| The temple is so
built and so adorned that a devotee feels an air of sanctity as soon as he enters the
temple. The Garbha Griha or main shrine is generally semi-dark and is bare of other
sculptures, except the figure of the Lord. This is to ensure meditation and
‘ekagrata’ in the devotee. According to one tradition, the gateway of the temple
is intended to stand for the universe, and the vigraha of the Lord inside for the supreme
spirit. There is always a curtain before the Lord,
which according to the Vaishnavite texts should be of three colors, white, red and black,
representing the three gunas, Satva, Rajah and Tamas. When the veil of the gunas is
lifted, the resplendent Lord is seen. According to another tradition, the temple is just
like a human body, which is conceived of as a walking temple of God, with the Jiva in the
centre. The top of the temple is the head; the Garbha Griha is the neck-, the front
mantapa is' the stomach; the prakara walls are the legs; the gopura is the feet and the
Lord is the Jiva in the body. Thus every part of the temple is conceived of as the body of
the Lord and so should be treated as sacred. |
