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How did Mount Meru connect heaven and earth in Indian religious thought?

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Charles Sprague Pearce: Religion — Nature worship Detail of *Religion*, mural in lunette from the Family and Education series by Charles Sprague Pearce, 1897; in the Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.

In Indian religious thought, Mount Meru serves as the cosmic axis, or the world axis, connecting heaven and earth by standing at the center of the universe. It is believed to extend as far into the heavens as it does into the nether regions below the ground, functioning as a "middle pillar" that upholds the sky and brings the celestial and terrestrial realms into a close relationship.123

As a sacred space, Mount Meru is viewed as the abode of the gods, where principal deities maintain celestial kingdoms. This cosmological significance is physically manifested in Hindu temple architecture, where the tall roof tower, or shikhara, represents the mountain. By constructing these towers, temples serve as earthly replicas of Mount Meru, providing a symbolic point of contact between the divine and the human world. Through this identification, the mountain acts as a bridge, allowing devotees to conceptualize the center of the universe within their own sacred spaces.145