The Structural Temples of Gujarat
by Kantilal F. Sompura | 1968 | 163,360 words
This essay studies the Structural Temples of Gujarat (Up to 1600 A.D.)....
Glossary
GLOSSARY part Anga Anukaya Anga Anda 1 the subservient part Andaka } a cupola, Attalika Antarapatrika Antarapatra Antarala Ardhacandra Ardha mandapa Ardhastambha Andhari Andharika Adhisthana a terrace, also Kuttima recess, the intermediate space Literally the distance between any two objects, hence, it implies a moulding which separates two other larger mouldings. Resembles the fillet, listel or annulet A vestibule, an intermediate chamber uniting the garbhagriha and mandapa, also known as Kori-mandapa. The semicircular door step before a shrine door Compartment or a porch in front of a mainhall (mandapa) of a temple a half pillar or pilaster same as Antarapatrika same as Bhramani or ambulatory Etymologically (adhistha, to stand) it denotes an object on which something stands. Hence it is a lower member of a structure. In the same way, it implies the stand or base of a column being the member between the shaft and the pedestal if there be any.3 1. The local forms of the term are 'Indaka', 'Indu', 'Endu'. 2. Same as Jagati The local form of the term is 'Kumbhi'.
544 Anuga Anugama } Alinda Alindaka Avalokana Avalokanaka Avasankita Asvathara Asvamala } Astadikpalas. (Dikpalas) Astasra Asta-bhadra. Asra Amsa Amalaka Amalasara 5 Amalasila. Amalasari Ayata Asana Asanapata Asanpatta Asanapattaka The Structural Temples of Gujarat Basement, the lower most constituent part of the temple, platform Pratiratha, the next to the main projection known as bhadra. Verandah, a corridor, a terrace, a balcony A gallary, a small vestibule a window, a lattice a cavetto a horse moulding in the basement of a temple the eight guardians, or regents of the points of compass i. e. of the four cardinal and four intermediate points of compass Octagonal eight faced or sided, starshaped side a degree, a part the flat fluted melon-shaped member usually under the Kalasa, or finial of a temple Sikhara or spire., the flat scolloped cushion or cog-wheel member surmounting the S¡khara or dome, the round flat stone with dented circumference Rectangular A seat or throne a seat (attached to the pillars of a mandapa ). 4. Local term 'Galato' 5. The Local term 'Zanzari' denotes a small Amalsara. 6. Local Term 'Asarota' (Brhad Shilpa Shastra III. 295. p. 112.)
Glossory Illika Ilikalavana Ucchalaka Uttaranga 8 Udakantara 9 Small arch with pilasters. Hemispherical or pilaster of a niche. 545 bow-shaped arch over The section of the shaft supporting the sur-capital is called Ucchalaka. It is otherwise known as Virahakantha. a lintel a water course Triangular pediment Udagama 10 Udaya rise, height Uparatha Udumbara Urusringa 11 Uroman jari Urdhavachanda Urdhavarekha Kaksasana Kantaka Kantha same as pratiratha Threshold the subordinate Sikhara on the central portion. between the projecting bhadra and the wall raised from the griva of the Sikhara attached to the main sikhara, half sikhara like turret attached to the main sikhara same as urusringa arrangement of parts in elevation Vertical line a seat having a sloping seat back moulding same as Gala, neck, portion between the body of the Sikhara and the Amalaka 7. Local term Theki or Teki 8. Local term 'Otaranga' 9. Also known as Jalamtara, Varyantara, Salilantara, Varimarga; In local term it is known as Panitara. 10. Local term 'Dodhio'. II. Local term 'Orsanga' also known as Anga-Sikhara,
546 Karna 12 Karna-kutaKarnagudha (mandapa) Karna Simba Karni 13 Karnika Karma Kapota 14 Kapotika Kapotali (Malakevala) (Mahakevala) Karotaka Kalasa Kamarupaka Kicaka Kirtimukha Kunda } The Structural Temples of Gujarat corner, angle, The projections on each face of the square plan leaving out a small portion in its original position at either corner is known as Karna. the miniature tower (Sringa) at the corner of the roof i. e. Gudha mandapa (closed mandapa) figure of a lion placed at the corner an architectural term for the knife-edge moulding, astragal, arris, corner or angle; sharp edge formed by meeting of two surfaces, knife-edged moulding same as Sringa A pigeon, a section of circular moulding made in form of a pigeons head Same as Vitana, dome the water-pot shaped finial of a temple spire, a pitcher, a cupola, a vase, an ornamental pot found in finials and capitals amorous moulding bracket, sculptured human figure used in place of bracket of columns or pilasters, atlantes the face of glory, same as grasa, an ornamental mask a reservoir, a tank 12. Also known as Rekha, Mulanasika, Mulakarna The local term is Kona, 13. Same as Kanaka, Kanali Kanalika. Local term, Kani 14. Local term Kevala
Glossory Kumbhaka 15 Kuta Kesari Sringa Kori 16 Kori-mandapa Kosa Kshetra Khuraka 17 Gagaraka Gajathara Gajamala Gandharvas } Garbhagriha 18 Garbhagara } 547 a waterpot like moulding at basement, a motif resembling a vase, a stylobate the peak, same as srnga Sringa having five andakas. (Pancandaka) Open space in front of a shrine or cella, The anti-chamber in front of a shrine The parallelogram which joins together the shrine and mandapa same as Venukosa i. e. Skandha (shoulder) of a Sikhara a site the lower most moulding of the mandovara (wall) a peculiar design with inverted petals of a flower the elephant moulding in the basement of a temple celestial musicians of Indra. the shrine, the womb of the temple, adytum, sanctuary, a cella, sanctum, sanctoria, the chamber in which the deity is placed, the compartment for image 15. Local term Kumbho. The word Kumbhi is used in the water-pot like moulding as the base of a pillar. 16. Local term: Koli, also known as Salila and Nali. 17. Local term Khura, 18. It is also known as Mulasthana, Jathara, Garbhakostha, BrhmaKosotha. Local term Gabhara
548 Gavaksa 19 a balcony, Gudha mandapa Grasamukha 20 Graspati Griva 21 Ghatapallava Ghanta Ghata Catuski 22 Candrasila 2 3 Candravalokana 24 Candrika 25 Candrasa. Cippika 26 The Structural Temples of Gujarat a window resembling the cows eye, a litticed window, blind window also niche the closed-in hall of a temple, a hall in front of a sanctum, a vestibule Same as as Kirtimukha (Kirtivaktra) i. e. a grotesque mask used in ornamentation the particular string-course, the moulding (in the basement of a temple) bearing a band of grotesque faces or Kirtimukhas literraly the neck or throat. This is a quadrangular moulding of the spire. Vase and foliage motif Bell-shaped ribbed structure a flight of steps a porch, a portico, a pavilion Moonstone or the semi circular door step before a shrine a lattice letting moon-light inside one of the mouldings in Kalasa (finial) Pattika 19. Local term Gaukha, Khattaka, Gokhala. 20. Known as Garasada in local term. 21. Also known as Kantha or Skandha. Local term Gala 22. Local term Cauki 23. In local term it is known as Sankhavata or Sankhadvara. 24. Local term 'Venirasiyun' (Brss. pt. III, v. 294, p. 112) 25. Also known as Padmpatra 26. Local term Cipati.
Glossory Citraranga Citi Caitya Caitya-griha Caumukha Chanda Chadya (Chadyakuta)27 Jagati. Jangha 28 Jadya Kumbha 2 9 Jala Jali Thakara 30 Thagarika Taksaka Tala Same as Uttaranga altar 549 a monumental tomb, a sanctuary, a monastary, a shrine, a temple, usually a Buddhist assembly hall prayer-hall, assembly hall four jain images generally carved in one block placed back to back with their four faces looking towards the four cardinal points perespective view, an arrangement, disposition, bathos, nomenclature a roof, a sloping eave, an overhanging cornice of a roof projecting beyond the face of the wall See Adhisthana the thigh, an architectural term applied to the broad band of Sculpture towards the middle of the temple walls (exterior) above the basement a torus like moulding at the lower portion of a mandovara screened lattice, or the trellis window or screened perforated pattern, screen } One of the kinds of an ornamental moulding a wood-cutter, a carpentar The ground-floor, the storey 27. also known as Khetachadya, Lacal term Chajja, Chaji, Chaju 28. Local term: Janghi 29. Local term: Jadambo 30. Local term: Tekarun
550 Talachhanda Tavangada Tilaka 31 Tula3 2 Torana 33 Trikutacala. Tri-Murti. Dandaka Dandika } Dala Dvara Dvarapala Dvara-mandapa Dvaramana Dvara-Sakha Dikpalas Dipastambha Dipalaya Dipamala Devakulika The Structural Temples of Gujarat The disposition or arrangement of the ground plan Niche along with udgama i. e. pediment a rectangular block with block with facetted sides adorned with lozenges design and surmounted by a tiny amalaka and a finial a beam An ornamental arch shaped like a garland inverted: an arched gateway, It is employed both as an architectural member, as well as an ornament. triple shrine or three-celled temple Trinity of Brhama, Visnu and Siva a pillar, a moulding. a petal, a moulding of leaf-pattern Door-way a door-keeper a hall or pavilion on the entrance door of a shrine same as Korimandapa or Antarala measure of a doorway the door lintel with door-frame, jamb or post, side-frame guardians or regents a lamp pillar, a lamp-post a high towar or pillar for festival light a minor shrine, a collonaded group of minor shrines 31. Local Term: Talakadun Ghontadum, Deyadi 32. Local term: Mobha 33. Local term: Merapa
Glossory Devakota Dehali Devayatana Devalaya 34 Nakra an enclosure wall to the temple site Threshold a house of a God, a temple Same as Makara 551 Nanda Sali Sringa; a Sringa having seventeen andakas Nandana-Sringa Nandi Nandika Nandisa Sringa Narathara Navagraha Naga Nagabandha Nala (Nali) Nasika Nirgama 3 5 Nirgatam Nisakramana Nirandhara Nritya-Mandapa Nemi 36 Sringa having thirteen andakas a small projection between Karna and pratiratha or pratiratha and bhadra a srnga having twenty one andakas one of the mouldings in the basement of a temple, decorated with figures of human beings the nine planets, represented usually on the lintel or architrave of the front door of a shrine Mythical serpent, a figure half-man above and half-sepent below intertwinded figure of two or four snakes carved continuously along jamb and lintel kori, korimandapa, an antarala a nose-shaped architectural object, a projecting portion in a wall the projection or extention of the base or basement a shrine without ambulatory The dancing and musical hall Bhramani, Circumambulatory 34. Local term: Deharasara, Dehari, Deharun 35. Local term Nikara, Nikala 36. Visvakarma prakasa Vedic Index, 77.
552 Paksa Paksaka Pancayatana Patta 37 Patti Pattika Patra Pada } Padma Padmaka } Padmakosa The Structural Temples of Gujarat A side, a flank, a foot-path a group of five temples, where a principal one is surrounded by four subsidiary ones, the temples enshrining the five deities generally Siva, Visnu, Ganapati, Surya, & Devi flat slab, lintel or beam, an architrave, the beam or lowest division of the entablature which extends from column to column a small flat band which occurs chiefly between mouldings to connect or separate them, a moulding with a square-edge a leaf, a leaf-like moulding a part, the foot a plot of the site plan a moulding cyam recta and cyma reversa, The moulding called padma is supposed to resemble a petal of that flower i. e. the moulding having the curves of the lotus petal, cyma reversa or recta. neck or Skandha of a Sikhara i. e. below malaka of a Sikhara Padmabandhana 38 Neck moulding Padmasana Pada-Vinyasa Padam Sila Parivara Pallava 39 Pada a portion a lotus seat, a kind of pedastal, lotus throne The plan, the site plan, the ground plan a key-stone in the centre of a dome (Vitana) the attendent deities, the family of God. leaf-like moulding, raised lotus petal design a quarter, a fourth of a foot, a base 37. Local term Pata 38. Local term Bandhanun. 39. Local term Palava.
Glossory Panitara 40 Parsvasutra 4 1 Pundarika Purna Kalasa Puskarani Puspakantha Pitha Pattaka 42 Prachadana Pratikarna Pratima Pratibhadra 43 Pratoli Pratyanga Same as 553 udakantara i e. a canal, a spout, a water-course When the moulding Bhadra is further divided at the corner the division is said to be a Parsvasutra and the remaining portion of bhadra is called subhadra Same as Balanaka vase of plenty, pot and foliage capital of the pillar Sacred pool or Tank a conrnice having flower designed engraved on it a basement, a solid substructure, the upper surface of which forms the floor of the building a lower surface of the moulding same as achhadana, a roof Same as Pratibhadra below an image, on idol a projection between the Karna and bhadra i. e. an additional projection between them. a gateway, sometimes provided with a flight of steps. a minor limb. a srnga-like moulding placed between the Rekha or profile of the main Sikhara and that of the urusringa a quarter Sikhara like turret attached to the main sikhara 40. Local term Khala 41. Otherwise known as Parsvabhadra also 42. Local term Talancho, Petun, Padakhun 43. Also known as Pratiratha, Local term Padharo
554 Pradaksina. } Pradaksina-patha Pranala Pranali Pranalika Prastara 44 Prakara Praggriva 45 Prangana The Structural Temples of Gujarat a circumambulatory passage arround a shrine a drain, a conduit also the drip or channellike part of the pedestal (Jaladhari) of the linga (phallus ) the entablature, It comprises the parts of an order above a column or pillar. an Enclosure, a fance, a rampart, a balustrade of stone the porch, pillared portico also Gavaksa and window a court-yard Pranapratistha a rite of installing a deity Prasada Falana Balanaka± 7 Bijapuraka 4* Bhadra a temple recessed angles; offset projections, lateral projections, alternate projected and recessed chases a raised platform, a square mandapa or pavilion at the entrance of a temple served as musicial chamber the uppermost part of Andaka, having the shape of the Bijora fruit a moulding, lateral projection, flat face or facet of the ground plan, buttress or facet of the Sikhara 44. Also known as Prahara The local term Pahada or Padha 45. Also a door (Vishvakarma Prakasha Vedic Index, 61) 47. also known as Pudarika The Local term Nagarkhanu, Takorakhanu. 48. Local term: Dodalo.
Glossory Bharani Bhaga Bhara Bharaputalika Bhuja Karna Bhupariksa Bhuma Bhumika Bhusana Bhitti Bhita Bhitta Bhrama Bhramana Bhramani 49 Makara 555 moulding above the shaft of a pillar part, division beam, cross beam, support female-shaped bracket-like moulding i. e. Salabhanjika same as Karna testing the site and soil where a temple is to be constructed a storey, a floor ornamentation a wall The lower most moulding below pitha i. e. basement enclosing cloister a covered arcade ambulatory, same as Pradaksina, circumambulatory passage a conventional decorative detail ornamentation used in one of the mouldings of a mandovara same as Sikhara, spire Mancika 50 Manjari Mandapa a hall, a prayer hall Mandovara Manibandha the exterior wall of a temple a pearl shaped moulding usually placed at the projecting end of the Chadyakuta 49. Local term : Bhamati 50. Local term: Manchi, Machi
556 Mattavarana Matalamba Madala Mandarakad 1 Mandarika Masuraka Maha-Mandapa Mukha Mulanayaka Mulanasika Yaksa Yaksini Yasti Ranga-mandapa Ratha Rathaka Rajasena 52 Rajasenaka Rekha Lahara Linga The Structural Temples of Gujarat parapet, a railing a niche over Bhadra a braket below a niche, window or Gvaksa a central half-round member of a udumbara or threshold socle, A structure consisting of mandapa and transepts ( aisle) on all its three sides the face, front portion, the front side, facade the main pratima or idol in the sanctum (always at the centre ), the principal deity same as Karna a class of demi-Gods or semi-Divine beings a class of demi Goddesses a shaft of a pillar a hall for music, dance and drama } facet, ressaut (like Bhadra, Pratiratha etc.) } a basement like portion of a seat attached to the pillars of mandapa the vertical curve of a temple spire or profile of a spire succession of waves, corbel, series of waves the genital organ of Siva, worshipped in the form of phallus, the emblemetical phallus of Siva 51. Local term / Manu 52. Local term Sarvavasiyanu (Brss. Ill, 295, p. 112)
Glossory Lupa 53 Lupa Varaha Vasati Vajithara Vatayana Vyala 54 Vyali Vastu Vahana Vitana 5 5 } 557 a sloping and projecting member of the entablature the boar incarnation of Visnu a Jain temple same as Asvathara window leogryphon, lion-griffin The moulding decorated with lions, with the trunk of an elephant, hippopotamus-like creature in ornamentation building architecture in the broadest sense a vehicle dome, a roof or a ceiling of the mandapa, a cushion, a canopy Vidyadhara a class of demi gods Vidyadevi a class of demi goddesses Viraha Kantha Viloka Visvakarma Vihara Vedi Vedika same as ucchalaka an open mandapa the divine architect patron of the craftsman, prominent exponent of the Nagara school of Architecture monastery an altar, ritual edifice, a stand, a pedestal base as well as dwarf wall of the mandapa or a porch 53. Local terms: Lambana, Lumbo, Lambosio, Lumbi 54. Also known as Virala, Varalika, Local term, Yali 55. Also known as Karotaka. Local term 'Ghumata ', ' Kaladio ' ' Kaladi
The Structural Temples of Gujarat 558 Vedha fault Vanukosa 56 curves of a Sikhara Skandha Samghata Stambha 57 Sthapati Samadala Saptamatr Saptamatrka Sabha Mandapa shoulder course (Pitha )-basement a post, a pillar, a column, a vertical support, The shaft from kumbhi to bharani is the stambha proper. master builder, an architect equal in length and breadth nemely-Brahmani, Mahesvari, the seven mothers, represented by seven goddesses, Kaumari, Vaisnavi, Mahendri, Varahi and Camundi. the open hall of the temple, (also known as Ranga-mandapa, Khela-mandapa) Samvarna 58 stepped-out superstructure adorned bell-shaped ornamentation with Sarvatobhadra Salilantara Sukanasa Sukanasika. Sundika 5 Subhadra Sutra Sringa a Srnga having Nava (nine) andakas same as Udakantara. the part of the Sikhara looking like the parrot nose, the lower (vestibule like) half part of a tower Handrail to a stair case. a central additional projection to projection measure of length 56. Local Term, Vanarasiya 57. Local term, Thambhalo, Tekana S 8. Local term 'Samarana' to bhadra
Glossory Sutradhara an architect Stupa a Buddhist 559 Simha Karna Sopana Sakti Sanku Sankusthapana Sankhadvara 60 Sakha Salabhanjika Sala 6 1 Sikhara Sirsa 6 2 Siravati Silpa Sastra Srivatsa Sringa sacred relics arch-key monument erected to hold flight of steps, stairs, stair-case ladder female divinity A stake, a post, a peg, a pole, a measuring rod. the gnomon by means of which the cardinal points are ascribed for the orientation of buildings. the placing of Sanku same as Candrasila same as Dvara Sakha the door frame, the jamb semidivine female figure usually placed as a bracket of the pillar Pada, compartments of ground plan, Tala, parts of Tala the spire or tower of a temple, the top, an apex, the lower part of the finial, the tapering superstructure capital, upper portion of column or pilaster one of the upper-most members of pillar the science of architecture Sringa having one andaka 59. Local term 'Hathani '. 60. Local term Sankhavata 61. Local term Gala 62. Local term Sira.
560 Sringa Harmika Hasta 63 Hiragraha (Ka) The Structural Temples of Gujarat A peak, ordinarily it forms a secondry spire, the Sikhara being the principal one, the miniature Sikhara, a railed pavilion a cubit, a measure generally equal to 24 angulas or 18 inches, the standard measurement employed in Indian architecture corbels (brackets) which hold the lower tenons or bracket figures usually Gandharvas 63. Local term 'Hatha', 'Gaja'