Modern Hindu temples - Works in Progress Magazine

Most ancient architectural traditions have withered, but one is enjoying a golden age: Hindu temple architecture.

In the twentieth century, Christian and Jewish religious architecture was reshaped by modernism. Most new churches and synagogues today are built in modern styles; almost no new Gothic cathedrals have been built since the nineteenth century. Hindu architecture did not undergo the same process. Temple architecture is governed by ancient canons known as the Shilpa Shastras, which define the classical style of Hindu temple architecture. In the twentieth century, many Hindu communities continued to aspire to this style, while sometimes using modern materials for reasons of cost. As these communities have become more prosperous, they have tended to adhere to the these Shastras even more closely: modern affluence has enabled a more faithful embodiment of architectural tradition rather than a departure from it. Today, these monumental projects form the world’s foremost living tradition of masonry architecture, united to vast global supply chains and great feats of logistics and engineering.<br>To understand the Hindu temple, one must invert the modern conception of a public building. A temple is not an auditorium designed primarily for the convenience of a human audience: it is a residence of God, who is manifested on Earth through a consecrated image (mūrti) accommodated in the temple. Within Hindu theology, the sacred image is not a statue, but God’s living presence, which the architecture of the temple is designed to revere. Its scale, masonry, and ornamentation collectively aim at creating a residence befitting the majesty of God, while generating the peace and tranquility associated with the divine.

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Temple architecture normally follows rules set out in the Shastras, architectural treatises composed between the fifth and fifteenth centuries. The Shastras function both as artistic guidelines and rigorous algorithms. The measurements of the temple’s components, from the height of the plinth to the curve of the shikara (the tower or spire), are calculated to correspond to the geometries of certain constellations.<br>The Shastras also rigorously govern construction methods. The basic structure of most large modern buildings is a steel or reinforced concrete frame: if stone is present at all, it is merely a surface cladding. In Hindu temples, by contrast, the structure is still formed of massive load-bearing stones. While steel is sometimes introduced in foundations and structural cores to meet modern seismic standards, the governing structural logic remains resolutely premodern. Stability is achieved through the compressive strength of stone and through complex interlocking jointing systems, including mortise-and-tenon-like connections.<br>This approach prioritizes longevity over speed. Steel frames are strong, but they often succumb to corrosion over time. This is one reason why many office buildings have a design working life of 50 years, after which they are sometimes replaced. Load-bearing masonry is slow to build, but it is extraordinarily durable. Temples built today could stand for thousands of years, vanishing only when their stones are worn away by the wind and the rain.<br>Perhaps the most striking innovation in recent temple architecture is the labor model. The construction of a modern temple can be a complex hybrid of high-tech manufacturing, hereditary craftsmanship, and devotional volunteerism. Stone is sourced from quarries around the world, especially Tuscany, Bulgaria and Rajasthan. It is shipped to workshops in India, where intricate carving is executed by professionals. These artisans often come from lineages of stone carvers who have preserved these skills for centuries.<br>The carved stones are then shipped to the construction site, a massive logistical puzzle involving tens of thousands of numbered pieces. Their assembly operates on a unique collaborative model: the more technical work is generally executed by professionals, but other tasks are performed by a host of volunteers. The construction process itself is often viewed as a form of worship: tools are sanctified and prayers mark critical stages, ensuring the sacred character of the temple is maintained throughout its creation. This integration of hereditary skill with devotional energy creates a site that can feel less like a construction zone and more like a festival.<br>Here are seven examples of this living tradition. They are particularly impressive buildings, but they are not fundamentally exceptional: smaller and simpler temples in the same style are being built today in thousands of towns and villages across India.<br>1. Shri Swaminarayan Akshardham<br>Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India<br>Construction: 1979–1992

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Courtesy of Shri Swaminarayan Akshardham, Gandhinagar, India.

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