At the heart of the Vedic tradition and Hindu life is the sacred tradition of Hindu temples, the Cosmic Energy centers where the Divine resides in the beautiful forms of deities. Any human settlement in Vedic civilization has flourished around temples, making Hinduism a temple-based civilization of celebratory traditions.
Temples have also been the education and cultural centers, where one learns and practices the highest ideals of life and has Satsanga, the truthful association with an evolved, devoted community. Temple rituals are processes to invoke and radiate different Divine energies within and without.
śrisadāśiva uvāca
yo yadevapratikṛtiṁ pratiṣṭhāpayati priye |
sa tallokamvāpnoti bhogānapi tadudbhavān||
iṣṭakāgṛhadāne tu tasmāchhtaguṇaṁ phalam |
tato’yutaguṇaṁ puṇyam śilagṛahapradānataḥ || 25||
Lord Śri Sadāśiva said: O Dear Devi! The person who does pratiṣṭhā, which is the science of breathing life into matter and making a specific living form of Divine or Dty, he attains the abode of that very Deity and experiences the enjoyments of that abode. By donating a temple made of bricks, one resides in the heavenly abode for thousand crore years multiplied by hundred times. By donating a temple made of stones, one attains the Divine merit (puṇya) which is ten thousand times more.
~ mahānirvaṇatantraṁ, trayodaśa ullāsa
Each temple is an energy circuit created by an Avatar or Enlightened Master being, and it retains that pure energy for thousands of years. Avatars bring down enormous Cosmic Energy which is stored in temples and radiate it to the whole planet, for mankind to experience enlightenment, and to also bring healing, peace, Divine powers and fulfillment of desires.
Living Avatar Paramapujya Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda Swamiji has established Hindu temples all over the world based on the pure Agama sciences and rituals; inspiring millions of people to live, learn and benefit from the rich, fulfilling Vedic tradition. More temples are needed to enrich the human need to directly connect and commune with the Divine and to serve the urgent planetary need for positive, peaceful energy centers.
Temples are like satellite relay centers where highly intense spiritual energy is created and sent all over the world to help human beings heal themselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and above all spiritually. Through Deity worship, we have mastered the science of bringing Divinity in the Deities and the art of turning stone into God.
From Paramapujya Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda Swamiji’s very first ashram set up in 2000, every single ashram has a temple as its spiritual hub. Known as Aadheenams (temple-monastery complexes), these ashrams offer to the local community the timeless benefits of deity worship, and a space to commune with the Divine. Apart from this, they are a space for the local community to meet and share in religious, cultural and social activities. This traditional culture also encourages the joint family structure which was the backbone of our culture and value, where the aged were respected for their wisdom and not discarded.
The Nithyanandeshwara Hindu Temple at Bengaluru Aadheenam, established in 2006, was built almost entirely by devotees and volunteers under the guidance of a sthapati trained in the authentic Agamic methods of temple construction.
In 2007, in an effort to revive the forgotten Agamic ways of sculpture and temple construction on a large scale, Paramapujya Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda Swamiji also established Nithyananda Sacred Arts University, which has also brought under a single roof the allied arts of molding deities in various metals and stone, building temple chariots, crafting jewelry for deities and creating the traditional decorations used in sacred celebrations. It also provides a livelihood and a life of dignity to hundreds of artisans who keep the authentic tradition alive.
In 2014, the construction of a Golden Temple for Sadashiva started on the Bengaluru Aadheenam campus under the direct auspices of Paramapujya Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda Swamiji. Being constructed in strict accordance with the Agamas, this temple has been envisioned as the world’s largest Shiva temple, and will be the only Golden Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the modern age.
Hindu priests from around the country, as well as thousands of common people irrespective of age, caste, gender or nationality, are receiving the Gayatri Deeksha, as well as the basic and advanced levels of Shiva Deeksha, directly from Paramapujya Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda Swamiji. Revealed in the Agamas, Shiva Deeksha is the primary requirement for becoming an authentic practicing Hindu.