SUBSIDARY

SHRINE

SUBSIDARY
SHRINE

PRADAKSINAPATHA

GARBHAGRIHA

ANTARALAYA

MAHA
MANDAPA

MANDAPA

ARDHA- MANDAPA
SUBSIDARY
SHRINE

SIMPLIFIED SCHEME OF A HINDU TEMPLE

SUBSIDARY
SHRINE

ELABORATEMANDAPA OF VITTHALA TEMPLE

MANDAPAS
A Mandapa is a pillared outdoor hall or
pavilion for public rituals.
A large temple would have many mandapas.
If a temple has more than one mandapa, each
one is allocated for a different function and
given a name to reflect its use.

The various mandapas in a Hindu temple are:

1. ARTHA MANDAPAM intermediary space
between the temple exterior and
thegarbagrihaor the other mandapas of
the temple
2. ASTHANA MANDAPAM assembly hall
3. KALYANA MANDAPA mandapa dedicated
to divine marriage
4. MAHA MANDAPAM (Maha=big) When there
are several mandapas in the temple, it is
the biggest and the tallest. It is used for
conducting religious discourses. Some
times, the maha-mandapa is also built along
a transversal axis with a transept.

GARBHAGRIHA
The garbhagriha is usually on the main horizontal axis of
the temple
It is a windowless and sparsely lit chamber, intentionally
created thus to focus the devotee's mind on the tangible
form of the divine within it.
More often garbhagriha is square and sits on aplinth, its
location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and
harmony. In its center is the image of the deity.
Entrance to the garbhagriha may be restricted to priests GARBHRIHA OF CHITRAGUPTA
who perform theservices.
TEMPLE, KANCHIPURAM

GARBHAGRIHA OF LAKSHMAN
TEMPLE, KHAJURAO

BADAMI CAVE
TEMPLE NUMBER 1

GOPURAM

ANTARALA

It is an ornate
gateway/ entrance
leading to the temple

Antaralais a small antechamber

or foyer between
thegarbhagriha(shrine) and
themandapa, more typical of
north Indian temples.

PRADAKSHINAPATHA
It is a circumambulatory
passage provided around the
garbhagriha to enable devotees
to go round the deity

 SOUTH INDIAN SHIKHARA(VIMANAM)

KUTINA SHIKHARA
- HAVING A PYRAMIDAL STORIED
ARRANGEMENT, WITH EACH STORY
STEPPED.

NATA- MANDIR
DANCE CHAMBER
ANata mandir is the dance hall
of anHindu temple. It is one of
the buildings of the temple. It
refers to the time of
thedevadasistradition. Dancers
lived in temple premises
dedicating their lives to reputed
dance

NATA-MANDIR AT SUN TEMPLE, KONARK

BHOG-MANDAPA
OFFERING HALL
The Bhoga Mandir is a
chamber/hall within which
large scale offerings are
held, and are later
distributed to the devotees.
BHOGA MANDAPA

VAISHNAVA
TEMPLE
MAHADEV
I
TEMPLE

GARBHAGRIHA

JAGMOHANA
:
AUDIENCE
HALL

BHOG-MADIR

OFFERINGS
HALL

NATAMANDIR:
DANCING
HALL

EXAMPLE: PLAN OF SUN TEMPLE, KONARK, ORISSA