Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

The history of  worship in Indian is difficult to chronicle with certainty because the recorded history depends on oral traditions handed down through generations. Hindu religion is beautifully preserved in southern India. The art of temple building made its transitions from temporary structures in wood to more enduring stone edifices that have stood through the ravages of time.

The temples were constructed with strict observance of the rules put down in the Agama and Shilpa Shastras. Even the iconography and sculpted figures were executed in accordance with the Chitralakshana of Nagnajith, which is one of the earliest surviving texts on art and aesthetics in India.

Sculpture depicting Lord Vishnu as Lord Narasimha, slaying the Asura King Hirnakashyap