Aum Namah Shivaya......
A Vedic Hindu temple’s architecture is a divine and yogic
representation of a human being as shown in the figure . The feet
represent the spire (rajagopuram). The hands represent the walkway
(prakaaram) encompassing all around the temple. The
main hall (mandapam) represents the abdomen.
The
entrance porch (antaraalam) represents the heart. The
sanctum sanctorum (garbha griha) represents the head. The deity is consecrated with religious rites in the
sanctum sanctorum. There is proportionality between the size of the deity in the sanctum sanctorum and the sizes of the temple
construction details.
Now, whenever we come across any Hindu temple we often see couple of
patterns. One sees fractal-like spires (shikharas), and other parts of
the architecture which are self-similar to the unity of the whole.
When we look at the symmetry of the temple we come across questions
like, how exactly was this built?
What was the basic architectural
layout? What was the mathematical concept that was used & what kind
of geometry that they possessed to construct such a temple? What kind of
mathematical concepts they had used?
We as in vedic world called as “
vedic maths or vedic geometry”
that possess such a technique that is used to construct the most
advanced layout. No doubt that we are not getting advanced in
technology, we are just declining in knowledge day by day…
THE IDEA OF MULTIPLE ARCHETYPES SYMBOLIZED IN ABSTRACT FORMS
It is necessary to consider some basic aspects of the Hindu
worldview, overarching and under girding worldview concepts, to see how
they form the background of specific sacred buildings in India. Those
who are unfamiliar with Hinduism may not expect a simultaneous complex
of ideas expressed in a massive structure. One might expect a single
motif in a sacred structure — a temple in the shape of a chariot, or a
church shaped like a ship with an up-pointed prow – and such one-theme
structures do exist. But there are also Gothic cathedrals with designs
that include a forest of spires, a
floor plan
which is cross-shaped, a rose window above the main altar and many
other forms–statues and symbolic art works– displaying a combination of
themes.
The Hindu temple typically involves a multiple set of ideas. Perhaps
Hindu traditional architecture has more symbolic meanings than other
cultures. It certainly is highly articulated. The temple is oriented to
face East, the auspicious direction where the sun rises to dispel
darkness. The temple design includes the archetypal image of a Cosmic
Person spread out yogi-like, symmetrically filling the gridded space of
the floor plan, his navel in the center, and it includes the archetype
of the cosmic mountain, between earth and heaven, of
fertility, planets, city of the gods, deities, etc.)
One encounters these simultaneous archetypal themes and meanings conveyed (and hidden) in the semi-
abstract forms in many Hindu temples. There are rules of shape and proportion in the authoritative texts of Hindu tradition (
shastras and
agamas) which give birth to a variety of complex temple designs. The
Brihat Samhita
text (4th century CE) says the temple should reflect cosmic order. To
understand the uses of recursive geometrical forms involving
self-similarity on different scales (fractals) in the Hindu temple
complex we will need to explore some of these deep images and their
uses.
Vaikhanasa Aagama Sastra is the base for architecture and rituals
performed in most of the Vishnu (and his avatars) temples, especially in
South India.
Āgama Sastra
The Agamas are a collection of
Sanskrit, Tamil and
Grantha
scriptures chiefly constituting the methods of temple construction and
creation of idols, worship means of deities, philosophical doctrines,
meditative practices, attainment of sixfold desires and four kinds of
yoga.
The Agamic religions are also called Tantrism, although the term ‘
tantra‘ is sometimes used specifically to refer to Shakta Agamas.
The origin and chronology of Agamic religions remain contentious.
The tantras are considered innumerable with various sects.
Some popular agama-based religions are those of Shaiva, Vaishnava,
Shakta, Ganapatya, Kaumara, Soura, Bhairava, and Yaksha-bhutadi-sadhana.
The Shaiva Agamas revere the Ultimate Reality as Lord Shiva (Shaivism).
The Vaishnava-Agamas adore the Ultimate Reality as Vishnu (Vaishnavism).
The Shakta-Agamas (Tantras) venerate the Ultimate Reality as Shakti
(Shaktism).
Each set of texts expands on the central theological and philosophical teachings of that sect.
There exist 28 Saiva Agamas, 77 Shakta Agamas and 215 Vaishnava Agamas, and their upa-agamas.
In the Malay language the word Agama literally means ‘
religion‘ and they are non-vedic in origin.
Agama traditions have been the sources of Yoga and Self Realization
concepts in the Indian subcontinent, including Kundalini Yoga and
encompass traditions of asceticism. Tantrism includes within its fold
Buddhist and Jaina tantras suggesting that Hindu, Jaina and Buddhist
tantrism developed separately after arising from common sources of
Tantric elements.
The Agamic tradition, in general, has been dated to the pre-Mauryan
period as references to the tradition are found in later vedic
literature of Atharvaveda.
The
aagama tradition is often contrasted with the
nigama
tradition; the latter possibly a reference to the unchanging vedic
tradition. The Hinduism of today is in many way a blending of
aagama and
nigama approaches.
Agama (Sanskrit आगम) is derived from the verb root गम (gam) meaning “
to go” and the preposition आ (aa) meaning “
toward” and refers to scriptures “
that which has come down“.
It also means “
a traditional doctrine, or system which commands faith“.
Agamas deal with the philosophy and spiritual knowledge behind the
worship of the deity, the yoga and mental discipline required for this
worship, and the specifics of worship offered to the deity. The
ritualistic pattern of worship in the Agamic religions differ from the
Vedic form. While the Vedic form of yajna require no idols and shrines,
the Agamic religions are based on idols with puja as means of worship.
The Agamic deities are pinned to a specific spot and assume the nature of a territorial deity.
Each Agama consists of four parts:
- Kriya pada – consists of rules for construction of temples; for
sculpting, carving, and consecration of idols of deities for worship in
temples; for different forms of initiations or diksha.
- Charya pada – lays down rules for daily worship (puja), observances of religious rites, rituals, festivals and prayaschittas.
- Yoga pada – concentrates on yoga and the mental discipline.
- Jnana pada – consists of philosophical and spiritual knowledge, knowledge of reality and liberation.
The Aagamas state three essential requirements for a place of pilgrimage –
Sthala, Tīrtha and
Murthy. Sthala refers to the temple, Tīrtha, to the temple tank and Murthy to the deity(ies) worshipped.
A temple may also be associated with a tree, called the Sthala Vriksham.
For instance, the Kadamba tree at the Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar
temple is the Sthala Vriksham. A lone banyan tree that adorns the
spacious courtyard of the Ratnasabha at Tiruvalankadu is the Sthala
Vriksham. The entire area is believed to have been a forest of banyan
trees once.
Elaborate rules are laid out in the Aagamas for Silpa (the
art
of sculpture) describing the quality requirements of the places where
temples are to be built, the kind of images to be installed, the
materials from which they are to be made, their dimensions, proportions,
air circulation, lighting in the temple complex etc. The Manasara and
Silpasara are some of the works dealing with these rules. The rituals
followed in worship services each day at the temple also follow rules
laid out in the Aagamas.
Most commonly used Aagamas are : Siva, Vaishnava, Sakta, Pancharatra
(Centered around one diety with others surrounding), Gaanapatya
(Ganapati), Soura (Sun).
Also early morning bath in river while sun is rising is useful
because seven colors in sunrays mingle with water in river and clean our
body.
Bowing our head before idol makes our crown chakra also recieve that energy.
