Alayam means a temple. While temples have been built in India and elsewhere for millennia, not, not many people know about the grand science and philosophy behind their construction. At the back of the concrete structure and design of a temple stands a subtle and lofty ideal, affirming the presence of the Ultimate Truth, in a symbolic and tangible manner. This book attempts to present the principles and practices of temple construction in a simple manner.
Those who have succeeded in attaching or detaching their minds at will have succeeded in Pratyahara, which means gathering towards, checking the outgoing powers of the mind, freeing it from the thralldom of the senses. When we can do this, we shall really possess character; then alone we shall have taken a long step towards freedom. Before that, we are mere machines. - Swami Vivekananda