Garbhagriha

Garbhagriha garbha griha or ( Devanagari: गर्भगॄह garbhagṛha; referred to Kerala as srikovil ) forms the innermost sanctuary ( Sanctum ) of an Indian temple, which may not be accessed by believers. Here the cult image of the deity or a Lingam are situated, will be honored in religious ceremonies ( pujas ) with offerings, ritually washed and decorated with flower petals or garlands of flowers.

Etymology

The Sanskrit term that were found garbhagriha means " womb house" or " womb chamber " ( garbha, stomach, womb '; griha, house, chamber '). When the term first found use - whether in the early temples of wood and / or clay in the cave temples or only at the architecturally sophisticated stone temples - is not explored so far. In many Western, particularly English-language publications are the Latin words cella sanctum and often used synonymously with the term garbhagriha.

History and Architecture

Indian temples were originally only from a windowless room whose input - as in domestic premises - had no door and thus always stood open. Entering the temple, where the cult image or Lingam presented was only the caste of priests ( Brahmins ) reserved for the offerings of the faithful (water, milk, coconut milk, rice, fruit, sugar, food, etc.) at certain times of the day - which for gods and / or the Brahmins had their rest periods - on the threshold of counter measures and lined up in front of the deity. Parts of the food offerings were - according to the blessing of the deity - back to the faithful distributed ( prasad ). Often the faithful waited in the blazing heat, extreme sunlight or during heavy rainfall ( monsoon ) extended periods of time outdoors. This condition was not reasonably on time and kept the faithful often by a visit to the temple from. By a - probably originally on wooden pillars resting and lined with foliage - open porch and such problems could easily fix.

In addition formed - similar to the Buddhist conversion ceremony ( pradakshina ) - the tradition of the ritual circumambulation of the temple out who had to suffer many times under the same adverse weather conditions. Managed Again, wooden constructions remedy ( for example, when Dashavatara temple in Deogarh or the so-called Gupta Temple at Gop ). In a later phase, the different components ( Sanctum, porch and hall conversion ) were visually and structurally more harmonized and consolidated into a single building, in which the components almost seamlessly into one another ( cf. Kalika Mata Temple in Chittorgarh ).

Since then, formed the actual, usually square sanctum of the temple, the garbhagriha structurally only a small part of the base of an Indian temple building. It is often compared to the other components defined by a threshold and, moreover, usually slightly increased (see Lakshmana Temple and Kandariya Mahadeva Temple at Khajuraho or Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneswar ). Its only entrance is on the east side, facing the sun. The windowlessness and far-reaching austerity of the dark space have been retained. Outside the garbhagriha was exaggerated by a high shikhara tower, whose lateral accompanying towers ( urushringas ) took over static support functions, but also the same roof for the - now lying in the interior of the building - conversion path ( pradakshinapatha ) formed.

Symbolism

The garbhagriha with the deity at times it was present - even the German translation implies, is - as the origin / source of all life understood. The shikhara tower and underneath garbhagriha with her cult statue moreover form a kind of vertical line, which is often equated with the cosmic axis or the world axis ( axis mundi ).

Others

Today the garbhagrihas many unguarded or still in operation temple for fear of vandalism are closed by wooden doors or iron grille gates. They are opened only at the beginning of the puja ceremonies by the Brahmins and then locked again.