House of god
- Vol.73(2&3), Dec-Mar
- Mumbai Marg Publications 2022
- 16-23p.
The architectural form of a temple commands study but ultimately, it must serve a function. Its core purpose is to celebrate the god whose house it is and to whom the public prays. Thus, the temple should be able to accommodate its pilgrims, feed its retinue, administer its lands and hold a variety of performances. Different communities may seek out other liturgical and ritual functions in honour of different gods, especially when there is a temple festival. The articles in this section provide different approaches to how sacred space for the divine is created—in the domestic realm as much as in the expansive environs of a stone temple.