Hinduism
A Hindu temple is a house of god(s). It is a space and structure designed to bring human beings and gods together, infused with symbolism to express the ideas and beliefs of Hinduism. A temple incorporates all elements of Hindu cosmology, the highest spire or dome representing Mount Meru – reminder of the abode of Brahma and the center of spiritual universe, the carvings and iconography symbolically presenting dharma, kama, artha, moksha and karma. The layout, the motifs, the plan and the building process recite ancient rituals, geometric symbolisms, and reflect beliefs and values innate within various schools of Hinduism. Hindu temples are spiritual destinations for many Hindus (not all), as well as landmarks for arts, annual festivals, rite of passage rituals, and community celebrations.
Hindu temples come in many styles, diverse locations, deploy different construction methods and are adapted to different deities and regional beliefs. Two major styles of Hindu temples include the Gopuram style found in south India, and Nagara style found in north India. Other styles include cave, forest and mountain temples. Yet, despite their differences, almost all Hindu temples share certain common architectural principles, core ideas, symbolism and themes.
Rethinking Religion in India
During the first conference year the central questions that were explored are the following: Are there religions in India? Is it possible to say that the descriptions of Indian culture and its religions are the products of the Western experience of India? These questions will be explored in different formats in the three modules: (1) In the Platform sessions the different theoretical approaches to the study of religion in India will be discussed. (2) The Roundtable sessions will take up the debate about the construction of Hinduism and investigate the impact of colonialism on our understanding of India. (3) The Parallel Paper sessions will prepare the ground for Platform and Roundtable sessions of the following years. They take up the following themes: Evolutionary explanations of religion; Indians are Aryans, so what?; The caste system and Indian religion.