6. Different Types of Temple

It is quite difficult to say about a definite number of varieties of Hindu temples as different treatises offer different numbers in this regard. In the Bṛhatsaṃitā of Varāhamihira twenty types of temples are recognized.^[1] But in the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa the varieties of temple go higher and here hundred varieties of temples have been enumerated.^[2]

These are—

1. himavān,
2. mālyavān,
3. śṛṇgavān,
4. āgāra,
5. bhavana,
6. gṛha,
7. niṣadha,
8. nīla,
9. śveta,
10. vindhya,
11. valabhī,
12. vṛddhida,
13. triguṇa,
14. śikhara,
15. vṛttida,
16. kāmada,
17. nṛgṛha,
18. turaga,
19. kuñjara,
20. yatheṣṭha,
21. viśāla,
22. bhadra,
23. dvāraśālā,
24. śveta,
25. subhadrā,
26. gandhamādana,
27. somya,
28. kamala,
29. aruṇodaya,
30. gūha,
31. garuḍa,
32. śarva,
33. trailakya,
34. liṅga,
35. sarvakīṭa,
36. brahmāṇḍa,
37. sāra,
38. catusāra,
39. dhiṣṇya,
40. śalya,
41. budha,
42. indu,
43. candra,
44. megha,
45. ambuda,
46. ākāśa,
47. gṛha,
48. bahubhumikā,
49. meru,
50. śuktimān,
51. mandara,
52. pāriyātra,
53. alaka,
54. vimāna,
55. nandana,
56. pañcabhauma,
57. ”        ”        ”
58. ”        ”        ”
59. ”        ”        ”
60. ”        ”        ”
61. catuṣkaka,
62. samudra,
63. nandī,
64. guhārāja,
65. vṛtta,
66. vṛṣa,
67. haṃsa,
68. ghaṭa,
69. siṃha,
70. maṇḍapa,
71. dvādaśāstri,
72. ṣaḍstri,
73. aṣṭāstri,
74. kailāsa,
75. trikuṭa,
76. somya,
77. rājahāra,
78. dharaṇīdhara,
79. vimāna,
80. surarāṭ,
81. ānanda,
82. susamāḥ,
83. prabhañjana,
84. viśvakarmā,
85. mahāsumana,
86. mṛdaṅga,
87. chatra,
88. vajra,
89. lokapāla,
90. mahābhutaṅga,
91. dvigvandha,
92. sāmānya,
93. suguha,
94. nandaka,
95. ākāśanī,
96. ṣoḍaśastri,
97. saṃkha,
98. vaijayanta,
99. ambuda and
100. maṅgala,

The ideas regarding these varieties will be addressed according to the topic of discussion.

i) Temples Built in Particular Shapes:

Indian treatises reflect the fact that some temples are built in a particular shape of a definite object. The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa relates that the varieties of temples named śarva, trailokya, liṅga, sarvakīṭa, brahmānanda and sāra should be constructed in liṅga shape.^[3] The haṃsa, ghaṭa and siṃha varieties are instructed to be built in the shape of a swan, water jar and lion respectively.^[4] The śaṃkha temple should be made in Conch shell shape and the vaijayantī temple should be made in lotus shape.^[5] Again the chatra kind of temple should be made in the shape of a chatra i.e., an umbrella. The mṛdaṅga type is said to be constructed in the shape of mṛdaṅga i.e., a kind of drum and the vajra type is just opposite to it.^[6]

ii) Temples in Circular or Round Shape:

Temples like saumudga, nandī, vṛtta, vṛṣa etc. were constructed in circular or round shape. According to Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the the kaṭi i.e., waist part and the mekhalā i.e., the slop of the digvandha type of temple should be made in circular shape. Ānanda type of temple should be constructed in square or circular shape.^[7]

iii) Temples Having Storeys:

The Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa refers to the thirteen kinds of temples having storeys. The thirteen varieties viz., meru, śuktimāna, mandara, pāriyātrā, alakā, vimāna, nandana, pañcabhauma, catuṣkaka, tribhūmikā, dvibhūmikā and ekbhūmikā have twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two and one storeys respectively.^[8] Moreover, bahubhūmikā type of temple contains many storeys.^[9] According to Mayamata, the height of a storey should be one hundred cubits and eight digits and according to Bṛhatsaṃhitā it should be three and a half cubits.^[10]

iv) Temples Grouped on the Basis of its Kūṭa, Mekhalā, Valabhī, Maṇḍapa, Dvāra and Śikhara:

The Hindu temples are characterized by some common elements viz.,

1. kūṭa,
2. mekhalā,
3. valabhī,
4. maṇḍapa,
5. dvāra and
6. śikhara.

Among the hundred varieties of temple as referred to by the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, some share the common elements which are tabled here.

Variety of the temple	Number of Kūṭa	Number of Mekhalā	Number of Chandraśālā	Number of Garbhagṛha	Number of Dvāra	Number of Śikhara
Himavān	-	-	Four	-	-	-
Mālyavān[11]	One	-	-	-	-	-
Śṛṅgavān[12]	One	-	-	-	-	-
Āgāra[13]	One	-	-	-	One	-
Bhavana[14]	One	Two	-	-	One	-
Gṛha[15]	-	One	-	-	-	-
Niṣadha[16]	One	Two	-	-	-	-
Nīla[17]	One	One	-	-	-	-
Śveta[18]	One	Two	-	-	-	-
Vindhya[19]	One	One	-	-	-	-
Valabhī[20]	-	One	one	-	-	-
Vṛddhida[21]	-	-	-	-	Four	-
Triguṇa[22]	-	-	-	-	Three	-
Yatheṣṭa[23]	-	-	-	Desired numbers	One	-
Kamala[24]		One	-	Eight	Eight	-

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

merumandarakailāsavimānacchandanandanāḥ/ samudgapadmagaruḍanandivardhanakuñjarāḥ/ guharājo vṛṣo haṃsaḥ sarvatobhadrako ghaṭaḥ/ siṃho vṛttaścatuṣkoṇaḥ ṣoḍaśāṣṭāśrayastathā/ ityete viṃśatiḥ proktāḥ prāsādāḥ sajñayā mayā/ Bṛhatsaṃitā, 56.17-19

[2]:

prāsādānāṃ śataṃ caitatsamāsātkathitaṃ mayā/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.86.127

[3]:

liṅkāraṃ tu kartavyaṃ devaveśma trimekhalaṃ// tasya nāma bhavelloke śarveti narapuṅgava/ dvimekhalasya tasyaiva trailokyamiti nirdiśet/ sa eva liṅga nāmāsyātprāsādastvekamekhalaḥ/ kūṭavadbalabhīyuktaṃ sarvakīṭaṃ prakīrtitaṃ//brahmāṇḍamiti vijñeyaṃ trailokyaṃ valabhīyutaṃ/liṅgākhyaṃ valabhīyutaktaṃ sāramityabhidhīyate// Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.86.77-80

[4]:

haṃsākārastathā haṃso ghaṭākārastathā ghaṭaḥ/siṃhākāraḥ smṛtaḥ siṃho maṇḍapo maṇḍapākṛtiḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.99-100

[5]:

prāsādaḥ śaṃkhasaṃjñaḥ syācchaṅkhākāraḥ suśobhanaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.125

[6]:

chatrākāraḥ smṛtaśchatro mṛdaṅgaḥ syāttadākṛtiḥ/
viparīto mṛdaṅgastu vajra ityabhidhīyate// Ibid., 3.86.116

[7]:

caturastro’tha vā vṛttastathaivocchritamekhalaḥ/
ānandanāmā bhavati prāsādaḥ…….// Ibid., 3.86.89

[8]:

bhūmikādvādaśopetaḥ ṣaḍastro merurucyate/
caturdvārastu kartavyaḥ sarveṣāṃ tridivaukasām/
śuktimānnāmataḥ sarvaḥ sa caikādaśabhūmikaḥ/
mandaro nāmataḥ proktaḥ sa taddvādaśabhūmikaḥ/
navabhirbhūmikābhistu pāriyātraḥ prakīrtitaḥ/
alako nāma vikhyātastathā caivāṣṭabhūmikaḥ//
vimānaḥ saptabhaumaḥ syātṣaḍbhaumo nandanaḥ smṛtaḥ/
pañcataḥ pañca saḥ syāccaturbhaumaścatuṣkakaḥ//
tribhūmistu tribhūmiḥ syādidvibhūmyākhyo dvibhūmikaḥ/
ekabhaumastu nirdiṣṭastathā caivaikabhūmikaḥ// Ibid., 3.86. 91-95

[9]:

……..yatheṣṭo bahubhūmikaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86. 90

[10]:

bhūmikāṅgulamānena mayasyāṣṭottaraṃ śataṃ/
sārddhaṃ hastatrayaṃ caiva kathitaṃ viśvakarmaṇā// Bṛhatsaṃhitā, 56.29

[11]:

kūṭacchedadvayopeto mālyavānabhidhīyate/ Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, 3.86.13

[12]:

ekakūṭastathaivāyaṃ śṛṅgavāniti kīrtitaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.13

[13]:

āgārākhyo bhavatyeṣa dvāreṇaikena śṛṅgavān/ Ibid., 3.86.14

[14]:

āgāro bhavanākhyaḥ syātprāsādastu dvimekhalaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.14

[15]:

gṛhākhyaḥ…….prāsādaścaikamekhalaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.15

[16]:

śṛṅgavānniṣadhākhyaḥ syātprāsādastu dvimekhalaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.15

[17]:

śṛṅgavānniṣadhākhyaḥ syātprāsādastu dvimekhalaḥ/
sa eva nīlo bhavati tathā caivaikamekhalaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.16

[18]:

mālyavāñśvetasaṃjñaḥ syātprāsādastu dvimekhalaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.16

[19]:

vindhyanāmā bhavatyeṣa tathā caivaikamekhalaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.17

[20]:

valabhīsaṃsthitaṃ ramyaṃ prāsādaṃ……ekamekhalaṃ/
pārśvayorvalabhīpṛṣṭhe candraśālāyutaṃ bhavet/ Ibid., 3.86.21-22

[21]:

………dvāreścaturbhiḥ saṃyutastvayaṃ/ brahmaṇā vṛddhido nāma prāsādaḥ parikīrtitaḥ/ Ibid., 3.86.31

[22]:

…..triguṇaiśchāyāṃ dvārāṃstatra niveśayet/ Ibid., 3.86.32

[23]:

yatheṣṭasaṃkhyāgarbhaṃ tu prāsādaṃ…..dvāreṇaikena saṃyutaṃ/ Ibid., 3.86.42

[24]:

aṣṭāṃśajagatīvandhaṃ tathā caivaikamekhalaṃ/ aṣṭgarvāṣṭadigdvāraṃ kamalaṃ parikīrtitaṃ/ Ibid., 3.86.51