Origin of Temples

Most of online resources regarding origin of temples talk about architecture aspect of it and generally date around 1500 BC. I couldn’t find any article that describe why temples were needed originally. Some links from Google Search are given below:

Given below is my understanding of origin of temple, not documented anywhere to the best of my knowledge.

As mentioned on “varn-vyavstha” page, Manu Rishi spread the agro-based civilization and culture. The so called Brahmins [those who started spreading Manu teachings] moved from community to community to educate those groups. They would go in groups [having people of all Varns], establish their cottages/ ashrams outside the group’s boundary in the unclaimed land of the forest. During day, they would travel to the community and talk to them about the philosophy and better way to live. Some people from the community would get interested and would want to know more. These people would be invited to the ashrams.

Gratitude is a great quality of all living beings, especially humans. Each community would have developed its own way of expressing gratitude and would have selected the reverend natural objects [including flora and fauna]. To attract people from these communities, the ashram people would have created symbols for these reverend objects and taught acceptance to all.

Meanwhile, Rishis all across Bharat, in their meditations would have seen images of Gods and words would have spread to these ashrams. The ashram people would have created Murthees in these shapes and accommodated natural objects along with these murthees. Overtime, these murthees evolved to current shape with adornments.

Now that murthees were built and became venerable, a pious, sacred and best cottage would be created within the ashram for these murthees for all to pray and take blessings. When community folks would go back to their community, they would like to create similar structure in their community. Some folks from the ashram with a few interested folks from local community would move to different location, create ashram near them and repeat the process.

Much later, as Vastu Kala, Shilp Shatra, Architecture, Metallurgy etc. developed, architecture of temples evolved to current forms.