Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v1.c56.47

v1.c56.47

It may however, be remarked that these are only tentative propositions, unless they are corroborated in the actual monuments, they may not be acceptable. But my view is that it may not be incorrect to say that temples in some form or other must have originated as soon as image worship came into being. Moreover, if image worship in some form or other had existed among the non-Aryans, existence of temples must also be regarded as a pre-Vedic fact and these houses of gods must have been made in the likeness of human habitations.