This paper discusses the dating and the place of origin of the text Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra, a compilation that sets down the rules and rituals governing the construction of that most dramatic, physical representation of religion in South Asia, the Hindu temple. The Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra is, as it states itself, a compendium. It gathers material from previous sources. The oldest known manuscript is from the 16 th century.Texts that cite the Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra date from between the 9 th or 10 th century to the 17 th century. The Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra must be older than these texts. Previous scholars have suggested dates ranging from c. 500-1600 CE in respect to the dating of the Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra, which is a very wide window indeed. The general scholarly consensus, however, is that the text was produced around 800 CE. Some details in the text, like the descriptions of circumambulatory paths, can be used to date the text as well as identify its place of origin. References to north Indian scripts in the text indicate that the Hayaśīrṣa Pañcarātra was produced shortly before the 10 th century. Since the text has borrowed sections from the Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa, it must be younger than that text, i.e. it was compiled after the 7 th century CE. The ways that vyūhas and lokeśas are described in the text suggest an earlier rather than later date. Thus, the 8 th -9 th century CE seems to be an acceptable working hypothesis. The references to scripts may suggest a date later rather than earlier in that period.All the extant manuscripts of the text have been found in Bengal and Orissa, which makes them the best candidates in respect to the text's place of origin. References in the text, like names of kings, which can be connected to a place, are either north Indian or specifically Bengali. The text is, therefore, of a north Indian origin and most likely was compiled in northeast India, probably Bengal or Orissa.

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