The Sacred Wisdom and Art of Mandala; Analysis of Plan the Vastu Purusha Mandala and Its effect on the Architectural Structure of Iranian Fire Temples

Many patterns of ancient art and architecture have been designed based on religious beliefs and orders in the Indian continent. One of them is the wisdom of sacred art Vastu Purusha Mandala. This knowledge is related to square plan that has its roots in the ancient Indian religious texts  that so called Vedas. The mandala has three main shapes: circle, square and triangle. Although the circle is its basic form in art and architecture but form of fire mandala is triangle and earth mandala have a square shape. Hence, the square form, which represents the mandala of the earth, is used to build temples. The purpose of this article is to know the forms of mandalas, analyze the map of Vastu Purusha Mandala and its impact on the religious architecture of fire temples in pre-Islamic of Iran. The result of the study shows that the Iranians were influenced by the wisdom of Vastu Purusha Mandala the construction of the fire temple, which this Vedic knowledge has ancient and common roots between Iran and India. The form and content used in the features of the fire temple follow the wisdom of Vastu and can be applied to it. Fire temples have four doorways, the Altar in the central square plan, circular dome on the base of the square and sanctification the basic four elements in the fire temples, especially the element of fire and keeping the clean air and space in the holy place. These elements are features common between Hindu temples and fire temples. Also in the subject of sacred geometry, squaring of the circular form is the result of the equality of earthly and celestial altars that can be seen in Hindu temples and fire temples.