Garbhagriha
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Garbhagriha or garbha griha ( Devanagari : गर्भगॄह garbhagṛha ; also known as srikovil in Kerala ) forms the innermost sanctum (sanctum) of an Indian temple, which visitors are not allowed to enter. Here the cult image of the deity or a lingam are set up, which are honored with offerings during religious ceremonies ( pujas ) , ritually washed and decorated with petals or garlands of flowers.
etymology
The Sanskrit term garbhagriha means something like “womb house” or “mother womb chamber ” ( garbha 'belly, womb'; griha 'house, chamber'). When the term was first used - whether in the early temples made of wood and / or clay, in the cave temples or only in the architecturally differentiated stone temples - has not yet been researched. In many western, especially English-language publications, the Latin words cella and sanctum are often used synonymously with the term garbhagriha .
History and architecture
Indian temples originally only consisted of a windowless room, the entrance of which - as in residential buildings - had no door and was therefore always open. Entering the temple in which the cult image or the lingam was presented was reserved exclusively for the priestly caste ( Brahmins ), who made the offerings of the believers (water, milk, coconut milk, rice, fruits, sugar dishes, etc.) at certain times of the day - because the Gods and / or the Brahmins also had their times of rest - receiving on the threshold and setting up before the deity. After the blessing by the deity, parts of the sacrificial foods were distributed to the believers again ( prasad ) . Often the believers waited in the scorching heat, in extreme sunlight or in heavy rain ( monsoons ) for a long time in the open air. This condition was unacceptable in the long run and often prevented the believers from visiting the temple. Such problems could easily be remedied by an open canopy - originally probably resting on wooden supports and covered with foliage.
In addition - analogous to the Buddhist conversion ceremony ( pradakshina ) - the tradition of ritual circumnavigation of the temple developed, which often suffered from the same adverse weather conditions. Here, too, wooden constructions helped (e.g. the Dashavatara temple in Deogarh or the so-called Gupta temple in Gop). In a later phase, the different components (sanctum, vestibule and conversion hall) were visually and structurally more closely harmonized and combined into a single structure in which the components merge almost seamlessly (see Kalika Mata temple in Chittorgarh ).
Since then, the actual, mostly square sanctum of the temple, the garbhagriha , has only been a small part of the footprint of an Indian temple. It is often separated from the other components by a door threshold and is also usually slightly raised (see Lakshmana Temple and Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in Khajuraho or Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar ). Your only entrance is on the east side, facing the sun. The lack of windows and extensive lack of decoration in the dark room were retained. On the outside, the garbhagriha was elevated by a high Shikhara tower, the side towers ( urushringas ) of which took on static support functions and at the same time formed the roof for the conversion path (pradakshinapatha) - now inside the building .
symbolism
The garbhagriha with the deity temporarily present in it was - also the German translation suggests - understood as the origin / source of all life. The Shikhara tower and the garbhagriha underneath with its cult image also form a kind of vertical line that is often equated with the cosmic axis or the world axis ( axis mundi ) .
Others
Today the garbhagrihas of many unguarded or still operating temples are closed by wooden doors or iron bars for fear of vandalism . They are only opened by the Brahmin at the beginning of the puja ceremonies and then locked again.
literature
- George Michell: The Hindu Temple. Architecture of a world religion. DuMont, Cologne 1991, ISBN 3-7701-2770-6 , p. 76ff.