Vedic Architecture (Vastu)

The recent natural calamities (earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones) in Pakistan, Indonesia, the coastal belts of Sri Lanka and India and earlier in Gujarat and in Orissa have left hundreds of thousands dead and homeless. Many of these people are yet to put their lives and properties together.
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In several areas, the painstakingly evolved theories of construction, the craftsmen and stonecutters’ skill, combined with the backing of a dynasty powerful enough to conceive and execute such a concept, all combined to produce temples of breathtaking glory, which remain unsurpassed to this day.
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The traditional Indian architecture is extremely simple and straightforward. The simple techniques of construction were utilized to build some of the glorious and magnificent buildings that have withstood the test of time. Structural elements like columns and beams were carefully integrated within the buildings to meet the needs of religious and cultural traditions. The vast freedom available to the sthapaka and sthapathi in the design of temples and other spiritual buildings resulted in the development of overwhelming wealth of architectural elements, variety of sculptural forms and decorative exuberances that has become the everlasting symbol of Indian Temple Architecture.
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Etymologically the term temple is derived from the Latin word 'Tempulum' which in its original sense means a square or a rectangular place marked out by the augur for the purpose of worship. In its primitive sense this word corresponds to a place marked off as sacred to a God, in which the house of God may be erected. The shrine or the abode of the God has different nomenclatures. In ancient Sastras or literature the temple is referred as Devagriha, Devalay, Devakula, etc. In the Vastusastra the North Indian temples are known as Prasada while as the Southern Indian temples are known as Vimana, Harmya and occasionally as Prasada. The term 'mandira' for the first time occurs in Banabhatta's Kadambari, a text of 7th century AD.
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Agni said: I will now describe the fruits of making temples for the residence of Vasudeva and other deities. He who attempts to erect temples for gods is freed from the sins of a thousand births. Those who think of building a temple in their minds are freed from the sins of a hundred births. Those who approve of a man's building a temple for Krishna go to the region of Acyuta [Vishnu] freed from sins.
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