mandirs
Hindu worship buildings
Mandirs are Hindu temples—sacred spaces for worship and religious rituals.
The word is the Hindi term for temple, used in English particularly by Hindu communities: The community raised funds to build a new mandir.
A mandir typically houses images or statues of deities and serves as a center for religious and cultural gatherings.
Hindu worship ritual
- darshanViewing of the sacred
- aartiHindu light ceremony
- offeringsThings presented or given
- devoteesPassionate adherents
priests · rituals · incense · bells · flowers · coconut · vermilion · tilak
Hindu shrine's tapering superstructure
- sanctumProtected private place
- spireTapering architectural peak
- pillarsLoad-bearing vertical structures
- carvingsSculpted decorative shapes
domes · courtyards · corridors · torana · pradakshina · circumambulation · stonework · sculptures
Hindu deity of preservation
- ShivaHindu god of dissolution
- LakshmiGoddess of wealth, beauty
- GaneshElephant-headed Hindu deity
- DurgaHindu goddess of victory
Krishna · Rama · Parvati · Saraswati · Kali · idols · shrines · avatars
Deep, loyal commitment
- faithTrust without proof
- prayerAddress to deity
- meditationFocused attention practice
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
sacred · divine · blessings · moksha · dharma · karma · sanctity · reverence
Assembled group of worshippers
- gatheringsOccasions of congregating
- festivalsOrganized communal celebrations
- celebrationsOrganized expressions of joy
- volunteersUnpaid willing workers
donations · community · trustees · committees · diaspora · events · weddings · ceremonies
puja
Hindu worship ritual
devotees · priests · rituals · incense · bells · flowers · coconut · vermilion · tilak · chanting
shikhara
Hindu shrine's tapering superstructure
- sanctumProtected private place
- spireTapering architectural peak
- pillarsLoad-bearing vertical structures
carvings · domes · courtyards · corridors · torana · pradakshina · circumambulation · stonework · sculptures
Vishnu
Hindu deity of preservation
Durga · Krishna · Rama · Parvati · Saraswati · Kali · idols · shrines · avatars · iconography
devotion
Deep, loyal commitment
- faithTrust without proof
- prayerAddress to deity
- meditationFocused attention practice
pilgrimage · sacred · divine · blessings · moksha · dharma · karma · sanctity · reverence · transcendence
congregation
Assembled group of worshippers
- gatheringsOccasions of congregating
- festivalsOrganized communal celebrations
- celebrationsOrganized expressions of joy
volunteers · donations · community · trustees · committees · diaspora · events · weddings · ceremonies · charity
- sacred sitesBuddhist temples, Jerusalem, consecrated ground, Hindu temples, sacred rivers
- Hindu pilgrimageyatra, Varanasi, Kashi, darshan, holy city
- Indo-CaribbeanIndo-Caribbean, indentured labor, indenture, coolie, Hindu temples
- stoneworkmasonry, stones, granite, capstones, limestone
mandirsmosques
Muslim houses of worship
churches · masjids · synagogues · cathedrals · chapels
mandirscommercial spaces
Property for trade activities
office buildings · shopping malls · factories · warehouses · nightclubs