Category Architectural elements

All architectural elements of the temples

bahya-bhitti

Outermost wall of a multipled-walled sanctum or storey (opposite of antara-bhitti).

balipitham

(also balipitha, Tamil: பலிபீடம்) altar for the placing of offerings to deities. It is generally built in the shape of a blossoming lotus, erected near the main entrance of a temple.

bhadra

Central reliefed 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 center of each side of the hara over the storeys of the vimana.

bhitti

the wall (cf. kal)

bhitti-torana

Ornamental festoon on the wall, usually a makara-torana supported by two pilasters (cf. torana, makara-torana).

bhumi

the storeys (cf. tala); Stage in the curvilinear superstructure (sikhara) or anda of a northern-style temple, often marked off at the corners by compressed amalaka’s – the karna-malakas or bhumia-malakas (bhumi, Tamil: பூமி).

bhuta

goblin

bhuta-gana

dwarfish goblin

bodhika

(also bodigai, Tamil: போதிகை) a corbel surmounting the capital of a pillar, like the pushpa-bodhika, ‘corbel of flower-pattern’

bodigai

a corbel surmounting the capital of a pillar, like the pushpa-bodhika, ‘corbel of flower-pattern’ (cf. bodhika, Tamil: போதிகை)

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