Most Indians visit temples without seeing them. Brigadier AP Singh has spent years travelling, photographing, and decoding what our ancient architects actually built. A self-described traveller rather than scholar, Brig. AP Singh presents a photographic lecture on India’s truly ancient temple heritage — not the recently reconstructed Kashi or Mathura but the 8th, 10th, and 12th century surviving structures that tell a completely different architectural story.
The revelations are significant: the oldest surviving temples in the world dedicated to Hindu deities are not in India but in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, dating to the 2nd century BC — dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. India’s own historical dating has now been pushed back to 8000-9000 BC after recent underwater archaeological discoveries. The Hoysala temples at Belur (recently UNESCO-listed) are presented through original photographs that capture stone work of breathtaking intricacy.
The session closes on the question of temple security and destruction: there was never a special temple army, Brig. Singh explains. Temples were protected by the health of the kingdom around them — when the king fell, they fell. Somnath was destroyed 18 times and rebuilt 18 times by local communities who fought to their last breath. That persistence is the real story.
About the Speaker:
Brig AP Singh (SM, VSM), an expert on India’s ancient temples architecture and history was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers and was part of the Trishna crew which circumnavigated the globe. He was the National Coach for the Optimist Class (a boat for sub-junior category in the 8 to 16-year age group) for over two decades and accompanied the national team for numerous national and international events. His first book – Kashmir: The Land of Rishis: A Journey Through Time – was published in 2023 by Indus University & Akshaya Prakashan Delhi. The Foreword of the book has been written by General (Dr) VK Singh, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways; and Civil Aviation; former Chief of Army Staff.
