| Share
 
Encyclopedia >  Literature and the Arts  >  Art and Architecture  >  Architecture

temple

Indian Temples

In India the most ancient remaining temples are the rock-hewed monuments of the Buddhist period (c.255 B.C.–c.A.D. 300); important groups exist in W India, east of Mumbai. The typical interior is a vast cave divided by lavishly sculptured rock piers into nave and aisles; the sculptured facade, hewed from the cliff face, has a single huge opening to admit light. The principal Indian temples are gradual accretions around a sacred site, forming a religious center comprising shrines, cells for priests, and accommodations for pilgrims. The expression of symbolism is of paramount importance in both structure and ornaments.

Sections in this article:

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on temple Indian Temples from Infoplease:

  • temple, edifice of worship - temple temple, edifice or sometimes merely an enclosed area dedicated to the worship of a deity and ...

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Architecture


Premium Partner Content
HighBeam Research

Related content from HighBeam Research on: temple: Indian Temples

Indian Temple Sculpture.(Book review) (Marg, A Magazine of the Arts)

Temple and the Swami: When this antiquated South Indian temple came back to life, A Physicist-turned-swami came to meditate, worship and live here (Hinduism Today)

The Renewal of the Priesthood: Modernity and Traditionalism in a South Indian Temple.(Book review) (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute)

Graven Images: The Woman Writer, the Indian Poetess, and Imperial Aesthetics in L.E.L.'S "Hindoo Temples and Palaces at Madura." (Victorian Poetry)

Indian heritage reflected in a modern context: traditional Indian limestone--as well as a variety of other stone--was chosen for the design of the Jain Center in Buena Park, CA, to create a cultural gathering place that honors the architecture of temples in India.(Focus on Indian Stone) (Stone World)

International collaboration results in colossal stone structure: the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Bartlett, IL, truly stands as a symbol of the ancient heritage and craftsmanship of traditional Indian temples, consisting of almost 43,000 square feet of Turkish limestone and approximately 33,000 cubic feet of Carrara marble.(Cubic Stone) (Stone World)

Temple demolitions anger Malaysia Indians.(WORLD) (The Christian Science Monitor)

Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture, vol. 2, North India, period of Early Maturity, c. A.D. 700-900. (The Journal of the American Oriental Society)

Trade, Temple & Court. Indian Textiles from the Tapi Collection.(Indian Costumes II, Patkas: A Costume Accessory in the Collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles)(Book review) (Textile)

Murder in the temple; India.(Hinduism and Indian politics) (The Economist (US))

Additional search results provided by HighBeam Research, LLC. © Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.

24 X 7

Private Tutor

Click Here for Details
24 x 7 Tutor Availability
Unlimited Online Tutoring
1-on-1 Tutoring
Explore Precalculus , Math Help