MAPPING THE SACRED

Books that explain the significance of the Hindu temple

THE HINDU TEMPLE: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms by George Michell

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS

Rs 3,400; 194 pages

If you’re looking for a primer on the temple’s cultural, religious and architectural importance, this 1988 book serves as a perfect introduction. Michell helps illuminate the path from Khajuraho to Angkor Wat.

GODS IN THE TIME OF DEMOCRACY by Kajri Jain

DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Rs 2,589; 360 pages

At 597 ft, the Sardar Patel Statue of Unity is the world’s tallest, but the 823 ft statue of Lord Ram being built in Ayodhya might well beat its record. This book examines how scale is today a measure of piety.

TEMPLE TALES: Secrets and Stories from India’s Sacred Places by Sudha G. Tilak

HACHETTE INDIA

Rs299; 200 pages

Where would you find a shrine for the goddess of vegetables? At which temple is tonic an offering? Answering these questions in her children’s book, Tilak shows us how temples are also centres of art.