Our Manifesto

MandirVastu is dedicated to decoding the symbolic language of Indian temple architecture. It hosts a meticulously curated archive of 48 verified iconographic elements organized into Architecture, Sculpture, and Sacred Geometry.

Every monument we document is a three-dimensional model of the cosmos—where the Garbhagriha (sanctum) sits as a primordial cave and the Shikhara represents Mount Meru, the cosmic axis around which the universe rotates.

What We Cover

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Architecture

From the Garbhagriha womb-chamber to the Kalasha finial — the structural vocabulary of the temple as cosmic mountain.

15

Sculpture

Guardian Dvarapalas, auspicious Mithuna couples, celestial Apsaras — the iconographic program carved into every temple surface.

07

Sacred Geometry

The Vastu Purusha Mandala, Ayadi proportional systems, and fractal shikhara mathematics that align the temple with the cosmos.

06

Case Studies

Deep dives into masterpieces: Brihadeeswarar, Konark, Khajuraho, Hoysaleswara — temples that exemplify each tradition.

Scholarly Sources

MandirVastu draws on the following foundational academic works

The Hindu Temple (2 Vols)Stella Kramrisch
Indian Temple Architecture: Form and TransformationAdam Hardy
The Penguin Guide to the Monuments of IndiaGeorge Michell
Manasara Shilpa ShastraAncient Sanskrit Text
MayamataMayamuni
Elements of Hindu IconographyT.A. Gopinatha Rao
Vishnudharmottara PuranaAncient Sanskrit Text
The Dance of ShivaAnanda Coomaraswamy
Architecture of ManasaraP.K. Acharya (trans.)
Temple Architecture and SculptureArchaeological Survey of India
The Square and the Circle of Indian ArtsKapila Vatsyayan
Nagara, Vesara and DravidaR.D. Trivedi

Begin Your Journey

3,000 years of sacred architecture await your understanding