4. Measurement of the Doors

As the gopuras are the super-structures built over the doors, the measurement of the doors or the dvāras is taken up for discussion next.

(i). Breadth of the Dvāras

The breadth of the dvāra of the kṣudra harmya ranges from 1½ to 5 hastas, adding 6 aṅgulas each time and the same applies for alpa harmyas too.

Increasing by 6 aṅgulas, the door of the madhyama prāsāda's breadth ranges from 3 to 7 hastas. Similarly, the width of the mahāprāsāda ranges from 4 to 15 hastas, when 6 aṅgulas are added to the measure each time (XLV. 36-9ab):

sārdhahastaṃ samārabhya ṣaṭṣaḍaṅgulavardhanāt |
pañcahastāvadhiryāvatkṣudrāṇāṃ dvāravistṛtam ||
alpānāṃ ca tathā proktaṃ sannarāṇāṃ tataḥ śṛṇu |
trihastaṃ tu samārabhya yāvatsaptakarāvadhi ||
ṣaḍaṅgulavivṛddhyā tu dvāravyāsaṃ prakīrtitam |
caturhastaṃ samārabhya pañcadaśakarāntakam ||
rasamātravivṛddhyā tu mahate dvāravistṛtam |

(ii). Height of the doors

If the breadth of the dvāra is 5 parts, then its height should measure 7 parts; if the breath measures 7 parts then its height should measure 10 parts.

Also, the height of the dvāra could be 1½, 1¾, 2, 2⅛ and 2¼ times the breadth of that dvāra, thus leading to seven variant measures of height (44. 39-40ab)^[1] :

tāre pañcāṃśaṃ saptāṃśaṃ saptāṃśe tu daśāyatam |
adhyardhaṃ pādahīnaṃ tu dviguṇaṃ dviguṇonnatam ||
sārdhapādaṃ tu pādaṃ vā dvārotsedhaṃ tu saptadhā |

(iii). Centre of the Dvāras

The doors are to be placed in line with the centre of the liṅga (Śivaliṅga) and if the measure of the door is divided into 11 or 15 parts, 9 aṅgulas is the ideal measure. The centre of the door may also be to the left of the liṅga's centre. In this manner, the centre of the door must be determined from the dvāraśobhā to the dvāragopura.

Also, the measure (height) of the dvāra in the centre of the gopura should be on par with the height of the pillars on both sides (44. 40cd-2)^[2] :

liṅgasya madhyamaṃ dvāraṃ madhyamaṃ tu vadāmyaham ||
śivāgnibhūtadhā kṛtvā navāṃgulaṃ viśeṣataḥ |
liṅgamadhyāttu vāme vā dvāramadhyaṃ prakalpayet ||
śobhādigopurāntānāṃ dvāramadhyaṃ kramādviduḥ |
tanmadhye gopurāyāmaṃ staṃbhayoḥ pārśvayoḥ samam ||

The panels and the hinges of the doors are also to be designed as per rules ordained for the doors of the gopuras (XLV. 43cd):

dvārayogaṃ kavāṭaṃ ca dvāralakṣaṇavatkuru |

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Aṃśumatkāśyapāgama, Muktabodha edition version is quoted above.

[2]:

Aṃśumatkāśyapāgama, Muktabodha edition version is quoted above.