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.
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Shamiana
A ceremonial tent or awning featuring removable walls that consist typically of decorated or coloured cloth. They were used by…
Shaft
The portion of a column or pier located between the base and the capital to support the structure. It is…
Panchayatana
A layout in traditional Hindu temple architecture in which the central shrine is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines, each at…
Mahamandapa
A pillared pavilion or hall found in Dravida temples. Typically the largest mandapa (pavilion) of the temple, the mahamandapa serves…
Agastya Teertha
A manmade lake in the vicinity of the Badami Cave Temples, it constructed during the reign of the Early Western…
Zenana
A Persian term for private quarters in a house reserved exclusively for women. Originally an extension of the Islamic concept…
stringcourse
Horizontal band running along the exterior surface of a building or a boundary wall, serving aesthetic and sometimes functional purposes.…
Sukhanasa
An ornamental feature in Hindu temple architecture which lies over the entrance to the garbhagriha (the inner shrine). It literally…