Short answers, pulled from the story.
The primary texts include the Vastu shastras, Shilpa Shastras, Brihat Samhita, Manasara, Puranas, and Hindu Agamas. The Brihat Samhita's relevant chapters are 53, 56-58, and 79; the Agni Purana contributes chapters 42-62 and 104-106. These survive as Sanskrit manuscripts, with some texts such as the Mayamata Vastu Sastra also preserved with commentaries in Telugu and Tamil.
The garbha griha, or womb-chamber, is the inner sanctum of a Hindu temple where the primary murti, the image of a deity, is housed. It is a simple bare cell designed for darshana, the act of viewing and meditative focus. Above it rises a tower-like structure called the shikhara, or vimana in south India.
The Charaka Samhita, dated between 100 BCE and 150 CE, specifies that care buildings must be supervised by an engineer versed in Vastu Vidya. The building must be strong, ventilated, not situated in a valley, and free from smoke, sunlight, water, and dust. It must include a water supply, pestle and mortar, lavatory, bathing area, and kitchen.
The Manasara provides forty distinct plans for laying out streets, homes, markets, and gardens. It specifies that the best settlement site has thick soil sloping eastward, proximity to a river, adequate groundwater for wells, and soil that is firm and fertile. Five shared principles govern the plans: Diknirnaya (orientation), Padavinyasa (site planning), Hastalakshana (proportional measurement), Ayadi (six canonical principles), and Patakadi (aesthetics).
Gopurams are the ornate gatehouse towers at the entrances of Hindu temples, particularly in southern India. They are described as essentially independent architectural structures, often colossal in scale. They mark the threshold of the temple complex and are among the most visually prominent features of south Indian temple design.
Indonesia recognizes three categories of Hindu architecture: Candi, the temple style of Javanese origin; Pura, the architectural style of Balinese Hinduism; and Kuil, the Dravidian-origin style associated with the Indian Indonesian community. Hindu architecture in Indonesia predates Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity in the archipelago and today also serves as a site of historical observance for cross-community understanding.