Hindu temple architecture in the context of "Derasar"

A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ), is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings generally reflect the prevailing style of the place and time they were built.

Jain temple architecture is generally close to Hindu temple architecture, and in ancient times Buddhist architecture. Normally the same builders and carvers worked for all religions, and regional and periodic styles are generally similar. For over 1,000 years, the basic layout of a Hindu or most Jain temples has consisted of a small garbhagriha or sanctuary for the main murti or idol, over which the high superstructure rises, then one or more larger mandapa halls.

A Hindu temple, also known as a Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, Kshetram or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to whom it is dedicated. Hindu temple architecture, which makes extensive use of squares and circles, has its roots in later Vedic traditions, which also influence the temples' construction and symbolism. Through astronomical numbers and particular alignments connected to the temple's location and the relationship between the deity and the worshipper, the temple's design also illustrates the idea of recursion and the equivalency of the macrocosm and the microcosm. A temple incorporates all elements of the Hindu cosmos—presenting the good, the evil and the human, as well as the elements of the Hindu sense of cyclic time and the essence of life—symbolically presenting dharma, artha, kama, moksha, and karma.

The spiritual principles symbolically represented in Hindu temples are detailed in the ancient later Vedic texts, while their structural rules are described in various ancient Sanskrit treatises on architecture (Bṛhat Saṃhitā, Vāstu Śāstras). The layout, motifs, plan, and the building process recite ancient rituals and geometric symbolism, and reflect beliefs and values innate within various schools of Hinduism. A Hindu temple is a spiritual destination for many Hindus, as well as landmarks around which ancient arts, community celebrations and the economy have flourished.

Buddhist architecture is the architectural style that adheres to the philosophy and religious practices of Buddhism. The origins of Buddhism date back to the 5th century BCE in the Indian subcontinent. Buddhist architectural forms were developed to serve monastic, ritual, and commemorative functions. Distinctive features such as stupas, vihāras (monasteries), and chaityas (prayer halls) are often seen in Buddhist temples.

As Buddhism spread throughout and beyond South Asia, its architectural traditions evolved and diversified, leading to a wide range of regional adaptations across Southeast Asia and East Asia. It has been argued that certain stylistic features of Buddhist architecture, particularly the stupa, may have been influenced by elements from Hindu temple architecture, such as the shikhara. Over time, these forms evolved into the pagoda, a prominent architectural feature seen throughout the Indosphere and East Asia

In the Hindu tradition, a murti (Sanskrit: मूर्ति, romanized: mūrti, lit. 'form, embodiment, or solid object') is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a deity or saint used during puja and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing devotion or reverence – whether at Hindu temples or shrines. A mūrti is a symbolic icon representing divinity for the purpose of devotional activities. Thus, not all icons of gods and saints are mūrti; for example, purely decorative depictions of divine figures often adorn Hindu temple architecture in intricately carved doorframes, on colourfully painted walls, and ornately sculpted rooftop domes. A mūrti itself is not God, but it is merely a representative shape, symbolic embodiment, or iconic manifestation of God.

Murti are also found in some nontheistic Jain traditions, where they serve as symbols of revered mortals inside Jain temples, and are worshiped in murtipujaka rituals.

A mandapa or mantapa (Sanskrit: मण्डप, romanized: maṇḍapa) is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture and Nepalese Pagoda Design, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture and Jain temple architecture.

Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls or inner ceiling of pagoda. In temples, one or more mandapas very often lie between the sanctuary and the temple entrance, on the same axis. In a large temple other mandapas may be placed to the sides, or detached within the temple compound.

Dravidian architecture, or the Southern Indian temple style, is an architectural idiom in Hindu temple architecture that emerged from Southern India, reaching its final form by the sixteenth century.

In contrast with North Indian temple styles, Dravidian architecture uses shorter and more pyramidal towers, called vimana, over the garbhagriha or sanctuary, where the north has taller towers, usually curving inwards as they rise, called shikharas. Larger modern Dravidian style temples, however, include one or more high gopura or gatehouse entrances to the compound as their dominating feature; large temples have several dwarfing the vimana, although these are a much more recent development. There are numerous other distinct features, such as the dvarapalakas – twin guardians at the main entrance and the inner sanctum of the temple and goshtams – deities carved in niches on the outer side walls of the garbhagriha.

Indian architecture is rooted in the history, culture, and religion of India. Among multiple architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many built in accordance to Indian religion and philosophy with Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, and Sikh styles of architecture being the most prevalent in India, with Indo-Islamic architecture, Rajput architecture, Mughal architecture, South Indian architecture, and Indo-Saracenic architecture having a strong presence as well.

Early Indian architecture was made from wood, which did not survive due to rotting and instability in the structures. Instead, the earliest surviving examples of Indian architecture are Indian rock-cut architecture, including many Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain temples.