๐
Hindu Temple
HIN-doo TEM-puhl
Definitions
1
Religion ยท Place of Worship
Common
A place of worship for Hindus, typically featuring distinctive architectural elements like towers, domes, and intricate carvings. Used to represent Hindu temples, Hinduism, or Indian religious culture.
Often used in religious contexts, travel discussions, cultural conversations, or to indicate spiritual activities related to Hinduism.
We visited a beautiful ๐ during our trip to Varanasi last month.
Travel discussion on Instagram
Happy Diwali! May the light guide you to the ๐ of inner peace.
Holiday greeting on WhatsApp
Our community is fundraising to build a new ๐ in the neighborhood.
Community announcement on Facebook
Represents one of the world's oldest religions with over one billion followers. The architectural style depicted is specifically of North Indian temples.
2
Travel ยท Cultural Landmark
Common
Used to indicate a Hindu temple as a tourist destination or cultural landmark. Often appears in travel itineraries, location tags, or tourist recommendations.
Frequently used alongside other landmark emojis when discussing travel destinations in India or other countries with significant Hindu populations.
Day 3 of India tour: ๐ โ ๐ โ ๐๏ธ
Travel itinerary on Twitter
The sunset view from the ๐ was absolutely breathtaking!
Travel photo caption on Instagram
Hindu temples are major tourist attractions known for their architectural beauty, historical significance, and spiritual importance.
Evolution Timeline
2019
Added to Unicode 12.0 as the first emoji specifically representing a Hindu place of worship.
Growing recognition of religious diversity in emoji representation.
2020
Gained widespread adoption during virtual Diwali celebrations as COVID-19 restricted in-person temple visits.
Pandemic forcing religious observances to move online.
2021
Usage expanded beyond religious contexts to represent Indian cultural heritage and architectural landmarks.
Growing interest in cultural tourism and architectural appreciation on social media.
Cultural Context
The emoji depicts a North Indian (Nagara) style temple with a distinctive shikhara (tower). Other regional styles like Southern (Dravida) or Western (Vesara) look significantly different but are represented by the same emoji.
Hindu temples are more than buildings; they're considered the dwelling place of deities, with specific architectural elements representing different cosmic principles and divine attributes.
The inclusion of this emoji in 2019 addressed a long-standing gap in religious representation, as emojis for churches, mosques, and synagogues existed for years before a Hindu temple was added.
For diaspora Hindu communities, this emoji serves as an important symbol of cultural identity and religious recognition in digital spaces.
Regional Variations
India
Used with high frequency and specificity, often referring to particular temples by name or to denote religious activities and festivals.
United States
Primarily used by Hindu American communities or in multicultural contexts to represent diversity and religious inclusion.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Primarily used in more formal contexts like holiday greetings, community announcements, or educational content about Hinduism.
Gen_Z: Used casually in travel content, cultural identity expressions, and educational contexts about world religions. Often appears in aesthetic collages or mood boards.
Older: Limited usage, mainly for specific religious messages or formal communications about Hindu events or community gatherings.
Millennials: Commonly used when sharing travel experiences to India, discussing spiritual practices, or in multicultural contexts. Popular in festival greetings.
Common Combinations
๐๐
Praying at a Hindu temple or seeking divine blessings from Hindu deities.
Represents devotional practices in Hinduism, often used during religious festivals or personal prayers.
๐โจ
A beautiful or spiritually significant Hindu temple, often with divine presence.
Suggests the temple is special, sacred, or particularly impressive in architecture or spiritual significance.
๐๐ช
Temple during Diwali or other Hindu festivals involving light ceremonies.
Represents Hindu temples during festival celebrations, particularly those involving lamps or lights.
๐ฎ๐ณ๐
Indian temple or Hinduism in India specifically.
Used to emphasize the Indian origin of a temple or to discuss Hinduism in its homeland context.
Related Emojis
๐
Another religious building emoji, representing a mosque.
โช
Another religious building emoji, representing a church.
๐
Another religious building emoji, representing a synagogue.
๐
Often used together to represent prayer at Hindu temples.
๐ช
Associated with Hindu religious practices and festivals.