Mandir – place of worship/temple for Hindus

(Pronounced man-deer)

To remember the meaning of the Hindu term Mandir, use the following mnemonic:

The man dearly (mandir) loved to go to the temple.

The Hindus' mandir, or temple, is the equivalent of the Christians' church or the Muslims' mosque – a place where people can communicate with their God or gods.

A mandir contains symbols of all parts of the Hindu world – the good, the evil, the human, cyclic time and life.

Usually the shrine, where the murti (images or statues of gods) are kept, is the central and most important part of the mandir. There is often also a tower, which signifies the presence of the murti.

A mandir may be dedicated to a particular Hindu god or goddess, whose murti takes pride of place and is the main focus of worship.

Hindu temples in India and elsewhere have many regional styles, but all reflect similar beliefs.