Course content

Our goals are:

• To provide an overview of the various temple architectural styles across India.
• To provide an introduction to the history of temple building, patronage across the ages
• To provide an introduction to sthala-puranas and related local traditions
• Study temple clusters and the sacred geography of India
• Introduce basic vocabulary related to temple culture
• Introduction to the influence of Hindu Temple culture on the far East.
• A perspective on the Temple culture in the modern Hindu diaspora.

Module 1 Overview of Hindu Temples and Traditions Topics:

1. A geographical overview of temples and traditions across India
2. A historical overview of the temples of India
3. Diaspora temples

Module 2 Hindu Temple Architecture and History Topics:

1. The Nagara Style of Temples
2. The Dravida Temple Architecture
3. The Vesara style of temples
4. Temples of the Western Ghats
5. Evolution of Temple Architecture
6. The Pallava, Chola, Pandya, Hoysala and Vijayanagar Contribution to temples
7. The Kalinga, Rashtrakoota, Chandela contribution to temples
8. The Bhakti movement in Tamilnadu
9. The Bhakti movement of the 2nd millennium.

Module 3: Hindu Temples Topics:

1. Temples and references in Puranas
2. Sthala Puranas or Local Traditions
3. Temple Clusters – Abodes of Shiva
4. Temple Clusters – Abodes of Vishnu
5. Temple Clusters – Shakti Pitham
6. Temple Clusters – Other
7. Festival Traditions – The Bhrahmotsavam
8. Worship Traditions – Agamas
9. Temples and Music
10. Temples and Dance – The Devadasi Tradition
11. Current State of Temple Worship