1. Temple towns represent a very important pattern of urbanisation, the process by which cities develop. Thanjavur is an example. Temples were often central to the economy and society. Rulers built temples to demonstrate their devotion to various deities. They also endowed temples with grants of land and money to carry out elaborate rituals, feed pilgrims and priests and celebrate festivals. Pilgrims who flocked to the temples also made donations. Temple authorities used their wealth to finance trade and banking.
2. Gradually a large number of priests, workers, artisans, traders, etc. settled near the temple to cater to its needs and those of the pilgrims. Thus grew temple towns. Towns emerged around temples such as Bhillasvamin (Bhilsa or Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh), Somnath in Gujarat, Kanchipuram and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. 3. Pilgrimage centres also slowly developed into townships such as Vrindavan (Uttar Pradesh) and Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu). Ajmer (Rajasthan) was the capital of the Chauhan kings in the 12th century and later became the suba headquarters under the Mughals. It provides an excellent example of religious coexistence. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, the celebrated Sufi saint who settled there in the twelfth century, attracted devotees from all creeds. Near Ajmer is a lake, Pushkar, which has attracted pilgrims from ancient times.

The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, a temple town. _{Image Courtesy: Wikipedia}

Some of the learners also asked:
How did towns emerge from temples?