Misapprehension - mistaken belief..

(Apprehension on GRE means feel of worry or fear, other meaning for apprehension understands which is considered when considering the meaning of misapprehension). Enervate - weaken; cause someone to feel drained of energy. Confound - confuse Exorcise - drive an evil spirit from a person or place. Fatuous - silly and pointless.. (adj form of noun fatuity which means foolishness) Reproach - accuse of; express disapproval of or disappointment with. Plaintive - sounding sad and mournful. Cleave - stick fast to; become strongly involved with; divide or split.. (Cleaver on the other hand is a noun which means a tool with broad blade, used for chopping meat). Invigoration - give strength. Complacent - uncritically satified with yourself. e.g - We must not be complacent about our achievements; there is still a lot to be done Decried - publicly declare to be wrong. Probity - honesty and decency. Complaisant - ready to please; obliging; willing to please others or to accept their behavior without protest. Commensurate - corresponding or in proportion. Deference - humble respect.. (Defer means to put something off to a later time; OR humbly give in to....the latter verb form is kept in mind for the meaning of it as noun). Restive - on edge (for example you would think of rest/resting but instead its not, that is deceptive vocabulary)

Obviate - to make unnecessary Noisome - foul smelling Prolix - rambling & wordy Protean - variable Tortuous - full of plot twists Protean - variable Ponderous - bogged down, tedious Tortuous - full of plot twists Ponderous - bogged down, tedious Restive - on edge (for example you would think of rest/resting but instead its not, that is deceptive vocabulary) Equivocate - to use ambiguous language with deceptive intent Noisome - foul smelling Prolix - rambling & wordy Obviate - to make unnecessary

Hinduism (also known as Santana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the revealed knowledge of the Veda and the direct descendent of the Vedic Indo-Iranian religion. It encompasses many religious traditions that widely vary in practice, as well as many diverse sects and philosophies. It is the worlds oldest existing major religion.

Origins

From a Hindu perspective, Santana Dharma is composed of eternal principles and had no beginning and will have no end. There are two contemporary streams of thought regardings its origins:

Current archeaological and literary evidence suggests that Hinduism was formed somewhere between 1500-1300 BCE. These dates are when the Rig Veda is believed to have begun to be written down, though it is accepted that there was a long oral tradition of the Vedas before that. Astronomical evidence gives an earlier date of approximately 3102 BCE. It comes from close examination of the Mahabharata, where the exact positions of the stars were noted at Sri Krishna's birth. Hindus believe Krishna was born 5000 years ago, and using the star locations in the Mahabharata, the exact year was 3102 BCE.

The writers of the Vedas, the earliest piece of written Hindu work and the bedrock of the religion, are believed to be different spiritually realized people. Hindus consider these Vedas as Shruti, that which is heard (and written down).

Early Hinduism

Early Hinduism is a term used to designate the religious development of India before the historical period. Two kinds of evidence are available: literary and archeological.

Hindu texts

The earliest literature of Hinduism is made up of the Vedas. Many Hindus believe that the Vedas were transmitted, via an oral tradition, for perhaps 8000 years (Fisher). Many Western and other Indian commentators see this as an exaggeration, dating the earliest part of the Veda, the Rig-Veda Samhita, to around 1800-1500 BCE In any case, it is acknowledged by most that the Vedas did indeed have a long oral tradition and were passed on from teacher to disciple for at least many centuries before first being written down, which has led to some estimates that the earliest parts of the Vedas may date back to 2500 - 2000 BCE

The earliest stage of the Vedas is the Rig-Veda, a collection of poetic hymns used in the sacrificial rites of the Aryan priests. Most of the Rig-Veda concerns the offering of Soma - which is both an intoxicant and a god itself - to the gods. The gods in the Rig-Veda are mostly personified concepts, who fall into two categories: the devas, who were gods of nature, such as the weather deity Indra, Agni (fire), and Ushas (dawn) and the asuras, gods of moral concepts, such as Mitra (contract or friend), Bhaga (guardian of marriage) and Varuna (the coverer).

A rivalry between these two families was already apparent. Asura will come to mean something like demon in later Hinduism, and it is already associated with mischief if not actual malice in the Rig-Veda. Compare this with Iranian Aryan religion, where ahura (asura) came to mean god and daewa (deva) came to mean evil demon. The emerging deprecation of the asuras led to the creation of new categories of gods, such as the adityas. Indra is the king of the gods in the Rig-Veda, although some of the hymns (perhaps representing an older stage) have Varuna as the chief. Lord Krishna revealing the eternal super-consciousness to Arjuna. Artwork courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. www.krishna.com.

Archaeology

Early Hinduism comprises a period that is hazy in the eyes of archeologists. The Vedic Aryans, although they left a rich body of hymns, left little material culture behind.

The excavations of the Indus Valley Civilization, also referred to as the Sindhu-Sarasvat tradition, have not yielded much evidence of communal temples. However, there is sufficient evidence that the civilization was certainly not purely secular. Only one Indus civilisation graveyard has been found and excavated, and has yielded no elaborate royal burials, but the personal possessions buried with the bodies may indicate that these people believed in an afterlife in which they would need these things.

Water seems to have played an important part in their social, and possibly their religious, life, judging by the large number of public baths that were constructed. The modern Hindu custom of bathing at the beginning of the day and before the main meals may well have started here.

Many figurines of female deities have been discovered. These most probably signified creativity and the origin and continuity of life, and they may have been worshipped as symbolic embodiments of the female principle of creative Energy and Power. In modern Hinduism, the counterpart of these symbols is called Shakti. These mother Goddess figurines may have been worshipped in the home rather than in any major state cult, but scholars have seen ancient Dravidian feminine divinity sculptures in groups of seven that date back to the Harappan era which mirror the Hindu belief in a Mother Goddess (Devi) being represented in seven modes. Lord Siva; Public Domain.

Figures of a male deity with elaborate horns (or horned headgear) have also been uncovered. He is typically seen surrounded by cattle and is called Pashupati, (the Protector of Animals), and is seen by some to be the prototype of Hinduism's ascetic God of Destruction, Shiva. Indeed, in modern-day Shaivism, Shiva has absorbed the names, stories and attributes of not only Pashupati, by which name he is still commonly known, but also the Vedic 'Rudra.' Pashupati is seen sitting in the meditative posture of yogis, suggesting that yoga or inner contemplation was one of their modes of discovering the secrets of life and creation. To this day, the Tantric schools of Hinduism know Shiva to be Yogeshwara, Lord of Yoga, and he is said to be the master of Self-knowledge, meditating for centuries at a time. Others see Pashupati as a form of brahma.

It is noted by many that the Pashupati figure is similar to sculptures, paintings and bas-reliefs of horned gods in Europe, stretching as far back as the Paleolithic painting of the sorcerer in the cave of Les Trois Frres in France. There exist, in addition, three-headed Pashupati-statues that seem to resemble the Trimurti (Triple Form) of Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva (Generator-Sustainer-Destroyer) in contemporary Hinduism, and if nothing else, intimate the continuity of religious traditions that have morphed into Hinduism as we know it today from periods as far back as five thousand years ago.

Hinduism and the rise of Buddhism

Buddha was included as one of the avatars of Vishnu. With the ascent of the Gupta Dynasty, many Buddhists were returned to the Hindu fold in India, as Hindus adopted many of the teachings of the Buddha such as nonviolence to all life, vegetarianism and proper treatment of fellow men. A substantial Buddhist community that rivalled the Hindus would remain in Pakistan until the Islamic conquests.

Hinduism during the Golden Age in Bharat

The Gupta dynasty ruled India (what was India then, the north of the Vindhyas), between fourth and sixth centuries of the common era. Though not as vast as Mauryan empire, Gupta rule has left a deep and wide cultural impact not only in the subcontinent but on the adjacent Asian countries as well. The practice of dedicating temples to different deities came into vogue followed by fine artistic temple architecture and sculpture. Books on medicine, veterinary science, mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics were written. The famous Aryabhata and Varahamihira belong to this age. The Gupta established a strong central government which also allowed a degree of local control. Gupta society was ordered in accordance with Hindu beliefs. This included a strict caste system, or class system. The peace and prosperity created under Gupta leadership enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors.

Shankaracharya and the revival of Hinduism

At the time of Shankaras life, Hinduism had lost some of its appeal because of the influence of Buddhism and Jainism. Shankara stressed the importance of the Vedas, and he travelled extensively to restore the study of the Vedas.

He wrote commentaries on the Upanishads, Vishnu sahasranama, Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita. He engaged in a series of debates with Buddhist scholars, and with scholars of the Purva Mimamsa school. One of the most famous of these debates was with the famed ritualist Mandana Mishra.

Cultural expansion in South-East Asia

During the 1st century, the trade on the overland Silk Road tended to be restricted by the rise in the Middle-East of the Parthian empire, an unvanquished enemy of Rome, just as Romans were becoming extremely wealthy and their demand for Asian luxury was rising. This demand revived the sea connections between the Mediterranean and China, with India as the intermediary of choice. From that time, through trade connection, commercial settlements, and even political interventions, India started to strongly influence Southeast Asian countries. Trade routes linked India with southern Burma, central and southern Siam, lower Cambodia and southern Vietnam, and numerous urbanized coastal settlements were established there.

For more than a thousand years, Indian influence was therefore the major factor that brought a certain level of cultural unity to the various countries of the region. The Pali and Sanskrit languages and the Indian script, together with Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, Brahmanism, and Hinduism, were transmitted from direct contact and through sacred texts and Indian literature such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

From the 5th to the 13th century, South-East Asia had very powerful empires and became extremely active in Buddhist architectural and artistic creation. The Sri Vijaya Empire to the south and the Khmer Empire to the north competed for influence.

References

Bhagavad Gita. Chaudhuri, Nirad C. 1979. Hinduism: A Religion to Live By. Chatto & Windus, London. ISBN 0-7011-2225-0. Rigveda. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Hinduism on Microsoft Encarta Online.

http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/hinduismatoz.asp

A brief history of Hinduism

The Hindu religion as we know it today evolved over many centuries. This article will discuss the various periods of the history of Hinduism Vedic, Classical and Modern - an effort to present a brief history of the religion. VEDIC PERIOD The Vedic period of Hinduism dates back to about 1500 B.C. when people calling themselves Aryas invaded the Indus Valley region of

northwestern India, a region that is now the country of Pakistan. They settled along the river valleys and imposed their rule on the local people, who were highly civilized. The people who had lived all their lives in this valley worshipped nature gods. The two cultures of the conquerors and the conquered eventually merged into one society, producing the basis of the ideas and the ideals of the Hindu religion. The Aryan people created a body of literature in Sanskrit, called the Vedas, sometime between 1500 and 800 B.C. The Vedas consisted of four Samhitas (collections) of hymns and liturgies. The most important of these was the Rig-Veda, which is a group of hymns written to honor the Aryan nature gods. In this hymn there is also a suggestion of the existence of a single God who was a supreme being. The Brahamanas appeared in the writings around 800 B.C. These represented an effort to clarify the Samhitas for those studying to be Brahmans (priests). Shortly after that, priests and hermits started to develop speculative and mystic thoughts which they wrote in treatises called Upanishads. These writing explored the ideas of Brahman, the theory of transmigration and other associated ideas. Scholars today consider the Vegas, the Samhitas, the Brahamanas and the Upanishads to be the fundamental basis of Hindu religion. By about the 6th century, the Brahmans had started to impose a strict code of conduct on the people. This was called Brahamanism and it was the beginning of the caste system in India. It gave the Aryans the power to dominate the original inhabitants of the region. According to this system, only the Brahmans could work for salvation because they were the only ones permitted to engage in the ritualistic and complicated courses of philosophical study that was needed for salvation. The lower classes of people would have to wait for centuries before they evolved to this higher form of life. CLASSICAL HINDUISM The rise of the Buddhist religion in India during the 6th century was the response to the strict code of conduct imposed by the Brahmans. Jainism was another religion that rivalled Hinduism during this time. Many people who had previously followed the Brahmans now started to follow the practices of these other religions.

The Brahmans collected their writings into codes, such as the Laws of Manu and developed six schools of orthodox Hindu philosophy. In doing so they integrated some of the insights of Buddhism and Jainism and accepted the religion of the common people. They also started serving as priests in the worship of Vishnu and Shiva, the personal gods. From the 8th century onwards, Hinduism as a world religion began to emerge with the help of a series of famous thinkers. Shankara encouraged the worship of Shiva and founded the Advaita branch of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. He opened monasteries, based on the Buddhist practice, where holy men could have a place for meditation. Ramajuja, in the 11th and 12th centuries, preached devotion to Vishnu and developed the Vishishtadvaita branch of Vedanta. The intellectual work of the Hindu priests was responsible for stemming the spread of Buddhism and Jainisn. Hinduism spread all over India and into the countries of southeast Asia. Conquering Moslems, though, did convert many of the people to Islam in the countries that they invaded. The Moslem emperor, Akbar, tried to end the religious strife among the people of both religions by attempting to find some method of uniting them into one religion, but was unsuccessful. MODERN HINDUISM The British occupation of India in the 19th century brought about many changes to Hinduism. For one thing, the British outlawed the suttee, the custom of burning a widow on her husband's grave. They also suppressed the Thugs, a group of men who engaged in sacrificing victims to the goddess Kali by strangling them. Devout Hindus were able to bring about reforms to the religion during this period. The Brahma Samaj was a religious body formed in 1829 by Ram Mohan Roy that was devoted to the worship of one God without having to make any pilgrimages or animal sacrifices. A monotheistic sect of Hinduism was formed in 1875 by Swami Dayanand Sarasvati and this sect did not accept any religious writings that were written after the Vedas. Saint Ramakrishna was responsible for one of the most important developments in 19th century Hinduism. He studied both Islam and Christianity and concluded that all religions worshipped one God. However, he maintained that to truly understand God, one must study

Vedanta philosophy. His teachings and saintly life had a great effect upon many of the political leaders of India. Learn more about this author, Frances Stanford.
A brief history of Hinduism
Hinduism is a term derived from the nineteenth century when colonized British foreigners named the people living in the region of the Indus River, India subcontinent for the purpose of census taking. This

particular term may be considered or known to Westerners as the name of a religion; however, it actually portrays various religious traditions into one. A more contemporary and preferred label is Sanatana

Dharma as stated in Fisher (2005). "Sanatana, "eternal" or "ageless," reflects the belief that these ways have always existed. Dharma, often translated as "religion," encompasses duty, natural law, social

welfare, ethics, health, and transcendental realization. Dharma is thus a holistic approach to social coherence and the good of all, corresponding to order in the cosmos," (Fisher, 2005). In the following

paragraphs we will look into what makes up the Hinduism religion, cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated and the desire for liberation from earthly

existence in Hinduism. In Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma, "the spiritual expressions range from extreme asceticism to extreme sensuality, from the heights of personal devotion to a deity to the heights of

abstract philosophy, from metaphysical proclamations of the oneness behind the material world to worship of images representing a multiplicity of deities," (Fisher, 2005). Moreover, according to tradition

there are 330 million deities in India and they consider the divine to have countless faces. Additionally, the worship of deities is diverse and does not follow a central tradition since there are various

religious ways to worship the divine that has countless faces. Therefore, we could assume that there may be 330 million ways to worship each deity or the divine's countless faces.

Cultural and societal influences made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated by numerous traditions and social systems that were adhered by the people of India or fellow adepts of Hinduism.

Culturally, Hinduism contains various myths that implied the countless faces of the divine to interact in various forms with people. In cultural traditions the divine or deities would bless, punish and protect

the people depending on how well they were venerated. Therefore, myths and traditions were passed on describing ways to worship and the importance of venerating the deities. Moreover, various forms

of discipline were formed to express veneration and devotion towardsa deity. "From the cradle to the cremation ground, the Hindu's life is wrapped up in rituals. There are sixteen rites prescribed in the

ancient scriptures to purify and sanctify the person in his or her journey through life, including rites at the time of conception, the braiding of the pregnant mother's hair, birth, name-giving, beginning of solid

foods, starting education, investing boys with a sacred thread, first leaving the f amily house, starting studies of Vedas, marriage, and death," (Fisher, 2005). As for societal influences the Hindu culture has

developed a five step caste system segregating people and shaping their life accordingly. The first group consisted of priests and philosophers or specialists in spirituality also called Brahmins. The

following is kshatriyas which was made up of nobility such as kings, warriors and vassals having their priority to guard and preserve the society. Thirdly, Vaishyas were the economic specialists made up of

farmers and merchants. Moreover, the Shudra were the manual laborers and artisans. Of the four original castes group a fifth group formed called the untouchables that did most of the undesired work

such as cleaning human waste and transporting corpses. The membership in a caste group is hereditary and maintains strict rules. Contact between castes was limited until the intervention of Ghandi that

renamed the lowest cast "children of God" or "harijans," according to Fisher (2005). Additionally, "The Vedas, other scriptures, and historical customs have all conditioned the Indian people to accept their

social roles. These were set out in a major document known as the Code of Manu, compiled by 100 CE. In it are laws governing all aspects of life, including the proper conduct of rulers, dietary restrictions,

The desire for liberation from earthly existence is mainly the purpose of all the religious traditions and self disciplines in Hinduism. That is the ultimate goal to be united with the divine. According to Fisher, to reach the goal of liberation it may take at least the entire life or many life times (2005). Hinduism devotees practice various forms of yoga to experience oneness with the divine. They conduct life threatening pilgrimages to specific sites in order to meditate and venerate the divine. Moreover, some fast on various lunar calendar days to show devotion and desire for liberation. Religious practices, mass bathing and Festivals venerating particular deities are other forms expressing desire for liberation. The more enthusiastic seekers seek out a guru which is considered to be a person that has
marriage laws, daily rituals, purification rites, social laws, and ethical guidance," (Fisher, 2005).

reached the ideal spiritual state desired by the seeker. Therefore, the person becomes an apprentice and considers the guru a spiritual parent in return for spiritual advice. Reference Fisher, P. Mary. 2005.Hinduism. In Living Religions sixth edition. Learn more about this author, Amalia Cimpean.

n a diverse society, many people rely on family, friends, and a higher-power for strength and guidance. Today, many religious leaders remain controversial about what is absolute truth regarding ones

method of worship. In the past, religions were formed to lead people in the right direction. As the world changes socially and economically, new ideas emerge. People search for truth; they ask questions about who they are inwardly and how they came to exist. In India, Hinduism is mostly followed; traditional religious beliefs and practices motivate Indias population of Hindu followers. McCollum (2001)

Because Hinduism lacks a uniting belief system, The Hindu religion is based on a universal belief system. One can worship as many Gods or goddesses without being questioned about their distinctive religious practices or beliefs. In fact, what links all Hindus to each other is the acknowledgment that only one Supreme Being exists and can appear in various forms of life. Fisher (2005) informs, According to tradition, there are actually 330 million deities in India. The feeling is that the divine has countless faces. (p. 69).
reports, Hinduism, Indias major religion, is a way of life for more than 80 percent of Indias 1 billion people. (para. 1).

Even though beliefs and practices differentiate throughout India, all Hindus share some common ground; the Vedas are ancient scriptures which have shaped the daily lives of many Hindus. The religion has no definite point of origin and cannot be connected with systematic worship, doctrines, or an organized church. Unlike other religious faiths, Hinduism has become increasingly popular. Instead of following ordinances and enforced regulations, Hindus rely on the Vedas, Brahman (the Supreme Reality), lifes stages, and a philosophical system to maintain their way of life. The cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region it originated are as follows: the caste system ranked people by their social status within the region. People who lived in the region were appointed to carry out specific work, familial, and spiritual duties. Fisher

(2005) reports, The orderly working of society included a clear division of labor among four major occupational groups which later became entrenched as castes. (p. 96). Cultural influences came from the Hindus beliefs that have remained constant throughout Hinduisms history.
Even though modern civilization has been a common influential factor for many religions, Hinduism has not abandoned its generational forms of worship and cultural beliefs. McCollum (2001) generalizes, Unlike other major world religions, Hinduism was not started by a central figure, such as Jesus in Christianity, Muhammad in Islam, or Buddha in Buddhism. It has no central God, no pope or church

Many people search for ways to deal with lifes trials and tribulations. For many people, life on earth is difficult and grievous. People search for comfort, peace, strength, and spiritual growth. With all the confusion that life sometimes brings, the desire to be absent from earthly problems and uncertainties are not far-fetched. Hinduism feeds on the concept that ones actions (karma) determine what happens to a person before and after death. An individual who searches his or her inner being (soul) to learn these things are considered to be wise. Meditation and worship is also important, because they allow people to express themselves in their own way.
hierarchy, and no rules. (para. 3). Therefore, Hindus rely on what they perceive as actuality and connects them with the Supreme Being.

Ancient scriptures and wise sayings are among the sacred valuables of many religious groups. Today, people value their beliefs, morals, values, and way of life. How one should behave in society and the path one should take is stressed in many religious and cultural groups. Affiliates of Hinduism strive to get the most out of their teachings. Fisher (2005) asserts, Although tensions between religions exist in many regions in India, what predominates is the spirit of accommodations with which the various communities have lived side by side for hundreds of years. (p. 113). Maintaining a universal attitude has kept the inhabitants of India from becoming an extremely weak nation. The worship of their deities or Gods has depicted a genuine lifestyle that suits ones personal and spiritual needs. McCollum (2001) wrote, Of all the deities in Hinduism, the most important are Brahman, the creator of the universe, Vishnu, its preserver, and Shiva, its destroyer. (para. 7).

References Fisher, M. (2005), Living Religions. pp. 69-113. Retrieved June 1, 2009.

McCollum, S. (2001). Indias Ancient Religion. Junior Scholastic, 103, 14. p. 16. Retrieved June 2, 2009 from Gale database http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS Learn more about this author, Tmari.
History of Hindu Temples
The Temple's Journey Through the Ages
istorians say Hindu Temples did not exist during the Vedic period (1500 - 500 BC). The remains of the earliest temple structure were discovered in Surkh Kotal, a place in Afghanistan by a French archeologist in 1951. It was not dedicated to a god but to the imperial cult of King Kanishka (127 - 151 AD). The ritual of idol worship which became popular at the end of the Vedic age may have given rise to the concept of temples as a place of worship.

The Earliest Hindu Temples

The earliest temple structures were not made of stones or bricks, which came much later. In ancient times, public or community temples were possibly made of clay with thatched roofs made of straw or leaves. Cave-temples were prevalent in remote places and mountainous terrains.

According to historian, Nirad C Chaudhuri, the earliest structures that indicate idol worship date back to the 4th or 5th century AD. There was a seminal development in temple architecture between the 6th and the 16th century. This growth phase of Hindu temples charts its rise and fall alongside the fate of the various dynasties that reigned India during the period majorly contributing and influencing the building of temples, especially in South India. Hindus consider the building of temples an extremely pious act, bringing great religious merit. Hence kings and wealthy men were eager to sponsor the construction of temples, notes Swami Harshananda, and the various steps of building the shrines were performed as religious rites.

Temples of South India (6th - 18th Century AD)

The Pallavas (600 - 900 AD) sponsored the building of the rock-cut chariot-shaped temples of Mahabalipuram, including the famous shore temple, the Kailashnath and Vaikuntha Perumal temples in Kanchipuram in southern India. The Pallavas style further flourished - with the structures growing in stature and sculptures becoming more ornate and intricate - during the rule of the dynasties that followed, particularly the Cholas (900 - 1200 AD), the Pandyas temples (1216 - 1345 AD), the Vijayanagar kings (1350 - 1565 AD) and the Nayaks (1600 - 1750 AD).

The Chalukyas (543 - 753 AD) and the Rastrakutas (753 - 982 AD) also made major contributions to the development of temple architecture in Southern India. The Cave Temples of Badami, the Virupaksha temple at Pattadakal, the Durga Temple at Aihole and the Kailasanatha temple at Ellora are standing examples of the grandeur of this era. Other important architectural marvels of this period are the sculptures of Elephanta Caves and the Kashivishvanatha temple.

During the Chola period the South Indian style of building temples reached its pinnacle, as exhibited by the imposing structures of the Tanjore temples. The Pandyas followed in the footsteps the Cholas and further improved on their Dravidian style as evident in the elaborate temple complexes of Madurai and Srirangam. After the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar kings continued the Dravidian tradition, as evident in the marvelous temples of Hampi. The Nayaks of Madurai, who followed the Vijayanagar kings, hugely contributed to architectural style of their temples, bringing in elaborate hundred or thousand-pillared corridors, and tall and ornate 'gopurams' or monumental structures that formed the gateway to the temples as evident in the temples of Madurai and Rameswaram.

Temples of East, West and Central India (8th - 13th Century AD)

In Eastern India, particularly in Orissa between 750-1250 AD and in Central India between 950-1050 AD many gorgeous temples were built. The temples of Lingaraja in Bhubaneswar, the Jagannath temple in Puri and the Surya temple in Konarak bear the stamp of Orissa's proud ancient heritage. The Khajuraho temples, known for its erotic sculptures, the temples of Modhera and Mt. Abu have their own style belonging to Central India. The terracotta architectural style of Bengal also lent itself to its temples, also notable for its gabled roof and eight-sided pyramid structure called the 'aath-chala'.

Temples of Southeast Asia (7th - 14th century AD)

Southeast Asian countries, many of which were ruled by Indian monarchs saw the construction of many marvelous temples in the region between 7th and 14th century AD that are popular tourist attractions till his day, the most famous amongst them being the Angkor Vat temples built by King Surya Varman II in the 12th century. Some of the major Hindu temples in Southeast Asia that are still extant include the Chen La temples of Cambodia (7th - 8th century), the Shiva temples at Dieng and Gdong Songo in Java (8th - 9th century), the Pranbanan temples of Java (9th - 10th century), the Banteay Srei temple at Angkor (10th century), the Gunung Kawi temples of Tampaksiring in Bali (11th century), and Panataran (Java) (14th century), and the Mother Temple of Besakih in Bali (14th century).

Hindu Temples of Today

Today, Hindu temples across the globe form the cynosure of India's cultural tradition and spiritual succor. There are Hindu temples in all almost countries of the world, and contemporary India is bristled with beautiful temples, which hugely contribute to her cultural heritage. In 2005, arguably the largest temple complex was inaugurated in New Delhi on the banks of river Yamuna. The mammoth effort of 11,000 artisans and volunteers made the majestic grandeur of Akshardham temple a reality, an astounding feat which the proposed world's tallest Hindu temple of Mayapur in West Bengal is aiming accomplish. More About the Hindu Temple All About the Hindu Temple Top 10 Tantra Temples Hindu Temples on the Web Related Articles The Ruins of Ayodhya India Temples - Plan an India Temple Vacation Madurai - About Madurai and the Meenakshi Temples of South India All About the Hindu Temple Anglo-Saxon culture

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