History of Architecture: Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the architectural history, religious traditions, and terminology of the Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka.

Makrana marble

A type of white marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor, famously used in the Taj Mahal.

Soapstone

A volcanic potstone and metamorphic rock of talc schist used as a building material.

Trimurti

The triad of three supreme Hindu gods consisting of Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), and Shiva (destroyer).

Varna

The hierarchical social class system in Hindu society comprising Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras, and Untouchables.

Digambaras

Meaning "sky clad" or naked, a group of Jain monks who carry asceticism to the point of rejecting even clothing.

Shvetambaras

Meaning "white clad", a group of Jain monks who wear simple white robes.

Derasar or Basadi

Jain temples distinguished by the extraordinary richness and complexity of their sculptural ornament.

Theravada

The "lesser vehicle" branch of Buddhism that remains faithful to ancient rules.

Mahayana

The "greater vehicle" branch of Buddhism characterized by the worship of bodhisattvas or creatures of charity.

Stupa

A domical mound serving as the principal Buddhist symbol of worship, used as a place of burial or a receptacle for religious relics.

Gurdwara

A Sikh place of worship.

Nishan Sahib

A saffron-colored triangular flag bearing the khanda hoisted outside a Gurdwara.

Mergarh

Neolithic site in Pakistan considered the first urban civilization of South Asia and the earliest known center of agriculture.

Vihara

Monasteries that served as residences for Buddhist priests, intended for congregational prayer and religious services.

Anda

The hemispheric dome or mound of a stupa symbolizing the sky, womb, or fertile earth, which contains a seed or relic.

Harmika

The square pedestal positioned on top of the stupa dome.

Chatra

A wooden or stone parasol or umbrella atop a stupa symbolizing protection from suffering and harmful forces.

Vedika

A stone-framed railing placed around the Harmika and Medhi of a stupa.

Torana

Ornamental gateways placed at the four cardinal directions around a stupa.

Pradakshina-patha

The pathway for walking clockwise around a stupa or shrine as an act of devotion and meditation.

Stambhas / Lats

Freestanding pillars symbolizing the world axis, with circular, octagonal, or square shafts made of polished sandstone or metal.

Mandala

A generic name for a plan that represents a sacred diagram of the cosmos and expresses sacred geometry.

Vastu Purusha Mandala

The sacred mathematical plan used to design and lay out Hindu temples according to the cardinal directions and the heavens.

Sthapatis

Priest-architects who design and construct Hindu temples based on Agamic scriptures.

Shilpa Shastra

The traditional science of arts and crafts, encompassing sculpture, painting, carpentry, pottery, jewelry, dyeing, and textiles.

Vastu Shastra

The traditional science of architecture, covering houses, forts, temples, and town planning.

Garbhagriha

The inner sanctum or womb chamber that houses the main deity, symbolically representing the heart or neck of the divine body.

Shikhara/Vimanam

The tower rising above the Garbhagriha, representing Mount Meru and symbolizing the head of the divine body.

Amalaka

A ridged stone disk placed at the top of the temple Shikhara.

Kalasha

The decorative finial placed directly above the Amalaka atop a Hindu temple tower.

Gopuram

An ornate monumental entrance gateway tower common in South Indian/Dravidian temple complexes, symbolically representing the feet.

Mandapa

The main pillared hall of a Hindu temple used for worship, gatherings, education, and community activities, symbolizing the body.

Antarala

The vestibule or intermediate chamber connecting the Garbhagriha to the Mandapa.

Dvarapalas

Sculpted door keepers positioned at the entrance of the Garbhagriha.

Pushkarni

Stepped wells characteristic of Western Chalukya architecture used for ritual bathing.

Kalyanamantapa

An ornate open pillared marriage hall found in Vijayanagara temple complexes.

Panchayatana

A temple layout scheme featuring a central primary shrine surrounded symmetrically by four subsidiary shrines.

Bada

The lowest vertical section of an Orissan temple made of horizontal mouldings that provide stability, representing the feet.

Gandi

The trunk or main body of an Orissan temple tower, decorated with miniature architectural motifs.

Mastaka

The apex or head of an Orissan temple, capped with an Amalaka.

Vesara Style

A hybrid style of temple architecture originating in Karnataka that combines Nagara and Dravidian architectural features.

Tirtha

A sacred pilgrimage site in Jainism and Hinduism, originating from the Sanskrit word for "a shallow part of a body of water."

Shikhar-bandhi

A primary type of Jain temple distinguished by a superstructure tower or dome and a main sanctuary.

Ghar Jain Temple

A Jain home temple constructed without an exterior dome.

Charbagh

A consistent Mughal four-quadrant garden layout plan divided by walkways or flowing water.

Diwan-i-Aam

The public audience hall in Mughal palaces where the emperor received commoners and heard their petitions.

Indo-Saracenic Style

A colonial architectural style that combined traditional Hindu, Islamic, and Western architectural elements.

Dagoba

A Sri Lankan domical Buddhist stupa built to enshrine sacred relics.

Saririka

The bodily physical relics of Gautama Buddha enshrined within a dagoba.

Paribhogika

Objects physically used by or intimately associated with the Buddha.

Udesika

Sacred symbolic or representative objects and icons representing Buddhism.

Vatadage

A circular Sri Lankan relic house with a roof, four entrances, and four Buddha images positioned toward the cardinal directions.

Sandakada Pahana

A carved semicircular stone slab (moonstone) placed at the entrances and base of staircases in ancient Sri Lankan architecture.

Magul Maduwa

The Royal Audience Hall of the hill kingdom in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Dalada Maligawa

The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic located in Kandy, Sri Lanka.