SANTOSH 9702: What are the different types of temples found in India?

During the 2001 Indian census, an effort was made to count the temples. They counted over two million and then gave up. So there are quite literally millions of temples in India.

Probably the most important distinction of types of temples is, which Dharma tradition do they belong to? There are:

Śaiva temples (note that this refers to the Śaiva Dharma spiritual tradition, not to all temples whose main deity is Śiva, as many of these are actually Smārta or other traditions). Particularly prominent examples include the 12 Jyotirliṅga temples and the Pancha Bhuta Sthalams. In my personal experience these are some of the most numerous temples in India - in fact, clearly the most numerous in the regions of India I have personally explored, like Garhwal (especially the Kedarkhand area).

Smārta temples, like the famous Char Dham temples, Śṛṅgerī Śāradā Pīṭham and many more. Really you can find Smārta temples all over the place in India, they are very common, though it may not be obvious to the average visitor whether a temple is Smārta or from one of the other monotheistic Hindu Dharma traditions, unless you are familiar with the distinctions.

Vaiṣṇava temples (note that this refers to the Vaiṣṇava Dharma spiritual tradition, not to all temples whose main deity is Viṣṇu). The vast majority of Vaiṣṇava temples are dedicated Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, Narasiṃha, or Veṅkaṭeśvara. There are also a fair number of Vaiṣṇava temples dedicated to Hanumān. The most popular Vaiṣṇava temple is Tirupati Balaji Temple.

Śākta temples (note that this refers to the Śākta Dharma spiritual tradition, not to all temples whose main deity is a form of Śakti). Most Śākta temples are dedicated to Devī in forms such as Durgā, Kālī, Lakṣmī, Pārvatī, and regional forms of the Mother Goddess. The most important Śākta temples are the Śakti Pīṭhas, though there are also many more minor ones.

Kaumāra temples (note that this refers to the Kaumāram Dharma spiritual tradition, not to all temples whose main deity is Murugan). The vast majority of Kaumāra temples are dedicated to Kārttikeya, also known as Murugan, Skanda, or Subrahmaṇya. There are six main ones in Tamil Nadu, the Āṟupaṭai Vīṭu. These are mainly found in Tamil country rather than throughout India.

Gāṇapatya temples (same disclaimer as above). Almost all Gāṇapatya temples were destroyed by Muslims and hardly any survive, though there are lots of Gaṇeśa temples made by other traditions. The vast majority of Gaṇeśa temples are not technically Gāṇapatya.

Saura temples (almost all destroyed, in fact I am not aware that even a single temple still exists where the ancient Saura rites are still performed according to the Saura lineages).

Jaina temples, called Derāsar or Basadi, with Digambara and Śvetāmbara sub-types.

Bauddha (Buddhist) temples, often adjoining Vihāras (monastic complexes) and/or surrounding Stūpas.

Sikh Gurdwaras, centers of Sikh veneration and community life where the Guru Granth Sahib is installed and honored. These are by far most common in Panjab.

Parsi fire temples.

Regional/ancestral temples of local Dharma traditions (these are actually some of the most numerous and diverse temples). For example, Ayyappa temples, temples from some of the Dattātreya traditions, Nāga temples, and many others. There are 400+ regional/ancestral Hindu Dharma traditions and many of them have their own types of temples.

Temples made by modern new movements, like Sai Baba temples, Ayyavazhi temples, Arya Samaj etc. Swaminarayan temples are also their own quite distinctive type, like the highly popular Akshardham Temple in Delhi.

Then you can also class Dharmic temples by their different types of spiritual and social functions (note that these types are not mutually exclusive; it would be common for one temple to simultaneously fulfill several of these functions):

Grāmadevatā temples: Each village in India traditionally has one Grāmadevatā temple, dedicated to the local guardian deity who protects the village, its inhabitants, land, and agricultural prosperity. These temples are usually associated with fertility, rainfall, disease prevention, and the welfare of the entire village. Veneration practices are frequently shaped by local traditions. Here is a Grāmadevatā temple I personally visited:

Kuladevatā temples: Temples dedicated to the ancestral or hereditary deity of a family, clan, or lineage. For example, my wife’s paternal Kuladevatā temple was a Smārta Gaṇeśa temple in Lahore that was destroyed after Partition; her maternal Kuladevatā temple was Shri Sharda Mata Mandir in Ambala, Haryana, and her Nani’s original Kuladevatā temple was Naina Devi Temple in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh.

Iṣṭadevatā temples: Temples devoted to a deity personally chosen or especially revered by an individual or like-minded community who built the temple.

Kṣetradevatā temples: Temples honoring the guardian deity of a particular geographical region or sacred territory. Traditionally each ethnocultural region (comprising several villages) in India had its own Kṣetra Devatā temple.

Tīrtha temples: Pilgrimage temples associated with spiritually significant places, often the sites of major festivals.

Svayambhū temples: Temples centered on a deity or sacred manifestation believed to have appeared spontaneously rather than being installed by humans. The most popular Svayambhū temples are Tirupati Balaji and Vaishno Devi temples.

Rājāśraya temples: Temples established or patronized by kings and royal dynasties. These often historically served important political functions.

Sampradāya temples: Temples associated with a particular spiritual lineage or philosophical tradition, such as Śrī Vaiṣṇava Sampradāya, Śaiva Siddhānta, etc.

Maṭha temples: Temples attached to monastic institutions, spiritual teaching centers, or communities of ascetics.

Gṛha temples: Domestic shrines or household temples used for daily veneration and family ceremonies.

One could also describe the types of temples based on architectural tradition:

Nāgara architecture: Common in northern and central India, from the Himālayas to the Vindhyas. They are built on a raised stone platform called the adhiṣṭhāna with steps leading up, with a square ground plan with gradual projections, and a tall, curvilinear, beehive-shaped tower called a śikhara rising above the sanctum. The top of the śikhara is crowned by a notched ring stone called an āmalaka.

Drāviḍa architecture: Found across southern India, in particularly in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. A Drāviḍa temple is enclosed within a large compound wall commonly featuring massive, ornate monumental entrance gateways called gopurams. The main sanctuary tower is shaped like a stepped pyramid called a vimāna, instead of a curved śikhara.

Vesara architecture: Prevalent in the Deccan plateau, Karnataka, and parts of Maharashtra, this is an architectural hybrid/fusion blending Nāgara and Drāviḍa architecture together. It often distinctly features star-shaped floor plans and intricate pillars made by turning them on a giant lathe.

Kaliṅga architecture: found mainly in Odisha, it features a curved main tower called a deula, paired with a distinct pyramid-roofed assembly hall called a jaga mohana. Features a curved main tower (Deula) paired with a distinct pyramid-roofed assembly hall (Jaga Mohana), such as the Konark Sun Temple.

Kerala temple architecture (I’m sure there’s a proper Malayalam word for this but I forget it): This is an architectural style adapted to heavy monsoon rains, with steep, sloping tiled or wooden roofs and deep eaves. They use timber construction and have enclosed courtyards and distinctive circular or square sanctums.

Kāṣṭhakuḍya architecture (usually called Kāṭhkūnī in modern dialects): This school is found in the Himālayas, adapted to cold climates and unstable mountain slopes with frequent rockslides in the monsoon season. It uses alternating layers of interlocking wood and stone without nails, and sloping roofs.