TEMPLE, from the Latin templum, is the term by which Europeans designate the places of worship of the Hindus, the Buddhists, the Jains, the Japanese, and the Chinese. That of the Hindu is known also as the pagoda, aword the source of -which has not been traced ; but the Burmese call it prau, the Siamese wat, the Tamil people call it koil, the Telugu people call it gudi ; by the Persian Muhammadans it is styled a But-Kada (But-Khana) or idol-house, and the Indian Muham madans call it dewal, from Deo, god, and Alaya, a habitation. The better known teniples of the Ilindus in the south of India are those of Dwarka, Dewal or Somnath, Jejuri, Pandarpur, Triputty, Srirangam, Madura, Tanjore, Conjeveram, Ram nad, and Jaganath. Conjeveram is remarkable for possessing botla a Saiva and Vaislinava shrine. Ordinarily, the Hindu temples of the south of India consist of the garbah-graham or shrine in -which the vigraham or idol is kept. It is a square pedestal with ono or more cupolas, and, where the cupolas are repeated, each is sup ported, one above another, by two bearers (dhari) at each of the four corners. There is a walled en closure, at each corner of which, if a Saiva temple, is a figure of Siva's vahan, the bull Nandi ; and if a Vaishnava temple, is a figure of Garuda, the eagle vahan of Vishnu. In front is the portico or arched colonnaded vestibule. In all the temples in S. India —such as Conjeveram, Srirangam, and others—the pilgrims are at liberty to go in and see the idol inside, without paying anything to the temple authorities. But at Triputty each pilgrim who wishes to have a look at the idol must pay one rupee for each visit,—one silver rupee, and not sixteen annas. Conner coins aro no legal tender in the temple. Again, the stone idol here is dressed four times a day in different ways ; and if pilgrims desire to see this they ahould pay ono rupee for each visit,. Again, if pilgrims wish to burn camphor before the idol, they vrill have to pay a rupee once more. In Rajputana the moat celebrated temples aro the Ek-Linga of Siva in Mowar ; of Krishna at NaCh-dwara ; and the temples at Komulmer, Nadole, Mindere, AjmIr, Tamba-nagari, Kuraira, Barolli, Ganga-blieva, Dhuinnar, J'halra Patun, Morakuro, Chitore, and Nagara.
In Kashmir, the whole of the building of Jytesh wara or Sankarachari temple is of stone, which ix laid throughout in horizontal courses, no cement appearing to have been employed. This hori zontal treatment is peculiar to most Hindu buildings in India, and is adhered to in all the ancient examples of Kashmir. The style of the Jyteshwara temple reproduces itself in all the Hindu Kashmirian buildings. The high-pitched pyramidal roof, the one, two, or more gables or pediments, the enclosing wall, and the character of the base mouldings, are features common to all.
In Bengal, the pediments and gables are slightly curved, and much more numerous; but alike in Kashmir and Bengal, the primary form was the square block surmounted by a pyramidal roof. The mode of elaborating the plan remained the same in both countries, and consisted in the addition of one or more projections to each of the original four aides of the square. • The various orders of Hindu sacred architecture are distinguished by the form of the sikra, which is the portion springing from and sur mounting the peipendicular walls of the body of the temple. The sikra of those of Siva is invari
ably pyramidal, and its sides vary with the base, whether square or oblong. The apex is crowned with an ornamental figure, as a sphinx, an urn, a bull, or a lion, which is called the kallas. When the sikra is but the frustrum of a pyramid, it is often surmounted by a row of lions, as at Bijoli. In the mindra or cella is the statue of the god ; the munduf, in architectural nomenclature, is the pronaos ; the portico is the mandap or antarala.
In Rajputana, all temples dedicated to Bal-Siva, the vivifier or sun-god, face the east. The portico projects beyond tho munduf ; occasionally pila sters are placed on either side of the entrance to the munduf, serving as a support to the internal tornn or triumphal arch. The Ek-Linga temple of Rajputana is of white marble, and of ample dimensions. Under an open - vaulted temple, supported by columns and fronting the four faced divinity, is the brazen bull Nandi, of the natural size; it is cast, and of excellent propor tions. Within the quadrangle are miniature shrines, containing some of the minor deities. Siva is represented with three eyes, hence his title of Trinitra and Tri-lochnn, the Tri-ophthalinic Jupiter of the Greeks. From the fire of the central eye, according to Hindu belief, is to pro ceed Pralaya or the final destruction of the universe. This eye, placed vertically, resembling the flame of a taper, is a distinguishing mark on the foreheads of his votaries. But the ordinary marks on tho foreheads of the Saiva sect are a round spot about the root of the nose, or a crescent on the forehead. The priests of Ek-Linga aro termed Gosain or Goswami, which signify control over the senses, and the high priests are celibates. The idol emblem of Siva is often called Bawa Adam or father Adam. The grand temple of Barolli in Rajputana is. dedicated to Siva, whose emblems are everywhere visible. , It stands in an area about 250 yards square, enclosed by a wall built of unshaped stones without. cement. 13eyond this wall are groves of majestic trees, with many smaller shrines and sacred fountains. Just before entering the area is a pillar erect in the earth, with a hooded snake sculptured around it. The body of the edifice, in which is the sanctum of the god, and over which rises its pyramidal sikra, is a square of only 21 feet ; but the addition of the domed vestibule (munduf) and portico makes it 44 by 21. The whole is covered with mythological sculpture, without as well as within, emblematic of the great god (Mahadeo) Siva, who is the giver as well as the destroyer of life. In a niche outside, t,o the south, he is armed against the Dytea (Titans), the roond-mala or skull-chaplet reaching to his knees, and in seven of his arms are offensive weapons. His cap is the frustrum of a cone, composed of snakes interlaced, with a fillet .of skulls ; the cupra is in his hand, and the victims are scattered around. On his right is one of the maids of slaughter (Jogini) drunk with blood, the cup still at her lip, and her countenance expressive of vacuity ; while below, on the left, is a female personification of death, mere skin and bone, a bickle (koorpi) in her right hand, and its knob a death's head, which completes this group of the attributes of destruction.