Granite figure of a dvarapala from Tamil Nadu, southern India, Chola dynasty, 12th century AD. Door guardian from a Hindu temple. The Hindu temple is a sacred space, a divine home for the gods when invoked by their devotees. At most temples, sculptures of deities and other figures are places on the exterior walls, in clearly defined niches or around doorways. They usually appear in pairs either side of the doorway, facing inward to protect the sacred precincts of the temple from malevolent forces.