Chapter 8 - Prāsāda Maṇḍapa

Prāsāda in the imagery of the Samarāṅgaṇa (68.47-8) (its author being a king) is a king in grandeur and splendour both. The Pīṭha of the Prāsāda is its throne, its decorative elements are its various ornaments (like Keyūra etc. of a king) and naturally, therefore, a Prāsāda, like a king must have some sort of a paraphernalia best suited to it. The seat being in the Garbhagṛha, the Prāsāda proper, the main shrine, there must be some accessory buildings. All other buildings (besides the main shrine, the Prāsāda, containing the Garbhagṛha) within the sacred precinct, are accessory and subservient to the Prāsāda. The Maṇḍapa in front of the entrance along with other such accessory building in a huge set of some of the large Prāsādas (cf. Temples at Bhuvanesvara and Purī etc.) is, as it were, preparing the devotee for the entry into the temple.

Thus the Maṇḍapas have an architectural meaning in conformity with the fundamental meaning of religious architecture as Prāsāda is whose outer surface consists of sculpture.

“Thus when going to the temple (abhigamana) with speech body and mind centred on the divinity whose presence is installed in the image or symbol, the devotee becomes part of the architecture of the Maṇḍapa whose interior he traverses, in which he also may pause and gaze at the images that confront him; images which are carved on the pillars, the capitals and on the ceiling; guiding him onwards to the main image or symbol in the Garbhagṛha, or upward to the dome and its central point”.

Again:

“While approaching (abhigamana) the innermost sanctuary and passing through the halls in front of it, the Bhakta is within the sacred architecture; together with the images he is enclosed in a dim, soothing atmosphere caressing the eye after the fierce light of the day outside. The atmosphere of the Maṇḍapa is charged not only with the scent of flowers, burning oil lamps, and the incense coming from the sanctuary, but is tense with the impact of the pillars and carvings” (H. T. p. 299).

With this background o the purpose of the Maṇḍapas, we may now proceed with its characteristic architecture and the varieties into which this text has classified it.

Maṇḍapa, as an architectural institution, is, in my opinion, older than the temple. It has its proto type in Vedic Sad or post-Vedic Sabhā (see Epics). Dr. Acharya says (cf. Ency. H. A. 395),

“Difference between Maṇḍapa and Sabhā (M. XXXIV 559-562): the former having a pent-roof, and the latter pinnacled (i.e. spherical roof)”.

This difference is kept in tact in the Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra also, the following description of the Bhadra Maṇḍapa (cf. Ch. 66.10-11).

——bhirbhājayedbhāgairbhadraṃ prājñaḥ samantataḥ |
śṛṅgāṇi syurdvibhāgāni sahitānyudakāntaraiḥ || 10 ||
bhāgaṃ pramā———rādāmūlatalamastakam |
śṛṅgeṣu rathikā kāryā bhāgapādena nirgatā || 11 ||

The description of the Maṇḍapas with reference to the mouldings, shapes etc. is extremely rich in the Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra (cf, the Ch. 67 verse 39, where the Maṇḍapa-pillars are provided with all possible shapes of decoration like square, rectangular, oval, eight-sided and sixteen sided). The roof of the Maṇḍapas too is made so rich architecturally with Dīptikā Toraṇa (ibid v. 85), Gajatālu (ibid v. 86), Ghaṇṭā and Padmapatrī etc. etc.

We have already taken notice of the Sabhā, its characteristic architecture (abundant pillars) in a previous chapter (Part IV Chap, on Sabhā). A Maṇḍapa in connection with the Hindu Temple is a detached temple, a pavilion, an open hall. Its functions have already been hinted at. But they are not exhaustive. We know that in India some of the temples and monasteries of old grew into universities. The more famous among them had invariably attached to them these detached buildings to serve as rest-houses, congregational places and places for sermons, discourses and religious discussions and other allied necessities both of the pilgrims and those permanently stationed there; the hermits, the Yatis and the Vanīs (forest dwellers) along with their disciples and pupils. Maṇḍapas, besides serving this sacred purpose had, as detatched buildings of Hindu Temple, been serving secular purpose also from times immemoral. Dance, drama, music, gambling and so many other sources of recreation and enjoyment took place in these Maṇḍapas. Raṅgamaṇḍapam, the auditorium in a theatre, is a recognised structure. Bharata’s Nāṭya-śāstra bears testimony to this secular use and Dr. Acharya has taken a detailed notice of the Nāṭya-gṛha (maṇḍapa, -veśma, -śālā—vide Ency. H.A. 273).

Now coming to the different types of Maṇḍapas, Samarāṅgaṇa in its two chapters on Maṇḍapa architecture, the 66th and 67th has described as many as thirty-five Maṇḍapas in two groups of 8 and 27.

Both these groups are tabulated as follows:—

1st Group (8. Maṇḍapas)

1. Bhadra,
2. Nandana,
3. Mahendra,
4. Vardhamāna,
5. Svastika,
6. Sarvatobhadra,
7. Mahāpadma and
8. Gṛharāja.

2nd Group (27 Maṇḍapas)

1. Puṣpaka,
2. Puṣpabhadra,
3. Suvrata,
4. Amṛtanandana,
5. Kauśalya,
6. Buddhi-Saṃkīrṇa,
7. Gajabhadra,
8. Jayavāha,
9. Śrīvatsa,
10. Vijaya,
11. Vastukīrṇa,
12. Śrutirjaya,
13. Yajñabhadra,
14. Viśāla,
15. Suśliṣṭa,
16. Śatrumardana,
17. Bhagapañca,
18. Dama,
19. Mānava,
20. Mānabhadraka,
21. Sugrīva,
22. Harṣa,
23. Karṇikāra,
24. Padārdhika,
25. Siṃha,
26. Śyāmabhadra,
27. Subhadra.

N.B.—It may be noted here that the text being corrupt, it is with the help of the Matsya-purāṇa (ch. 270) where almost identical names and the number (27) of these Maṇḍapas are given, that these 27 types have been reconstructed.

It may be noted that all these types of Maṇḍapas can be comprised within the two broad heads of classification, the Saṃvṛta and Vivṛta, as they are attached to or detached from the temple proper. Their specimens as pointed out in the introductory chapter of the Study are profoundly found in the monuments at Bhuvanesvara.

As regards the general shape and proportions of measurements, Maṇḍapa is either square or rectangular. The text prescribes two alternative widths. Either it should have the width of the Prāsāda (LXVII. 98) or its width is equal to the height or diagonal of the Prāsāda (LXVI. 8). These are the most perfect proportions; or else it should be double—it has twice the width of the Prāsāda in the Udayapura Temple or its length is one-three-fourth of the width of the Prāsāda, (various intermediate proportions are specified in the Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra LXVIL 1-4) and in the smaller temples, the maṇḍapa increases in size to 2¼ and 2½ of that of the Prāsāda).

Any of these proportions may be chosen according to the available space (LXVII. 10) and other considerations. “As is the Prāsāda, so is the Maṇḍapa in front of it” (ibid 24b). This applies to its walls and their theme. “Walls however, are dispensable in the Maṇḍapa, it is then an Ākāśa-maṇḍapa (ibid 23) such as the Sabhā-maṇḍapa in Gujarat; these are entirely separate from the temple which comprises within its walls, the Gūḍha or “closed” Maṇḍapa.

“The super-structure of the Maṇḍapa must not exceed in height, the Śukanāsā of the Prāsāda (LXVII. 102; 110). The Śukanāsā however, itself varies at different periods and in the various types of temples from having half the height of the Śikhara to a less ‘perfect’ proportion. While thus the height of the Maṇḍapa depends upon the height of the temple and its Śukanāsā, its propotion is not a fixed one in plan, however, the centre of the Maṇḍapa is in a fixed proportion to the Garbhagṛha; its central square has the same area (LXVIL 43). This central space is marked as a rule by four pillars, forming a Catuṣkī, a pavilion whose pillars, by underpinning, help to support the roof or dome. The inter-columnia of the central square have the maximum measurement. The other pillars are placed at equal distances from each other, in aliquot parts, and originally, half of the inter-columnia in the centre: 64 pillars is their maximum number in the Puṣpaka Maṇḍapa (LXVII. 12). The significance of this number has its basis in the number of squares of the Maṇḍūka-Maṇḍala”.