TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
In simple words, a temple is an enclosed place of worship. The word ‘Temple’ is derived from the Latin word Templum (Literal meaning Holy Structure).
Indian Temple Architecture is an apt example of creativity of early Indians.
The practice of constructing temples is an age-old tradition. Initially, the temples were carved out of caves (Monolithic
Temples). Mauryan rulers Ashoka and his grandson Dasaratha carved caves in the Barabar and Nagarjuni Hills of Bihar for the Ajivika Sect's monks. However, later free standing temples (Structural Temples) were built on a large scale. Notably, temples gradually evolved into massive institutions having control over various dimensions of the human life. In fact, these temples tell us a lot about the social, economic, political and cultural realities of the age in which they were constructed.
