Art & Culture

Temple architecture varies greatly depending on the cultural and historical context. Here are some key architectural elements commonly found.

The Architecture Elements are :

• Garbhagriha (Womb Chamber) : The term garbhagriha comes from the Sanskrit words garbha for womb and griha for house. Although the term is often associated with Hindu temples, it is also found in Jain and Buddhist temples. The garbhagriha is the location of the murti (sacred image) of the temple’s primary deity.
• Mandapa : A mandapa or mandapa is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture and Jain temple architecture.
• Shikhara (Spire or Tower) : Shikhara, a Sanskrit word translating literally to “mountain peak”, refers to the rising tower in the Hindu temple architecture of North India, and also often used in Jain temples. A shikhara over the garbhagriha chamber where the presiding deity is enshrined is the most prominent and visible part of a Hindu temple of North India.
• Vimana (Temple Tower) : Vimana is the structure over the garbhagriha or inner sanctum in the Hindu temples of South India and Odisha in East India. Vimana are divided in two groups : jati vimanas that have up to four tala and mukhya vimana that have five tala and more.
• Amalaka (Capstone) : An amalaka, is a segmented or notched stone disk, usually with ridges on the rim, that sits on the top of a Hindu temple’s shikhara or main tower. According to one interpretation, the amalaka represents a lotus, and thus the symbolic seat for the deity below. Another interpretation is that it symbolizes the sun, and is thus the gateway to the heavenly world.
• Kalasha (Pot) : A kalasha is a finial, generally in the form of metal or stone spire, used to top the domes of Hindu temples. Kalashas as architectural feature has been used at least before the first millennium BCE and were made of terracotta and wood during this early period. They were used as decorative element placed on top of various types of buildings. They are mainly restricted to temple architecture in the contemporary period.
• Vahana : Vahana or Vahanam denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle. The vahana is often called the deity’s “mount”.
• Antarala : Antarala is a small antechamber or foyer between the garbhagriha (shrine) and the mandapa, more typical of north Indian temples.
• Jagati : In Hindu temple architecture, the jagati is the raised surface of the platform or terrace upon which Hindus, Jain, and Buddhist temples are built.