Indian religious architecture can absolutely be referred to as a classical form of Indian art and cultural richness, which is entirely reflected in the sculpted wonders of various temples. All forms of Indian art have been spiritual in attempts and all forms of traditions of art have hence been overpoweringly conformist. Architecture found in ancient Indian temples exhibit the country`s olden, yet exceedingly prosperous and resplendent culture. These temples, some dating back to more than 1700 years, flaunt meticulous carving and sculptures, bearing testimony of the rare craftsmanship and creativity of the artisans, sculptors and artists of India of the yesteryears. These temple architectures also furnish ample evidence of the vision and premeditation of emperors and rulers of bygone periods who have successfully left behind a heritage that modern India is proud to be a part of.

Hindu temple architecture in ancient India is believed to have germinated for over two thousand years. It is also acknowledged from historical annals that these architectural fruitions of the temples came about within the stringent outlines, deduced solely out of religious musings. As a result, the architect was severely instructed to bind his designings and stick to the ancient principal dimensions and frameworks and strict constitutions, which has since continued to stay untouched over the period of time. Following the set pattern of Indian temple architecture, architectural elements and ornamental particulars in a Hindu temple commenced its prolonged journey in the early wood, timber and thatched constructions. This pattern was then to persist for centuries in one form or another in the stone structures, in spite of the original purpose and perspective being lost forever. And this once-more fresh pattern can be examined from the horseshoe shaped window. The source of this kind of window can be retraced from the chaitya arch doorway, first at the Lomash Rishi cave in the Barabar Hills employed in the 3rd century B.C. It was then metamorphosed later into a dormer window, renamed a gavaksha. In due course, the gavaksha was used exactingly as the decorative design of lattice-like forms, witnessed on the towers of medieval Hindu temples.

While describing in the context of Indian temple architecture, history also enlightens that the architect and sculptor were endowed with the gift of liberty and independence while ornamenting and embellishing the temples. The end product that ensued was an awe-inspiring richness of architectural ingredients, sculptural forms and aesthetic exuberance, the distinctive feature of Indian temple architecture.

However, a widely familiar and distinguishing factor that is perhaps known to every Indian citizen is that no two temple architecture is alike; a north Indian temple differs from its Central Indian counterpart in each particular element. This unfamiliar, yet enthusiastic fashion in temple construction from all the four corners is worth a yearly visit. The diverse architectural styles of temple construction of west India and south India was the consequence of extensive geographical, climatic, ethnic, historical and linguistic differences. Herein comes the vital Indian temple architectural form, which is also known to have been pre-ordained. The Vastu Shastras, the prehistoric canonical scriptures on architecture, had relegated temples into three different orders: the Nagara or the Indo-Aryan or Northern style, the Dravida or the Southern style and the Vesara or Mixed style of temple architecture. There also however exists definitive regional styles in border-line areas like Bengal, Kerala and the Himalayan regions.

During the erstwhile years, when temple constructing had just taken its first steps, the shape of their superstructures were differentiated in two basic styles. The most significant difference between the later northern and southern styles in temple architecture in India can presently be viewed in the entryways. The shikhara in the north Indian temples remained the most striking element of the temple and the entryway was generally did not bear a high air. On the other hand, the south Indian temples had their enclosing walls erected throughout the whole complex. Sophisticated and embellished and often outstanding entryways called gopurams were ideally sculpted along the east-west and north-south axes of these walls. These gopuram entryways further led the devotees directly into the sanctified courtyard. Ancient Indian historians had garnered even more differentiating information amongst these temple clusters from north and south Indian temple architectures. Less apparent differences between the two primary temple kinds assimilated the ground plan, the choosing and positioning of stone-chiselled deities on the outside walls and the interior and finally the range of enhancing elements that are sometimes so plentiful as to almost blur the fundamental architecture.

The finest illustrations of the north Indian style of temple architecture are the Khajuraho Group of temples, Sun Temple in Konark, Surya Temple in Modhera, Gujarat and Ossian temple, Ossian, Gujarat. The rarest instances of Dravidian fashion include: temples of Tanjore, Madurai, Mahabalipuram, Badami, Pattadakal and Kanchipuram.

Royal patronage was another exceedingly pregnant factor on the aesthetic evolvement of Indian temple architecture and, regional styles are often distinguished by the dynasty that gave rise to them. The Pallavas, Cholas, Hoysalas, Guptas, Chalukyas and Chandellas were such royal clients who had contributed to make ancient Indian architecture proud to this date.