A temple is a building that people use for worshipping gods or for other religious purposes. The houses of worship in many ancient religions were called temples. Hinduism, Buddhism, and several other religions today also have temples. The architecture, or building style, of temples varies from place to place.
The earliest temple buildings were not built of stone or brick, but appeared much later. In ancient times, public or communal temples may have been made of mud with thatched roofs of straw or leaves. Cave temples were common in hard-to-reach places and mountainous terrain.
Historians say that Hindu temples did not exist during the Vedic period (1500-500 BC). Historian Nirad S. An early structure representing idolatry, the Chaudhuri, dates back to the 4th or 5th century AD. Between the 6th and 16th centuries there was a fundamental development in temple architecture. This phase of Hindu temple growth reflects the rise and fall, along with the fate of the various dynasties that ruled India during this period, which greatly promoted and influenced temple construction, especially in South India.
1000 Years Old Temples Of India | Top 20 Ancient Hindu Temples of India | History - YouTube
Hindus regard temple building as a very reverent practice that brings great religious value. As a result, kings and wealthy people sought to patronize the temple’s construction, and according to Swami Harshananda, several stages of the temple’s construction were performed as religious ceremonies.