Significance of Indian Temples
Tenacious effort over generations

* Hoysala architecture is the building style developed under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries in Karnataka
Astronomy integrated within architecture

Temple — center of Indian thought and life Now, what is the significance of a temple to the Indian tradition? See all of us, we encounter that the mind becomes engaged with one thing or the other. Now if the object that the mind gets engaged with is limiting, then we feel limited. If the object is empowering and expansive, then we feel empowered and liberated. That is why our object of meditation or object of regular activities in Indian life has been around a temple, so that we are constantly looking up to a high role model. Our puranas illustrate how great these devas and devis have been. We develop ourselves so much by just looking at them. We become inspired to be great in our own lives. And hence we proceed towards liberating ourselves from limitations, from constraints. That is the process of getting enlightened with knowledge — knowledge that is not just intellectual, but very much in action, directed towards the well-being of all. That is what the devas and devis show us — that we are constantly engaged in action that leads to goodness in all the lokas. That is what a temple does to us, when we orient ourselves around a temple, around such inspiration that the devas and devis provide. That is a blessed life, that is an awesome life.