Hindu temple: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 15, 2026

News •

Car registered to man accused of planning mass shooting was at Hindu temple he targeted, police say • Oct. 15, 2026, 7:33 PM ET (AP)

Facts

Also Known As	mandir • koyil • devasthanam • kovil • gudi • alaya

Photos

The colorful, intricately carved tower of Kapaleeswarar Temple in Chennai, India, features numerous painted Hindu deities and decorative figures, with two white cow statues in the foreground.

The stone-carved Kailasa temple at Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India, features intricate sculptural details and rises from the surrounding rock cliffs.

Statues of Shiva and Parvati seated together in a shrine, with a statue of Ganesha in front, surrounded by offerings and lamps in a Hindu temple cave in Namchi, Sikkim, India.

The Hindu Temple of Atlanta in Riverdale, Georgia, featuring an ornate white tower and a tall golden flagpole in front, with landscaped shrubs and trees in the foreground.

Brihadishvara Temple

Shikhara (spire)

Tall, ornate outer towers of Minakshi Temple in Madurai, India, covered with colorful sculptures of deities and mythological figures, surrounded by trees and city buildings.

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Topics

garbhagriha candi square plan Deccan style North Indian temple architecture South Indian temple architecture kutina candraśālā mandapa gūḍhamaṇḍapa Ziggurat Bahāʾī temple