The Hindu Temple v1.c9.s6: Position and Orientation of the Temples

The Hindu Temple v1.c9.s6

Language: English

Position and Orientation of the Temples

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As the positions of the images are fixed in relation to the Vāstumaṇḍala underlying the Prāsāda, so are, theoretically at least, the positions determined of the various temples within any kind of settlement and also outside of it and in relation to it.

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Hamlets, villages, market towns, citadels, cities, capitals and suburbs, all these walled habitations,¹⁵ as the Prāsāda itself, are laid out on the Vāstupuruṣa-maṇḍala, and the temples of the village or city have their place assigned on it. In practice, equal in Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava texts, the main position of a Śiva temple is in the North-East, in Īśāna, and that of a Viṣṇu temple in the West, in Varuṇa; the Centre is the place for the temple of Brahmā, or of Viṣṇu or of any other form of God as the main divinity of the temple. Buddha and Jina temples, which belong to the heretics, are assigned generally to the South-West. On all other points there is as much agreement as diversity in the different Śāstras, so that the "Kāmikāgama", ch. XXVI. 6 lays down that in this, the 'Kāmikāgama', the situation of a temple of Gaṇeśa is in the West, or South-West or between the North-West and the North or elsewhere.¹⁶ In the chart on p. 234, several texts are put together which are more or less explicit on the positions of the temples. Where the temple of a divinity is set up depends upon the branch and phase of the tradition followed at the time and place of building. The worship of the Mothers, for example, whose temples and images the 'Kāmikāgama' gives as stationed in the North-East or the North (XXVI. 8), and other texts in the South, is said in this text (ib. 18) to have been performed but recently by the Brāhmaṇas. Apart from the positions of the Śiva principle in the North-East, Sūrya in the East, the Viṣṇu principle in the West and the Brahmā principle in the Centre, the temples of the many forms of God are frequently assigned more than one place even in each single text. The temple of Brahmā moreover according to South Indian tradition, it is explicitly enjoined in the 'Kāmikāgama', should not be in the centre; its place is in the SSW. and S. (ch. XLIX) or in the NE. (ch. XXVI. 2).

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¹⁵ The following are enumerated as walled habitations (prākārantarathāvāsa) in the 'I.P.' III. ch. XXV, 13-15: Grāma, Kheṭaka, village, hamlet; Kharvaṭa, market town; Durga, citadel; Nagara, town, city; Rājadhānī, capital; Pattana, town; etc. etc. and Śākhānagara, suburb. In most of the other texts, all these walled settlements are implied in the designation "village, etc." (grāmādi).

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¹⁶ cf. XXVI 7, where the position of a temple of Durgā is given in the South or South-West or North-West or East or between the South and South-West. In chapter XLIX however of the same text, the 'Kāmikāgama', Subrahmaṇya is assigned to the SE, whereas the plots of Sugrīva or Varuṇa are his in ch. XXVI. Some of the positions prescribed in ch. XLIX are given in the chart. This chapter moreover lays down in which directions Nāgara, Drāviḍa, Vesara and Sārvadeśika temples are to be built, not only in the eight directions, but for example in the SSW., etc.

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The latitude in assigning positions to the temples contrasts with the definite rules for their orientation; the margin of their application, however, is equally THE POSITION OF THE TEMPLES IN VILLAGES, TOWNS, Etc.

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∗ A and B indicate different traditions recorded in the 'Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati'. † The words within brackets denote the plots of the Vāstupuruṣamaṇḍala. ‡ Guha, Skanda, Ṣaṇmukha and Subrahmaṇya are names of Kārttikeya. The chart shows the positions of most, though not of all the temples given in the respective texts.

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broad. Given any position it is of primary importance where the temple faces. In the orientation of the temples three principles combine (1) the orientation proper, for the temple should face the East, the rising sun; (2) the temples should face the Centre—of the settlement, the village or town, etc.; (3) God in his peaceful (śānta) image should be located in and turned towards, the habitations of men; God in his wrathful (ugra) image should be situated outside and face away from the habitations of men. The ‘ugra’ aspect of the image is linked up with the quality ‘tamas’, which implies destruction; and with Abhicārika rites.

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The cosmic orientation, with reference to the Sun; the metaphysical orientation, with reference to the Centre of the Vāstupuruṣamaṇḍala and of every settlement of men; and the orientation with regard to man, the living being (jīva), his welfare and peace are the considerations which determine where a temple faces.

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The first consideration is primeval and remains the basis of orientation. Most of the preserved temples face the East, others the West. It is therefore said that it is best if a temple has its door to the East and that it is good if its door is to the West. While however it is admissible that a temple faces South it is not desirable that it should face North.¹⁷ This is observed also when the second consideration prevails, for it is said that the temples in the East, should face West, and those in the West should face East, and the others clockwise (pradakṣiṇa) so that those in the North face South but those in the South should not face North (‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’, X. 112). Not only the temples in the town should face its centre but also those outside the town. If for some reason, such as the terrain, etc., the temple and with it the image in the Garbhagṛha have to face away from the town this is remedied by painting on the wall of the temple a likeness, identical in all icono-graphic matters to the image in the Garbhagṛha. The painted proxy on one of the walls of the temple then faces the town, for in paintings, the gods may face in any direction (ib. X. 125; 128).

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¹⁷ ‘Vaikhānāśagama’ ch. II.—The cremation ground is to the north of the village, etc. and the Cāṇḍālas live there. The contagion of the dead body, its impurity, must not enter the temple.

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The temples and images that are turned away from the village or town are those which are not auspicious, says the same text (ib. 124). Temples of Narasiṃha should face away from the village (‘Mānasāra’, IX, 270) whereas all other images and temples of Viṣṇu should face the village or town (ib. 268). While images of Rudra are not to be placed within the settlements of men (‘Kāmikāgama’, l. c. 30), the image of Śiva in the North-East should also be outside and face away from the town (‘Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati’, Pt. III. ch. XXV. 68). The latter applies also to temples of Śiva in the intermediate directions. Only those situated in the East or West should face the village, town, etc. (‘Mānasāra’, IX. 271-75). The latter two situations are not particularly those of Śiva temples; should these be built there, they conform with the rule valid for the other temples; like the gods of the Vāstupuruṣa-maṇḍala they all face the Brahmasthāna, the Centre. In its principle however, which is Tamas, destruction, the Śiva temple has its proper position in forests and on mountains (‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’, X. 122). Even though a Śiva temple may be placed not only in the outer, but also in the inner border of the Vāstumaṇḍala, it should face away from the settlement of men.

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The triple orientation, towards the Sun, towards the Centre and towards man, provides for diverse contingencies, so that summing up, in the ‘Mānasāra’ (1. c. 276), it is said that the main door of the temple of all images—except those of Viṣṇu, which always (but not in his terrible aspects) face the town, and those of Śiva which, as a rule, face away from it—may be in any direction. In truth, wherever the temple faces, to a Tāntrik the East lies between him and the image.¹⁸

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¹⁸ ‘Pūjyapūjakayormadhye prācīṃ tu parikalpayet’. Dr. Coomaraswamy, in ‘A New Approach to the Vedas’, explains the orientation of temples, in accordance with ‘Chāndogya Upaniṣad’, III. 6. 11, and with the sunrise in the East, South, West and North respectively which depends on one’s own spiritual condition; for the Sādhyas the sun rises in the Zenith and sets in the Nadir, and finally for those who know the essential truth of Brahman, the Gnostics, the Supreme Sun, risen in the Zenith, stands there in the middle, neither setting nor rising. . . . The direction of the rising sun, (whether E. S. W. N., spiritually) is always spoken of as East empirically.

Cites (6)

Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra — Bhoja, Sanskrit
Mānasāra — Sanskrit
Īśānaśivagurudevapaddhati — Īśānaśivagurudeva, Sanskrit
Kāmikāgama — Sanskrit
Chāndogyopaniṣad — Sanskrit
Tantrasamuccaya — Chennasu Nārāyaṇa, Sanskrit