Agni Purana: Sacred rituals to build temples

Vastu rules for Temple construction

Anyone who’s ever built or constructed a home would know how important it is to have a sanctioned design for the same. People, who practice Hinduism, know the significance of Vastu Shastra and its importance during the construction of house, any commercial or religious place.

Rules for temple construction by Agni Purana

Unlike in present time, the construction of religious edifices and idols was considered of sacred importance and thus followed a set of sanctified set of rules and rituals. Holy Scripture, Agni Purana has several chapters that guide us through the ancient ways on how to construct holy places and idols, and how to pray.

Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh

These chapters comprises of divine mantras and rituals in dedication to worshiping of Lord Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and many other Gods and Goddesses; including ways to appease them and perform sacred penance towards them.

Lord Vishwakarma

In the ancient times, not anyone or everyone could construct the temple or build an idol; the knowledge was restricted to Lord Vishwakarma and his disciples. In those times, these idols and temples were not constructed to satisfy the whims and fancies of devotees, but to endow them with a chance to get rid off their sins and surrender to the divine lords.

Why were temples built?

According to ancient mythological legend, when someone would accidentally commit a sin, they would perform a penance and build a temple in order to appease the Gods and Goddesses; they would take guidance from Lord Vishwakarma, who would help them build the holy edifice.

Temple construction in ancient times

It is also believed that those, who were incapable of building a shrine, would construct idols of deity. As per Agni Purana, individual who builds one temple would go and serve in heaven, who builds five temples enters the shivaloka and who builds eight gets to enter vishnuloka and who builds 16 temples is freed from the cycle of birth and death.

Punya of constructing a temple

In those times, earning ‘punya’ was considered more valuable than accumulating material wealth. The punya of constructing temple and idols is invaluable than any material possessions. Agni Purana explains that not anyone should build a temple; neither should it be constructed without following the sacred rituals; same in the case of constructing god idols.

Sacred rules/rituals for building temple

The first and foremost rule of building a temple is that it should not be constructed facing away of the city or town; in fact it should be facing the city and its resident. The ‘dwar’ should be build facing the East, from where the sunrays would fall on the sacred entrance. Under no circumstances, a temple’s entrance should be South facing.

#2.

The sanctum, where the idol of the chief deity is supposed to be set up must align with the entrance i.e. the idol must face the entrance in the East direction.

#3.

The walls of the temple must be built in a regular shape, like a square or a rectangle; oval, triangle and circle are prohibited shapes as per the Vastu scriptures of Vishwakarma.

#4.

While the entire ground of the temple must be in level with the earth, only the place chosen for placing the Idol of the deity should be three ‘ungal’ above the ground level.

#5.

Temple must always be constructed along a hill, mountain or sea and should not be in the vicinity of a sewer, a slaughter house or liqor-serving place.

#6.

The size of the temple should be a multiple of the size of the God’s idol. And, while constructing the temple the ‘nakshatra’ of the city (based on the date of city’s origin) must be taken into consideration and the temple’s name is therefore kept in accordance with it.