In the Bharatiya concenption, the entire body is itself a temple suggested by elevating slokas such as Dehah devalayah proktah jivo devah sanatanah|| hrudya tadvijaaneeyaat vishwasyaayatanam mahat|| and so on. Thus, the feet are the main doors, the reproductive organ the Dhwajasthambha, the stomach the Balipeeta, the heart the Navaranga, the neck the Sukanasi, and the head the Garbhagriha. In short, a temple represent and encompasses all three staras or stages: Adhibhuta, Adhidhaiva, and Adhyatma.
The word temple in Sanskrit and Bharatiya Bhasha are variously, "Devalayah", "Devasthanam", "Aalya", "Mandir", "Kovela", "kovil", so on. A quick derivative of the etymology of "Devalaya" is as follows: Devasya (Devaanaam) Alayah. This means, a place in which resides light, sport, victory, transaction, prayer (Stuti), joy, bliss, dream, beauty, and dynamism. It is the abode and the sport of the Divine within all of us. It is the joy that we derive by celebrating this sport as well shall see.
Source : Medium app by Sandeep Balakrishna.
