RAGHU

Long Post!! Why Save Temples?🔱🕉️🪷🚩 When an individual or group shows hate for our temples, they are also directing that hatred towards body, mind and soul of practitioners of Hinduism. A temple is not just a tangible structure of bricks and mortar, it helps us connect our Aatma to Parmatma. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that “idam sariram kaunteya ksetram ity abhidhiyate”. Meaning: This body is a temple. The journey of the temple concept, according to Sthapatyaved (Vastu Shastra)... 1. First developed as a place of residence and rest for the gods, where individuals went/still go to attain peace as an individual or group. 2. Then as a divine structure on its own, being viewed from a spiritual lens and not just architectural - Devalaya, residence of God. The areas where sculptures of Gods and Goddesses were not present, like the courtyard or stairs also became holy. 3. Finally as the physiological, psychological and spiritual understanding related to mind, body and soul developed, it also started being considered as a temple. It meant more in the sense of prioritising your health and well-being by eating healthy, keeping a clean surrounding, practicing meditation. The intention was to pay respect to the divine energy in oneself and as a show of self-care and self-respect. Therefore, for centuries going to the temple has been considered a way of mental, emotional and spiritual healing. According to Vastu Shastra this is because temples were constructed in accordance with the seven chakras in the human body. Each chakra corresponds/matches with a Hindu God or Goddess. Therefore, before entering a temple you are asked to remove your footwear, so the divine energy in the temple can activate one or all of the chakras in the body. Likewise, one has to follow a strict code of conduct while entering the 'Garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum)' because the idol of the God or Goddess placed there has always been considered as the soul of the temple, whereas the entire temple itself is the body. Hope you all liked this small explanation about why protecting temple means protecting oneself individually. Jai Sanatan Dharma 🙏🏻 🚩 📸/🎥: Danteshwari temple, one of the 52 Shakti Peethas, shrines of Shakti, the divine feminine, spread across India. Temple was constructed during Kakatiya dynasty in the 12th-13th century.