A Hindu temple, also known as mandir and kshetra, is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together, using symbolism to express the ideas and beliefs of Hinduism.[2] The symbolism and structure of a Hindu temple are rooted in Vedic traditions.[2] A temple incorporates all elements of Hindu cosmos—presenting the good, the evil and the human, as well as the elements of Hindu sense of cyclic time and the essence of life—symbolically presenting dharma, kama, artha, moksa, and karma.[3][4]
In ancient Indian texts, a temple is a place for Tirtha - pilgrimage.[2] It is a sacred site whose ambience and design attempts to symbolically condense the ideal tenets of Hindu way of life.[14] All the cosmic elements that create and sustain life are present in a Hindu temple - from fire to water, from images of nature to deities, from the feminine to the masculine, from the fleeting sounds and incense smells to the eternal nothingness yet universality at the core of the temple.
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