INDIAN ARCHITECTURAL TERMS

ENTRANCE OF THE HOYASALESWARA TEMPLE,

HALEBID

ADHISHTANA: Basement of a vimana, a mandapa, or

similar structure, forming a distinct architectural feature
supporting walls and pilasters or pillars, and consisting of
distinct molded tiers.

ALPA NASIKA: Projected front end of an apsidal shrine

resembling a KUDU
arch over pilasters, originally functioning as a small
opening or fenestrated window, usually in kutas,
koshithas and panjaras.

CARVING ON THE WALL AT MAHABALIPURAM

SHORE TEMPLE
ALPA VIMANA: Small, one-storeyed vimana. The parts
areadhishthana, bhitti or padaprastara, griva,
sikhara and stupi. It is usually without a hara.

AMALAKA,AMALASARA,AMALASILA:Ribbed, lenticular or
globoid part resembling the amalaka(Indian gooseberry
fruit) crowning the top of the northern-style sikhara as its
characteristic; also adopted as the top of the Kadamba-
Chalukya forms, sometimes as an alternative to the griva
sikhara component of the southern vimana form.
ANARPITA HARA: String of miniature shrines (hara) on
the edge of each vimana tala, distinct from the body of
the upper tala or storey, with intervening space (opposite
of arpita

ELEPHANT SCULPTURE AT SHORE TEMPLE

ANTARA BHITTI:Inner wall of multiple-walled garbha-
griha, or sanctum, or storey.

ARPITA HARA: Hara or string of miniature shrines on the

edge of each vimanatala that is applique to the body
(harmya) of the upper tala or storey without any
intervening space (opposite of anarpita).

ARTHA-MANDAPA: Pillared hall immediately in front of

the principal shrine or distal half of a mandapa with two
seriate pillars, as in rock-cut cave-temples.

ASTHA PARIVARA: Lay-out of central shrine with eight

surrounding sub-shrines (including the Nandi shrine) in
the cardinal and cornor directions.

AYTANA: Shrine; vimana

COMPOUND WALL STRUCTURE AT SHORE TEMPLE

AYATASRA VIMANA: Vimana, oblong on plan and covered
by a wagon-top roof.

BAHYA BHITTI: Outermost wall of a multiple-walled

sanctum or storey (opposite of antara bhitti).

BHADRA: Central relieved or projected part from each

side of the body of the vimana or prasada as distinct
from the corner projection (karna).
BHADRA SALA: Oblong, wagon-topped miniature shrine
of ayatasra type in the centre of each side of the hara
over the storeys of the vimana.

BHITTI: Wall.

ROOF STRUCTURE AT HOYALESWARA

TEMPLE,HALEBID
BHITTI TORANA: Ornamental festoon on the wass,
usually a makara torane supported by two pilasters (see
torana, makara torana).

BHUMI: Stage in the curvilinear superstructure (sikhara)

or anda of a northern-style temple, often marked off at
the corners by compressed amalakas--the karnamalakas
or bhumiamalakas.
BHUTA: Goblin.

CHATURMUKHA: Shrine or vimana opening on all four

sides.

CHITRA POTIKA: Corbels with embossed carving or

painting of creepers, flowers, etc.

DEVAKOSHTHA: Niche on walls of shrines and mandapas

containing sculpture of deity; often crowned by torana or
shrine motif, kuta sala, panjara, or kudu, or udgama.

GALA-GRIVA: Neck; usually the clerestory raising up the

roof (sikhara) with light and air-openings (nasikas) on its
sides in the vimana types. The neck is below the amalaka
in prasada types, but without nasikas.

GARBHA-GRIHA: Shrine-cell, or sanctum sanctorum, or

cella.
SCULPTURE AT MAHABALIPURAM

GOPURA:Main gateway; the storeyed structure over the

entrance or entrances through the enclosing walls to the
premises of a temple, palace, or city.

HARA:String of miniature shrines over each terrace (tala)

of the storeyed vimana consisting of kutas, koshthas, or
salas and panjaras, interconnected by cloister-lengths or
balustradessimulating cloisters (harantara).

HARANTARA: See hara.

KADALIKA KARANA: Successive inward offsetting or

corbelling-in of the roofing slabs or brick courses over
walls to reduce the space to be roofed over to an
ultimate small opening on top that can be covered by a
slab overlapping like a banana bunch.

KADAMBA-CHALUKYA: Variant primarily of the rekha-

nagara-style prasada, or temple, in which the
superstructural tiers comprise kapata (cornice) and
kantha (neck) and are capped by a circular griva or gala
(neck), and an amalasara, often without the sukanasika.
WALL CARVING AT SHORE
TEMPLE,MAHABALIPURAM

KALASA (LASUNA): Wide-mouthed vase; lowermost

member of the pillar capital, so-called after its shape.
Also the vase-shaped finial over the amalaka of northern
temples.

KALYANA-MANDAPA: Mandapa or hall in which the

ceremonial wedding of god and goddess in the form of
utsava murtis or processional bronze icons is celebrated
annually in south Indian temples.

KAPOTA:Dove, pigeon; overhanging cornice, usually

flexed, projecting beyond the principal beam to throw off
water from the terrace beyond the beam and joist-end or
the recesses of the adhishthana like the kumuda and
padma.

KARNAKUTA: Miniature sama-chaturasra (square) shrine

at the corner of each storey of the vimana over the
prastara, with a single stupi. It is rarely vritta (circular)
or ashtasra (octagonal) on plan.

KARNA SALA: Miniature ayatasra (oblong) shrine with

barrel-vault roof placed at the corner of each tala of a
structure, usual in gopuras.
WALL CARVING AT SHORE TEMPLE

KATTU: Intervening octagonal or polygonal portion

between the bottom and top squares of a pillar.

KILIVASAL: Kerala term used for the nasika (see nasika,

and sukanasika).

KOSHTHA: Same as a sala.

KSHUDRA NASIKA: Short nasika; projected front end of a

miniature apsidal (one or two-storeyed) shrine with arch
over pilasters functioning as a small opening, usually
found in the harantara.
KUDU: 'Nest'; an arched or horse-shaped opening
projected out of a flexed cornice (kapota), originally
perhaps intended for entry of roosting birds (kapota) but
in later examples filled with human figures mithuna, etc.,
surmounted by a finial. The arch is usually a makara
torana.

KUDYA-STAMBHA: Pilaster shown as relief on wall

surface.

KUMBHA: Member of the pillar capital coming above the

kalasa, and tadi, and bulbous in form. Originally a
flattened carinate vase with a short, narrow mouth.
KUTA: Shrine of square plan (sama-chaturasra) with
four-sided converging roof and single finial, or circular or
octagonal with domical roof and single finial, or stupi.
CARVING ON THE ROCK PILLARS AT HALEBID

LALATA BIMBA: 'Crest figure', chief decorative motif or

figure on the frontal of any entrance or door-lintel,
sometimes extending to the overdoor.

MAHA-MANDAPA: Pillared hall immediately in front of the

ardha-mandapa, or antarala, or the proximal half of a
mandapa with two seriate pillars, closed or open, in cave-
temples.

MAHA NASIKA: Projected nose-like part from the sides of

the griva and sikhara showing the frontal aspects of
apsidal vimanas and having pillars with surmounting
arched toranas.

MAKARA TORANA: Entrance decoration with a festoon--

straight or arched, spanning the tops of two columns, the
festoon or torana being a decorative garland or scroll
issuing from mouths of makaras(crocodiles), placed over
the capitals of the supporting stambhas. Such makara
toranas are found over the devakoshtas or mandapa
entrances, or walls (bhitti torana).
CARVING ON ROCK AT MAHABALIPURAM

MALASTHANA: Apex of pillar or pilaster shaft below

capital with looped garland (mala) hanging from the
padma bandha.

MANDAPA, MANDAPAM: Open or closed pillared or astylar

hall.

MUKHA-MANDAPA: First or frontal mandapa of a series at

the entrance of a temple, often synonymous with maha-
mandapa in earlier temples.
NASIKA: 'Nose'; projected arched opening (window). See
alpanasika, kshudranasika, mahanasika and sukanasika.
In Kerala temples it is called kilivasal, or parrot-beak
entrances.

NATYA-MANDAPA: Dance-hall. See nritta-mandapa.

WINDOWS AT HOYALESWARA TEMPLE

NAVARANGA: Mandapa with four pillars surrounding a

central bay, twelve more on the periphery in alignment
with the central pillars, enclosing eight more bays,
surrounding the central one and making nine bays in all;
characteristic of Chalukyan temples and their
derivatives.
NIDA: Miniature apsidal shrine; same as panjara.

NIRANDHARA: Devoid of a closed circuit or ambulatory

round the cella, the wall of the cella being single and
thick (as opposed to sandhara).

NRITTA-MANDAPA: See natya-mandapa.

OMA: Basal pitha of pillar or pilaster.

PADA: Pillar (stambha).

PADMA: Lotus; capital-member (doucene) below the
phalaka (abacus), shaped like a lotus with petals.

PADMA BANDHA: Broad fillet, ringing the top of the shaft

of a pillar, marked by decorative bands between rows of
lotus petals, separating the shaft from the capital.

PALI:Capital member, same as padma ,but without

scalloped petals.

PANJARA:Miniature apsidal shrine ; same as 'nida'.

PARIVARA DEVATAS:Also called 'avarana devatas,or

subsidary deities in shrines called 'parivaralayas or
parivara'.

PATTA:Plain or decorated band occupying the median

face of the corbel,as if binding the rolls of 'taranga'
mouldings of the corbel.

PATTIKA:Projected top slab of the platform or 'adhishtana

'in line with the vertical norm or 'manasutra'--a major
moulding of considerable thickness.

PHALAKA:Abacus;wide plank on top of the terminal

'saduram'or moulded capital of pillar supporting the
corbel,or 'potika'.

PIDADEUL:Structure with stepped or tiered

superstructure over the sanctum as in kadamba-chalukya
temples. The term is used in orissa (kalinga)architecture
for the 'mandapa' in front of the main 'prasada',called
'jagmohan',or smller individual shrines with such
superstructure.

PITHA:Pedastal,base.

POTIKA:Corbel-bracket over pillar.see taranga

potika,makara potika,chitra potika.

PRANALA:Spout projected like a garagoyle to discharge

water.

PRASADA:Northern-style temple ,as distinct from the

'vimana'from of the south.

prastara:eNTABLATURE,CONSISTING OF MOULDINGS
OVER WALLS AND PILLARS ,VIZ. THE UTTIRA[BEAM]
VAJANA, VALABHI, KAPOTA, ALINGA, AND ANTARI.

RANGA MANDAPA:Equivalent of
'navaranga',corresponding to the 'maha-mandapa'of
southern 'vimana'temples.

RATHA:Chariot;monolithic 'vimana'

REKHA-PRASADA:Typical northern -style sanctuary from

with curvilinear superstructure ,or 'anda',emphasized by
the 'bhadra' projections on the sides ,and by
'rekhas'crowned by a neck and 'amalaka' with 'kalasa' on
top.

SABHA-MANDAPA:Mandapa with shrine of nataraja in the

southern temples ,generally facing south.

SADURAM:Squre basal,intermediate or terminal section

of a pillar seperated by octgonal,polygonal or circular
intermediary parts.

SALA SHRINE:Vimana of ayatasra type with barrel-vault

roof and a series of stupis on its ridge.

SALA SIKHARA:Sikhara peculair to sala shrine ,barrel-

vault,wagon-top or inverted ,keel-shaped.

SANDHARA:Structure with a closed or covered circuit

passage or ambulatory round the cella or the sanctum as
in a double -walled structure.

SNAPANA-MANDAPA:Mandapa in which the abhisheka or

ceremonial bathing of processional idols of bronze is
performed during festivals.

SIKHARA:Roof of the 'vimana'over the 'griva',domical or

four-sided with a single final,vaulted with many finials on
the ridge,or apsidal with many finials over the horizontal
part.The entire superstructure is of northern 'prasadas'.

STAMBHA:Pillar(pada)

STAMBHA TORANA:Entrance decoration or free-standing

decorated entrance wothout doors and with a festoon
spanning the tops of two columns,the festoon primarily
being a garland of leaves and flowers ,later on taking the
form on one or more curved and decorated cross-bars,or
a floral and foiler festoon arch issuing out of makara-
heads,placed on top of the supporting columns.

STUPI,STUPICA:Final,morphologically the
'ushnisha',taking in later times the form of a 'purna
ghata' or purna kumbha',forming the topmost or ultimate
member of the 'vimana,gopura'or any other structure.
SUKANASIKA:Integral forward projection of the tiers of
the superstructure below the 'griva'and 'amalaka' level in
northern 'prasadas'coming over the 'antarala'and forming
its roof;has a 'nasika'front,enclosing bas-relief sculptures
inside the arch.In adaptions in the southern
'vimana'types,as in the chalukyan and its derivatives,the
forward projection,primarily of the front 'nasika'or 'maha
nasika'or the dormer of the 'griva sikhara'region alone,in
smaller simple ;vimana'types and along with the forward
projection of the 'talas'in storeyed types,the whole
coming over the terrace of the lower 'antarala or ardha
mandapa'.
TADI:Saucer-shaped capital-member above the
'kalasa'and below the 'kumbha'

TALA:Storey of the 'vimana or gopura'.

TARANGA:Wave;wavy roll -ornament of the corbel

resembling the 'reed'moulding or 'reeding' of european
classical architecture.

TARANGA POTIKA:Corbel-bracket with roll-or taranga

moulding.

TORANA:Free -standing ornamental foiler and festoon

forming entrance supported by two upright columns and
often interlaced vertically.copies in wood and stone with
greater elaboration and carving.,or taking the form of
'makara torana'mounted on two pillars. it precedes the
main gateways of cities,palaces and temples.it is oftan
erected temporarily on festive occations on roads leading
to cities,palaces,temples.when according the doorway as
a 'dvarasobha',it is called a 'griha dvara torana',or the
face-of-a-wall 'torana',where it often frames a niche or
'devakoshtha'or suggests an opening 'ghanadvara'.When
free-standing,it is designated 'stambha torana.'

TRKUTA,TRIKUTACHALA TORANA STAMBHA:Pillar or

pilaster supporting 'torana';three 'vimanas'connected by
a common 'adhishtana'in a line or placed round a
common 'mandapa'', as in chalukyan types.

UDGAMA:Fenestrated pattern of coalescent kudu-like

arches and half-arches, typical of northern- style temples
and found in the facade arches of buddhists cave -
temples, used in northern temples as crest over
devakoshthas also in place of the miniature shrine tops of
such figure niches on walls of shrines and mandapas

UPANA:Lower most part or footing of sub - base below

the basement or adhishtana , projecting beyond the
vercical norm and surmounted by the jagati. it
formslowermost visible part of the vimana, the
uppermost limit of the same being the stupi.

UPA- PITHA :Additional moulded platform or sub- base

below the basement or adhishtana with mouldings
repeating those of the adhishtana or often reduced in
number, or simpler.

UTSAVA-MANDAPA:mandaa in which the processional

deities of bronze are kept during celebrations.

VEDIKA:railing.
VIMANA;Shrine from upana to stupi [base to finial], the
whole shrine consisting of adhishthana [basement], pada
[pillars] or bhitti [walls], prastara [entablature],
griva[neck or clerestory], sikhara[head or roof], and
stupi [finial] in the case of simple vimanas [ekatala], with
talas [storeys] interveningbetween the lowermost
prastara below and the griva, sikhara, and stupi above in
storeyed vimanas.

Vyala mala, Vyala vari:Decorative friezes

with vyalas usually as a part of the adhishtana and on
top of the entablature of eachtala, marking the ends of
cross-joists in original timber work.