Drawing attention to the importance and primacy of the Vedas in our life and spiritual endeavour, the Kasyapa Veda Research Foundation located in Kerala’s Kozhikode, is building India’s first Vedic temple.

The temple will be situated in the Kashyap Ashram, the headquarters of the Foundation in Kozhikode. Following its construction, the Chaturveda Pratishtha ceremonies of the Vedic Temple will be held on January 30 and 31.

Talking to the media, Acharya M.R. Rajesh, Founder of the Ashram and a Vedic scholar said the concept of temple as known to the people does not exist in Vedas. He told the New Indian Express: “The word Veda means knowledge, which is not confined to any sections. The temple is built to turn the attention of the people to the Vedas.”

Going further, the Acharya highlighted that all the temples use the mantras for poojas which come from the Vedas. “Temples cannot exist without Veda mantras. We believe that the knowledge contained in the Vedas too should be propagated through temples.”

He pointed out that other religious institutions like churches or mosques keep their religious books, namely the Bible and the Quran, inside the premises. Yet the very foundation of Hinduism, the Vedas are not kept in temples.

Acharya told India Narrative: “A temple dedicated to the Vedas, enshrining only the Chatur Vedas, which are considered to be the foundational scriptures of Sanatana Dharma, has never been built in India. We want to build 108 such temples across Kerala.”

He also enshrined the four Vedas for the first time outside India when last year on Vijayadashami he consecrated these holy books in Dubai’s Hindu temple at Jebel Ali.

The Foundation headed by Acharya, who has authored several books on different aspects of Vedic knowledge, is dedicated to teaching Vedas and Vedic practices to all irrespective of caste, religion, and gender.