Sabha mandapa of Vijaya Vitthala temple; Hampi, Karnataka, India. Photograph: Vyacheslav Argenberg (2011), Wikimedia Commons

A pillared hallway characteristic of Dravida temple architecture, used for rituals, gatherings and marriage ceremonies. A temple may have one or more mandapas. In smaller temples, the mandapa is usually attached to the main shrine like a verandah, while in larger temples, it may be detached and located elsewhere in the temple complex.