GLOSSARY OF ARCHITECTURAL TERMS

is glossary of Sanskrit-based architectural terms appropriate to Nāgara temple architecture is based on one provided in the Encylopaedia of Indian Temple Archi- tecture, Meister/Dhaky/Deva 1988. While I have minimized the use of this terminol- ogy in this text, I would encourage readers to become familiar with it as a means of understanding the temple’s form.

āmalaka ‘myrobolan fruit’; crowning member of latina Nāgara temples an&d&a ‘egg’; spire anekān&d&aka ‘not one-spired’; multi-spired anƳga principal vertical or horizontal division of temple structure antarāla covered space in front of sanctum door antarapat&t&a recessed band between mouldings as&t&amanƳgala eight auspicious symbols āyāgapat&a decorated Jain altar bālapañjara vertical recess between corner and •anking bands of some latina superstructures, decorated with pañjara niches and pillarets bhadra central wall-division; o–set bhadrāvalocana open or screened balcony used as central o–set, usually of a sāndhāra temple bhit&t&a plinth course bhūmi ‘earth’, level; storey bhūmi-āmalaka ribbed stone marking each storey of a Nāgara superstructure bhūmi-khan&d&a platform-segment made up of cornices supportingbhūmi-āmalaka bhūmi-prāsāda square temple-type with simple storeys of cornices bodhisattva Buddha-to-be caitya object used as focus of worship; barrel-vaulted hall with stūpa; dormer-window decorative motif cakra wheel, discus; focus of meditation candraśālā dormer-window decorative motif catus&kī unit/bay of four pillars cippikā minor cyma moulding dhotī wound-cloth lower garment dvaja sceptre dvi-anƳga having two planes of o–set (a triratha wall) ghan&t&ā bell-shaped œnial garbha womb garbhagr&ha womb-chamber, sanctum ghat&apallava vase-and-foliage motif gūd&haman&d&apa closed hall jagatī plinth; basement platform jāla grille; grilled window jāli mesh design jambu tree, probably Jackfruit jambu-dvaja sceptre with Jackfruit pattern; tree at center of human-inhabited southern continent in early cosmography Jambudvīpa southern inhabited continent in early cosmography jīrn&oddhār sacred rebuilding, replacement kalaśa pot-shaped torus moulding; pot-shaped œnial 80     kañjūr sedimentary tua stone kapota quarter-round moulding kapotapālī cyma-eave cornice karn&a corner wall-division karn&āmalaka cornerāmalaka in Nāgara superstructure karn&a-kūt&a square corner aedicula of superstructure khan&d&a segment of curved spire; bhūmi-khansee &d&a khura bottom ‘hoof’ moulding of vedībandha kīrttimukha ‘face of glory’ decorative motif kumbha high base moulding with curved shoulder above khura kūt&a square aedicula kūt&ina superstructure-type with corner aediculae latā ‘creeper’; vertical band or spine of śikhara latina superstructure-type with vertical spines linƳga ‘sign’; pillar-like emblem of Śiva madhalatā middle band of śikhara man&d&ala diagram used for planning or meditation man&d&apa pillared hall man&d&ir temple mih&rāb central niche on the back wall of a mosque marking the direction of Mecca mela fair, festival minār tower mūlaprāsāda central temple in a complex Nāgara generic name for temples with a variety of North-Indian spires (pri- marily latina and śekhari) navān&d&aka nine spired pañcān&d&aka ”ve spired pañcaratna ”ve ‘jeweled’; pañcān&d&aka pañjara niche pattern resembling front of an apsidal shrine; central band of a latina tower; see bālapañjara panƳkti register supporting lower towers of ananekān d&&akaśikhara pan&n&a-pacchi Prakrit: ‘full pouch’ phāmƳsanā pyramidal roof-type; wedge-shaped tier of pyramidal roof-type prāggrīva walled space in front of sanctum prāsāda ‘palace, mansion’; temple pratibhadra sub-oset ˜anking bhadra pratilatā band in latina śikhara ˜anking madhyalatā pratiratha wall-oset between karn&a andbhadra pūrn&aghat&a vase-of-plenty decorative motif pus&pa ˜ower pus¶tna ˜oral diamond decorative motif ratna ‘jewel’; later Bangali type of temple ribāt& outpost ‘dedicated to the monastic and missionary ”ghters of the faith’ sāndhāra having an enclosed ambulatory śekharī compacted multi-spired Nāgara superstructure śikhara ‘top-knot’; spire, superstructure; in South India, the domed structure crowning the temple’s storeys skamba prop, support, pillar; fulcrum of the universe śr&nƳga spirelet sthānakvāsī non-temple-worshiping sthānu immovable trunk, stake, post, pillar