Religious Rites involved in the Construction of a Temple in Ancient India

The priest had an important role in the construction of a temple. The very choice of the site was governed by various complicated religious, astrological and astronomical calculations. The construction could be commenced only under a favorable combination of stars. Once the site was chosen, the entire area had to be consecrated. Several rites had to be performed on the small piece of ground on which the sanctum was to be raised. (The sanctum sanctorum of the temple was called ‘garbh griha’ (womb house.) Before the temple construction commenced, a rite known as ‘garbhadhana’ was performed. As in the case of a woman, here too an act of impregnation was performed. The earth receives the seed of the building and gives substance to it. The garbha (also meaning embryo) deposited into the earth is usually a casket of copper, containing several precious stones, gems, metals, herbs, soils and minerals. After this garbhadhana ceremony, the next most important ritual was the laying of the first stone, the ‘adharasila’. An auspicious combination of stars was once again chosen for this and a special religious rite was conducted.