DEVALAYA NOT TEMPLE A CLARIFICATION FOR PROPER USAGE
as in common usage the abode of god as a temple is taken to be after a close and careful examination we find there is no specific word for the abode of God in the old testament the words in common usage were bayit ora house and hekal or palace the ground plan was a copy of aroyal palace the closest word in sanskrit is devalalaya which transliterates into abode of GOD as aabode of God was considered as according to the holy bible devalaya is formed with two words deva and alaya transliterating into deva or God and alaya or abode or residence thus being the abode of God thus devalaya is the correct word fo the abode of god as it had been considered as since biblical times i.e. the old testament now coming to the commonly used word mandir a equivalent of temple as explained above there is no specific word for the abode of god howcome the word temple was considered approprite equivalent of abode of god sense even in sanskritic indic context which has been always dev...