The essentials
Along with the growth of Mahayana Buddhism, other traditions developed that are now part of what we call Hinduism. These included Vaishnavism, in which Vishnu was worshipped as the principal deity, and Shaivism, in which Shiva was regarded as the chief god. In such worship the bond between the devotee and the god was seen as one of love and devotion, or bhakti.
In Vaishnavism, cults developed around the various avatars or incarnations of the deity. Ten avatars were recognised; each was thought to have descended to save the world when order was threatened. Different avatars were popular in different regions, and recognising local deities as forms of Vishnu was one way of creating a more unified religious tradition. Shiva was often represented by the linga, though he was also shown in human form.
Key points
- Many stories about deities are found in the Puranas, compiled by Brahmanas from about the middle of the first millennium CE. They were written in simple Sanskrit verse, meant to be read aloud to everybody, including women and Shudras.
- Early temples: a small square room called the garbhagriha with a single doorway for the worshipper to enter and perform worship of the main image.
- Gradually a tall structure, the shikhara, was built over the central shrine. Temple walls were decorated with sculpture. Later temples had assembly halls, huge walls and gateways, and water supply arrangements.
- Some early temples were hollowed out of huge rocks as artificial caves; the earliest artificial caves were built in the third century BCE for renouncers of the Ajivika sect.
- The Kailashnatha temple at Ellora (eighth century) was carved out of a single piece of rock.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the garbhagriha (inner shrine) with the shikhara (tower above it).