lost the foray into the art of temple building, in such a spectacular manner. By having an in-depth look at these phenomena, we can sense the magnitude of the intelligence, power and miracles that have gone behind the construction of every temple. Read on.

• Each temple is dedicated to a deity for whom it serves as an extension of its energy that constantly radiates from the idol. Each temple is a mini universe having five elements and a deity. Inside temples, the human mind is forced to travel within the internal niches of our mind and slip into a meditative state, with ease. The rituals and the effect of worship effect this response from us.
• Temples are energy-filled spaces where the devotee can absorb the form of energy that is enshrined. Each temple was built to resolve a particular problem in life and was designed to activate at least one or two chakras, the energy capsules within the spiritual metabolism of human beings.
• The main deity in each temple has a sanctum or two for other minor deities that are seen along the path we take to approach the main deity.
• Thousands of temples are found all over India in different sizes and shapes but not all of them were built as per the Vedic injunctions. As per the Vedic instructions, a temple should be at a place where the earth's magnetic wave is most dense. It is next to impossible to find how much of energy each temple comprises of. It is left to the intuitive grasp of the Rishis who decided about it.
• Wherever there are magnetic and electric wave distribution of North/south pole thrust, you can find a temple constructed right there. The main idol is at the core centre of the temple because the idol is placed first around which the temple is built. The position of the deity is where the earth's magnetic waves are felt to the maximum extent.
• God's statue is actually placed on a copper plate. Let us find out why. Copper plates are known to absorb the earth's magnetic waves and divert them to their surroundings. A regular temple goer who takes a clockwise pradakshina around the main idol receives and feels the effect of the magnetic waves. Although this process is slow, the regular visitor will eventually sense the positive vibrations getting infused in him.
• The chamber of the God in a temple is closed on three sides which echoes the effect of all energies and amplifies them several folds. the lit lamp radiates heat energy and also helps to have sufficient light inside the sanctum. The bells and chants transport the worshipper into the Vedic world and help him forget his personal problems and relieve his stress. Done in a group, it is a lot more effective.
• Chemical energy is released from the burning of camphor and the fragrance of flowers emit a good aura. These energies along with the energy from the idol, the copper plates and the utensils used for worshipping God create a mind-numbing effect on the viewer. When people visit the temple for evening aartis, the doors open, and let out a gush of positive energy into everyone that is present there.
• The curd, honey, milk, sugar and coconut water by which we clean the copper idol is believed to lend the blessings of God to the charna-amrit. The holy water or Theertha that comes along with a Tulsi leaf and camphor wards off diseases like cold and cough.
• A Temple bell is made of several varieties of metals like cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, chromium and. Manganese, which is mixed in a particular proportion as per the sculpture scriptures. These bells, when sounded, bringing about the unity of your left and right brain. These are scientifically known and understood phenomena
• The bell is constructed in such a fashion that whenever it is belled. The sound emitted from it is made to last for 7 seconds, that is the time required for the sound to touch our seven chakras inside our body. The moment bell is sounded our thought processes come to a standstill for a moment and we are carried away to a spiritually aware trance-like state.
• Most of the old temples never had doors and were inside deep forests where animals and insects could have taken shelter. But the bell sound does not allow any living creature to stay here for a long time. So, the old temples do not show signs of dust and collection of debris and brim over with energy even today. You can't find insects and animals inside a temple.
• Deities work as a focal point. Idea is to remind one of their true potential. Silence is believed to be powerful, and can translate your thoughts to reality. If you pray in silence and in deep awareness, all the prayers are sure to turn into reality.
• You need to sit for some time inside the premises of a temple, after taking darshan of the deity inside which is the correct thing to do because temples were designed to be energy-charging places where people can charge themselves with inner energy. People who visit temples before starting their daily routine are more balanced and focused in their work for the entire day.
• Temples are the storehouses of pure magnetic and electric and positive vibrations. The floors of the temples are built in such a way that the floor in the centre emitted positive vibrations to the maximum limit that would pass through our feet into our bodies. So, you are advised to walk barefooted into the temple.
• Dirt collects negative energy and hence dirty slippers and shoes should not be allowed inside the temple.
• The inner sanctum of the temple is usually dark. When we close our eyes during prayer and then open them, we see the camphor aarti being done for the idol. The light emanating from the dark activates your visual sense. The idol will absorb the heat and vibrate within the chamber for some time.
• The idol, absorbs the energy from the sound of the bell and the heat produced by the camphor and vibrates the positive energy for a short duration. When we do parikrama, at that point, the positive vibrations get absorbed into our five senses that are activated due to it at that time.
• In Hinduism, the sound from the conch sounds like the sacred syllable 'Om' which is the first sound of creation. The Shankha or conch is blown before beginning any good work. The conch sound is the purest sound that has powerful and positive energy radiated in the temples and hence has such a stunning impact on the devotees.
• Temples do not belong to only Hindus or any belief systems. They are just guiding principles of life. Once your conscience is elevated to the required level, you create a temple within yourself.

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