More than three thousand years ago, the earliest form of worship was carried out on Vedic altars. To these also must be traced the roots of Indian architecture. The three fire altars – the ahavaniya, the garhapatya and the dakshinagni – have cosmic correspondences, representing celestial space, the terrestrial world and the world of air. Each is constructed of five layers of bricks which signify:
- The five elements
- The five mental states
- The five sheaths of the soul
Vistāra - The Architecture of India, Catalogue of the Exhibition, edited by Carmen Kagal, 36. The Festival of India, 1986.