It is not necessary for Buddhists to visit a temple to offer their obeisance to the Buddha. They can do the same thing at home without being part of a bigger group.

At Home Buddhists often set aside a room or a part of the room as a shrine that normally houses a statue of Buddha along with candles and an incense burner.

At the Temples
We will observe that Buddhist temples come in various shapes and sizes. However, the most famous examples are the pagodas of China and Japan.

The Stupa is another form of Buddhist architecture that can be defined as a stone structure built over supposed relics of the Buddha or over copies of his teachings.

Buddhist temples are designed to represent the five elements of life. They are: -

1. Fire
2. Air
3. Earth that is symbolized by the square base
4. Water
5. Wisdom that is symbolized by the pinnacle at the top.

It must be mentioned that every Buddhist temple houses an image or a statue of the Buddha.

Worship
With the presence of many different schools of thought, there are many forms of Buddhist worship.

Worship in Mahayana tradition takes the form of devotion to Buddha and to Bodhisattvas. Worshippers may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. They can also listen to monks chanting from religious texts (at times accompanied by instruments) and take part in prayers.