Tag vimana

The sanctum together with its superstructure (from the upapitham to the stupi; (vimana, Tamil: விமானம்);

‘chariot of the gods’ – main tower of temple, considered to be a divine aerial palace inhabited by the gods; also applied to temple as a whole

Shrine, from upana to stupi (base to finial), the whole shrine consisting of adhishthana (basement), pada (pillars) or bhitti (walls), prastara (entablature), griva (neck or clerestory), sikhara (head or roof) and stupi (finial) in the case of simple vimana’s (ekatala);

with tala’s (storeys) intervening between the lowermost prastara below and the griva, sikhara and stupi above in storeyed vimanas.

adhishthana

(also adhishthanam, Tamil: அதிஷ்டானம்) moulded basement usually resting on an upapitam (also upapita); Basement of a vimana, a mandapa or similar structure, forming a distinct architectural feature supporting walls and pilasters or pillars, and consisting of distinct moulded tiers.

adhishthanam

(also adhishthana, Tamil: அதிஷ்டானம்) moulded basement usually resting on an upapitam (also upapita); Basement of a vimana, a mandapa or similar structure, forming a distinct architectural feature supporting walls and pilasters or pillars, and consisting of distinct moulded tiers.

alpa-vimana

Small, one-storeyed vimana. The parts are adhishthana, bhitti or pada prastara, griva, sikhara and stupi. It is usually without a hara.

amalaka

(also amalasara or amalasila), Ribbed, lenticular or globoid part resembling the amalaka (Indian gooseberry fruit) crowning the top of the northern-style sikhara as its characteristic; also adopted as the top of the Kadamba-Chalukya forms, sometimes as an alternativ to the… Continue Reading →

amalasara

(also amalaka or amalasila), Ribbed, lenticular or globoid part resembling the amalaka (Indian gooseberry fruit) crowning the top of the northern-style sikhara as its characteristic; also adopted as the top of the Kadamba-Chalukya forms, sometimes as an alternativ to the… Continue Reading →

amalasila

(also amalaka or amalasara), Ribbed, lenticular or globoid part resembling the amalaka (Indian gooseberry fruit) crowning the top of the northern-style sikhara as its characteristic; also adopted as the top of the Kadamba-Chalukya forms, sometimes as an alternativ to the… Continue Reading →

anarpita-hara

String of miniature shrine (hara) on the edge of each vimana tala, distinct from the body of the upper tala or storey, with intervening space (opposite of arpita-hara).

arpita-hara

Hara or string of miniature shrines on the edge of each vimana tala that is applique to the body (harmya) of the upper tala or storey without any intervening space (opposite of anarpita-hara).

ayatasra-vimana

Vimana, oblong on plan and covered by a wagon-top roof.

aytana

Shrine

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)

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).

chatur-mukha

Shrine or vimana opening on all four sides.

devakoshtha

Niche on walls of shrines and mandapa’s containing sculpture of deities (their occupants are called vimana-devata – parsva-devata in Kalinga); often crowned by torana or shrine motif, kuta sala, panjara, or kudu, or udgama.

gala

Literally neck: part between the topmost tala of the vimana and the sikhara; usually the clerestory raising up the roof (sikhara) with light and air-openings (nasika’s) on its side in the vimana types. The neck is below the amalaka in… Continue Reading →

griva

(griva, Tamil: கிரீவா) Literally neck: part between the topmost tala of the vimana and the sikhara; usually the clerestory raising up the roof (sikhara) with light and air-openings (nasika’s) on its side in the vimana types. The neck is below… Continue Reading →

hara

String of miniature shrines over each terrace (tala) of the storeyed vimana consisting of kuta’s, koshtha’s or sala’s and panjara’s, interconnected by cloister-lenghts or balustrades simulating cloisters (harantara).; necklace

harantara

String of miniature shrines over each terrace (tala) of the storeyed vimana consisting of kuta’s, koshtha’s or sala’s and panjara’s, interconnected by cloister-lenghts or balustrades simulating cloisters (harantara).

karna-kuta

(also karnakudu, Tamil: கர்ணகூடு) Miniatur sama-chaturasra (square) shrine at the corner of each storey of the vimana over the prastara, with a single stupi. It is rarely vritta (circular) or ashtasra (octagonal) on plan.

karnakudu

(also karna-kuta, Tamil: கர்ணகூடு) Miniatur sama-chaturasra (square) shrine at the corner of each storey of the vimana over the prastara, with a single stupi. It is rarely vritta (circular) or ashtasra (octagonal) on plan.

koyil

literally ‘abode of the lord/king’; Koil or Kovil or Koyil (Tamil: கோயில்), (meaning: residence of God) is the Tamil term for a distinct style of Hindu temple with Dravidian architecture.

kuta

(also kutam) square ornamental pavilion on the storeys of the vimana (cf. sala, salai and nasi); Shrine of square plan (sama-chaturasra) with four-sided converging roof and single finial, or circular or octagonal with domical roof and single finial, or stupi.

kutam

(also kuta) square ornamental pavilion on the storeys of the vimana (cf. sala, salai and nasi); Shrine of square plan (sama-chaturasra) with four-sided converging roof and single finial, or circular or octagonal with domical roof and single finial, or stupi.

mahanasika

Projected nose-like part from the side of the griva and sikhara showing the frontal aspects of apsidal vimana’s and having pillars with surmounting arched torana’s.

parsva-devata

sculpture of a deity placed in a niche on the outer wall of the garbhagriha or on the upper tala of the vimana

ranga-mandapa

Equivalent of navaranga, corresponding th the maha-mandapa of southern vimana temples.

sala

(also salai), rectangular ornamental panjara (panchara) with wagon-roof, on the storeys of the vimana; a hut-shaped, barrel-roofed pavilion (cf. kuta and nasi)

sala-shrine

Vimana of ayatasra type (oblong on plan) with barrel-vault roof and a series of stupi on its ridge.

salai

(Old Tamil: சாலை, Modern Tamil: சாலை, also sala), rectangular ornamental panjara (panchara) with wagon-roof, on the storeys of the vimana; a hut-shaped, barrel-roofed pavilion (cf. kuta and nasi)

sikhara

(also sikaram, Tamil: சிகரம்) top-covering of the vimana, above the griva; the crown; of various shapes such as square, bulbous, octagonal and wagon-roof; Roof of the vimana over the griva, domical or four-sided with a single finial, vaulted with many… Continue Reading →

stupi

(also stupika, Tamil: ஸ்தூபி) Finial, morphologically the ushnisha, taking in later times the form of a purna ghata or purna kumbha, forming the topmost or ultimate member of the vimana, gopura or any other structure.; pot-shaped crowning element over the… Continue Reading →

stupika

(also stupi, Tamil: ஸ்தூபி) Finial, morphologically the ushnisha, taking in later times the form of a purna ghata or purna kumbha, forming the topmost or ultimate member of the vimana, gopura or any other structure.; pot-shaped crowning element over the… Continue Reading →

sukanasa

(also sukanasika or sukhanasi), Integral forward projection of the tiers of the superstructure below the griva and amalaka level in northern prasada’s coming over the antarala and forming its roof; has a nasika front, enclosing bas-relief sculptures inside the arch…. Continue Reading →

sukanasika

(also sukanasa or sukhanasi), Integral forward projection of the tiers of the superstructure below the griva and amalaka level in northern prasada’s coming over the antarala and forming its roof; has a nasika front, enclosing bas-relief sculptures inside the arch…. Continue Reading →

tala

the storeys (cf. bhumi) of the vimana or gopura; a unit of measurement for images (tala, Tamil: தாலா)

trikuta

Pillar or pilaster supporting torana; three vimana’s connected by a common adhishthana in a line or placed round a common mandapa, as in Chalukyan types.

trikutachala-torana-stambha

Pillar or pilaster supporting torana; three vimana’s connected by a common adhishthana in a line or placed round a common mandapa, as in Chalukyan types.

upana

(also upanam, Tamil: உபானம்) Lowermost part or footing of the basement or adhishthana, projecting beyond the vertical norm and surmounted by the jagati. It forms the lowermost visible part of the vimana, the uppermost limit of the same being the… Continue Reading →

upanam

(also upana, Tamil: உபானம்) Lowermost part or footing of the basement or adhishthana, projecting beyond the vertical norm and surmounted by the jagati. It forms the lowermost visible part of the vimana, the uppermost limit of the same being the… Continue Reading →

upapita

(also upapitam, Tamil: உபபீடம்) the basement below the adhishthanam (also adhishthana); Additional moulded platform or sub-base below the basement or adhishthana with mouldings repeating thos of the adhishthana, or often reduced in number or simpler.

upapitam

(also upapita, Tamil: உபபீடம்) the basement below the adhishthanam (also adhishthana); Additional moulded platform or sub-base below the basement or adhishthana with mouldings repeating thos of the adhishthana, or often reduced in number or simpler.

vihara

Buddhist monastery; in India especially associated with rock-cut halls

vimana

The sanctum together with its superstructure (from the upapitam to the stupi); (vimana, Tamil: விமானம்); ‘chariot of the gods’ – main tower of temple, considered to be a divine aerial palace inhabited by the gods; also applied to temple as… Continue Reading →

vimana-devata

sculpture of a deity placed in a niche on the outer wall of the garbhagriha or on the upper tala of the vimana

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