Questions tagged [temple]
A temple is a place and structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer, worship and sacrifice, or analogous rites.
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Why is Shiva primarily worshipped in a linga form?
In Hindu temples, the statues of the deities are present in the sanctum. But in (most) Shiva temples, only a linga is present instead of a Shiva statue. The linga worship seems to be limited only to ...
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Why are temples devoted to Brahma so rare?
It is well-known that temples devoted to Brahma are extremely rare compared to temples devoted to Vishnu and Shiva (or, indeed, any number of other deities, e.g. Murugan, Ganesh, Hanuman, etc.).
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Are there any temples for Matsya, Kurma, and Varaha avatars?
Are there any temples for the following three avatars of Vishnu?
Matsya
Kurma
Varaha
If yes, please share some information about some popular temples for them.
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What is the significance of Satagopuram?
Why is it placed on our head after Darsan?
If I am correct, the Satagopuram is not offered in Shakthi temples. What is the reason behind this? (In which kind of temples can this be seen?)
Do we ...
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What is the story of Somanath Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Godesses Saraswati in Linga Purana states:
सर्वं लिंगमयं लोकं सर्वं लिंगे प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
तस्मात्सर्वं परि...
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What is the story of Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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What do Hindu scriptures say about Hindu temples?
Yes or No Questions:
Do Hindu scriptures say that we should build temples? (Yes | No)
If I go to Lord Shiva's and Lord Hanuman's temple, but I also have the deities at home temple (puja mandir), can ...
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What is the story of Kasi Vishwanatha Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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What is the story of Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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What is the story of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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What is the story of Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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What is the story of Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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Do we have any details about the oldest idol of any Hindu God found anywhere in the world?
What is the oldest idol of any Hindu God being found anywhere in the world?
If possible provide some details about how much old it was.
How did it look like? And what material was it made of?
Please ...
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Who compiled the list of 108 Divya Desams of Vishnu?
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their poetry in praise of Vishnu. The Alwars are crucially important figures in ...
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What is the story of Bheemshankar Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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What is the story of Trayambakeshwara Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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Can a god have an Avatar of an Avatar?
I am a Vaishnav and hence I worship Shrinathji. It is said that Shrinathji is an avatar of Lord Krishna but again, Lord Krishna is an avatar of Lord Vishnu so is it possible that gods can take avatars ...
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Do any scriptures apart fom Sabarimala Sthala Purana foretell the birth of Ayyappa?
One of the most popular religious destinations in the world is the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala; it gets far more visitors per year than Tirupati and the Vatican combined! The story of the temple ...
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Did Jesus visit Jagannath Temple of Puri? [closed]
Levi H. Dowling wrote the book The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ.
The title of section VI is: Life and Works of Jesus in India, here is an extract:
"And Jesus was accepted as a pupil in the ...
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Why are women not allowed to enter Sabarimala temple?
What is the story/concept behind denial of fertile women (aged between 12 and 50) from entering the Sabarimala temple?
Isn't this a discrimination against women? Is it a sin to allow women into the ...
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Why does only Uppiliappan have "Mam Ekam Saranam Vraja" written on his hand?
Most people only know about the Venkateshwara form of Vishnu (AKA Balaji or Srinivasa) in connection to the deity of the world-renowned Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple in Tirupati. But that is not the ...
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What is the story of Kedarnath Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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What is the story of Nageshwar Jyotirlinga?
Lord Shiva has been worshipped in Linga form from time beginning as described in answer here. Among the Lingas there are 12 Jyotirlingas which are of special importance.
Mahatmya of 12 Jyotirlingas is ...
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Why do Hindu temples have Bells?
It is often seen that people who worship gods at temple rung bells when they enter the temple.
These bells are hung generally near the idols or at the entrance of the temples. They are also rung ...
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What is the story of Vishnu appearing to sage Markandeya in Thiruvidanthai?
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their poetry in praise of Vishnu. The Alwars are crucially important figures in ...
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Why is aarti performed to deities in temples?
In all temples Aarti i.e a lamp with camphor or ghee is lit and is shown in circular motion in front of the deities. Is this just a ritual for revering Agni or does it have a deeper significance?
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Where is the story of Upilliappan in the Brahmanda Purana?
Most people only know about the Venkateshwara form of Vishnu (AKA Balaji or Srinivasa) in connection to the deity of the world-renowned Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple in Tirupati. But that is not the ...
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Who is Govindaraja and how is he related to Venkateshwara?
Tirupati is most commonly associated with the world-renowned Tirumala Venkateshwara Temple. But there is another Vishnu temple in Tirupati, the Govindaraja Swami Temple. (This isn't the only ...
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What is the difference between a Shiva temple and a Jyotirlinga?
Spread across India, we have many temples of Lord Shiva and we also have about twelve Jyotirlingas.
I want to know whether there's any difference between a Shiva Temple and a Jyotirlinga.
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Why are Yama temples few in number?
After browsing this question on Brahma temples. I was wondering why even Yama temples are very few in the world. Yama is the god that determines whether a person(soul) is sent to Swarga lok (Heaven) ...
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Why does Kulasekhara Alwar call Vishnu "Vitruvakodu's Lord"?
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their poetry in praise of Vishnu. The collection of their 4000 poems, known as ...
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Why women were not allowed to offer prayers at Shingnapur Shani Temple?
As question says, why women were not allowed to offer prayers at Shingnapur Shani Temple, which is in Maharashtra? Was there any reason for this tradition or was this just a superstition?
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What is the meaning behind Shiva with 26 heads and 52 hands?
I was wondering what the meaning is behind Shiva's 26 heads and 52 hands in a temple in Tamil Nadu? I have never seen him in this form before.
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What is the story of tortoise which is just in front of Nandi in Lord Shiva Temple?
I have seen in many temples there are Nandi and tortoise facing the Shiva linga. what is the story of being tortoise facing the Shiva linga?
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Why are women advised to tie their hair in temples?
Once when I visited a Durga temple, a man who was giving out flowers to all devotees told me to tie my hair and not leave it open in the temple. I genuinely want to know the reason.
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Legend behind origin of Vayu Lingam in Srikalahasti and its meaning
There are many legends behind Srikalahasti temple, which is one of the Panchaboota Kshetras. But none of these legends explain origin of Vayu Lingam which is believed to be "Swayambhu" (self-...
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Were there any temples in Satya yuga?
Is there any reference of temple of lord in the time of Satya Yuga?
Around that time people used to worship which God/Goddess?
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Why does Thirumazhisai Alwar say the Pandava Thoothar statue of Krishna is older than him?
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their devotional poetry in praise of Vishnu. The collection of their 4000 poems, ...
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What is the purpose of Shathru samhara pooja?
Shathru Samhara pooja is believed to be done for destroying the enemies. This pooja is usually performed in temples.
- What is the purpose of such pooja?
- Do this actually have any other meanings ...
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Why do Hindus remove their footwear before entering temples?
Why is it that people don't wear shoes and sandals when they visit a temple? Sometimes they remove them outside of temple premises and sometimes outside of the temple steps...
It's a common practice ...
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Was there a Rama Temple in Ayodhya?
Was there any Rama temple in Ayodhya?
Also, was Ayodhya mentioned as a pilgrimage site in any of the Puranas?
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Why are many South Indian temple's walls painted in white and red stripes?
In many south Indian temples, especially in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, the temple's external walls are painted in white & red stripes. Why is it done so?
For example:
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Why are female counterparts in South Indian temples placed on the right?
Google search for Sri Rama temples in Tamilnadu returns many similar images, with Sita on the right of Rama, as well as many pictures with her being on the left, as usual elsewhere for Lakshmi-...
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Black Magic/Kala Jadu/ Pilli Soonyam are real?
As I know, due to jealousy, or some base cause, the Tantriks use cheap tactics to overcome the adversaries, which can ruins one's life .
Also I heard that if someone is affected by Black Magic then ...
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Why each day of the week is dedicated to a particular god?
As the title explains, why do we have specific days to worship specific gods? For example
Sunday - Lord Surya
Monday - Lord Shiva
Tuesday - Lord Ganesha
Wednesday - Lord Vithal
Thursday - Sai Baba, ...
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What is the story of Indra being turned into an elephant by Saraswati?
I'm currently visiting India, and I just went to the Varadaraja Perumal Vishnu temple in Kanchipuram. It's such an important temple that Sri Vaishnavas refer to it simply as "Perumal Koil" or "the ...
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Why restriction on taking images and publishing 'some' mantras
Why people are not allowed to take images of god/goddesses in Garbha gudi (sanctum sanctorum) of a temple. Is it a sin according to scriptures? or any other reason behind such restriction?
In addition ...
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Why oil is offered to Lord Hanuman on Saturday?
If you visit Hanuman temple especially on Saturdays, we see a number of devotees offer oil (especially gingili oil).
Why oil is offered to Lord Hanuman
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Who is the sage Pundarika who saw Vishnu coming out of a Shiva Linga?
I'm currently visiting India, and I just passed by a Vishnu temple in the town of Thiruparkadal in Tamil Nadu. Thiruparkadal is Tamil for "ocean of milk" (Kshirsagara in Sanskrit), referring to the ...
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Why does Periyalwar say that Krishna was born in Thirukottiyur rather than Mathura?
The Alwars (also spelled Azhwars) are a group of 12 ancient Vaishnava saints who lived in Tamil Nadu and are famous for their devotional poetry in praise of Vishnu. The collection of their 4000 poems, ...
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