Archives Glossary of special terms

nabhi

navel

Nacchiya Tirumoli

Sacred Words of the Lady (Andal)

naga

serpent demi-god living in the netherworld

naga-angada

an angada with the motif of snakes

naga-bandha

(also nagabandham, Tamil: நாகபந்தம்) a pillar-decoration resembling the hood of a snake; a section having a frieze of naga (cf. hamsa-bandhana)

naga-valaya

wristlet with a frieze of nagas

naga-yajnasutra

snakes twisted to form the sacred thread or yajnopavita

nagakucha-bandha

breast band composed of a snake

nagaram

merchant township

nagarattar

merchants

Naishadhiya-carita

Life of Nala, king of Nishadha

nakh-sikh

toe-nail to crest

nalvar

‘Revered Four’ Shaivite poet-saints – the muvar and Manikkavachakar

nandi

also known as Nandikeshvara or Nandideva, is the bull vahana (mount) of the Hindu god Shiva. Almost all Shiva temples display stone-images of a seated Nandi, generally facing the main shrine. (nandi, Tamil: நந்தி) ‘joyful’ – calf-bull associated with Shiva… Continue Reading →

nanudal

part of the bodigai or bodhika

nasi

interspace between sala and kuta in the tala of the vimana

nasika

‘Nose’; projected arched opening (window), (cf. alpanasika, kshudranasika, mahanasika and sukanasika). In Kerala temples it is called kilivasal or or parrot-beak entrances.

nataka-salai

dance hall

natya-mandapa

dance hall (cf. nritta-mandapa)

natya-shastra

treatise on drama

navagraha

nine planets

navaranga

Mandapa with four pillars surrounding a central bay, twelve more on the periphery in alignment with the central pillars, enclosing eight more bays, surrounding the central one and making nine bays in all; characteritic of Chalukyan temples and their derivatives.

navatala

Measurement of images by nine tālas

navavadhu

newly wedded bride

navodha

newly-wed

nayaka

hero

nayanmar

saintly devotee of Shiva; in the singular, the term is ‘nayanar’

nayika

heroine

nayika-bheda

classification of heroines

nida

Miniature apsidal shrine; same as panjara.

nilai

storeys of a gopura; (plural: nilais, Old Tamil: நிலை, Modern Tamil: நிலை)

nilotpalam

a long tubular flower

nirandhara

Devoid of a closed circuit or ambulatory round the cella, the wall of the cella being single and thick (as opposed to sandhara).

nityavinoda

a royal title, lit. perennial entertainment

nritta-mandapa

hall of dance (cf. natya-mandapa)

nritta-murti

dancing form

nupura

anklet

nyasa

putting down

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