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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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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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 do some temples require men not to wear shirts?
Some Hindu temples require men to remove their shirts before they enter. I don't remember the names of any temples off the top of my head, but I do believe that a few temples in and around Thanjavur ...
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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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Is there any temple where deities are Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara?
Is there any temple where deities are Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara all the three supreme gods are worshipped at once?
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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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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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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 does Lord Jagannath suffer from fever?
It is believed that Jagannath suffers from a high fever after the Snana-Yatra. During this time, devotees are prevented from seeing Him. After taking special care, the deities gets cured and the ...
user6981
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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 scriptures describe Vishnu marrying a rebirth of the golden Sita statue?
I'm currently visiting India, and I just went to my Mom's Kula Devata, the Veeraraghava Perumal Vishnu Temple in Thiruvallore. Many things have happened in this location over the ages, including ...
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Are there any scriptures available (or mention) that are related to GyanVapi mandir?
Shivling has been found in Gyanvapi, Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh, and the supreme court today ordered to seal the area
The Supreme Court Tuesday asked the Varanasi District Magistrate to
protect the ...
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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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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 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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Is there temple worship in the Vedas?
Do Vedas talk of temples? Were there any temples in the Vedic era?
If yes what are some of the references?
If no then is temple worship a post Vedic concept?
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Guidelines inside any south Indian temple
South Indian temples are a lot different from North Indian temples. When we enter into the temple, there are lot of other gods and demi gods inside. Some people go straight to see the 'Moolavar'(the ...
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How many of the Divya Desams are the sites of Sri Vaishnava Temples?
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 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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Is sexual activity by *devadasi* sanctioned in Hinduism?
In a YouTube comments discussion between an American Christian and myself, he keeps bringing up the immorality of devadasi being forced into sex work. I know that such activity is illegal in India. I ...
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What is the significance of different types of flag posts on the top of temples?
On the top of temples we often see different kinds of flag posts. On temples of Vishnu we see a chakra, on the temples of Shiva we see a trident, and also some other types of flag posts. For example, ...
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Why can't we walk full clockwise in shiva temple?
While on Shiva Temple, we does not walk full clockwise around the temple, why? What is the reason behind it?
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The Legend of Chessboard (Pala payasam story) of Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple
Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple located in Kerala, India.
According to the story,
The King of Ambalappuzha was a big chess enthusiast. One day a sage challenged him (the king) to play the chess. ...
user6981
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What is the actual birthplace of Sita ji according to scriptures?
Recently Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was in Nepal at the Janaki Temple in Janakpur which is supposed to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita and I came to know about this place due to the news ...
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Why are Navagraha idols present only in Shiva temples?
I saw idols of Navagraha (nine planets) in many Shiva temples, but I haven't seen them in Vishnu temples like Krishna, Venkateshwara, or Rama. Also, Rahu and Ketu pooja is done only in some Shiva ...
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Is it more helpful in any way to worship multiple deities?
I live in central India and I haven't met many people who only worship one particular deity or God. They may be partial to one over others, but they worship all dieties. Most temples also contain ...
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The story behind Pashupatinath temple in Nepal
Long ago I have heard the story about Pashupatinath temple located in nepal, it was related to Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were on their way to Heaven, they wanted to find lord Shiva and lord shiva ...
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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 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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Is there a temple in India where devotees get rid of the "evil" in their selves by uttering abusive words before a deity?
I came across the following bit on this Christian Evangelist website []:
[...]there is a temple in India where they have a festival every year.
Devotees go there during this festival that goes for a ...
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What is the story behind Dhooli Darsanam in Srisailam?
In the Hindu religion, visiting a temple without ablution (cleaning dirt) is said to be sin. One should always bathe before visiting the temple. But in Srisailam, the story is completely different. A ...
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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 Shivalinga sthapana in temple is unique in Hinduism?
I have seen that in many hindu temples, all other deity's statues are brought from the entrance of the temple and some "Pran Pratistha" ritual Vidhi(method) is performed.
But when the shiva Linga ...
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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 do Hindus cover their head?
All Hindu women cover their heads in Temples and during prayers which shows respect towards God. Here I have found there is no mention of women covering their head in any of the Hindu texts. If it is ...
user6981
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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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Why low-caste people are not allowed inside some temples and homes?
In most temples and homes, especially in villages, low-caste people are not allowed.
These regulations are being followed for thousands of years now.
What is the reason behind such practice? What do ...
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Can women be priestesses?
In all of the temples that I have seen, only males serve as priests. I don't remember seeing any women priestesses. Though there are a few famous women devotees like Aandaal, Meera Bai, etc. there are ...
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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 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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Why does Srikalahasti Temple remain open during an eclipse?
As we all know, temples remain closed when there is an eclipse. But the Srikalahasti temple remains open even during eclipses and they also do special pujas on these occasions. Please share the story/...
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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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How should be a Shivaalay Temple?
I heard many times that structure of lord Shiv temple differs from other Gods temples. I heard that lord Shiv temple must have the following:
ponds
water flow near the temple.
Is it true? if yes, ...
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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 ...
- 96.9k
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Lord Shiva as Hatkeshwara in Hinduism scriptures?
Shreemad Bhagvat Purana is mentioning one form of Lord Shiva as
master of gold mines i.e. Bhagvan Hatkeshwara.
ततोऽधस्ताद्वितले हरो भगवान्हाटकेश्वरः स्वपार्षदभूतगणावृतः ।। SB
5.24.17 ।।
tato ...
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