The Hindu Temple v1.c8.s3.1

v1.c8.s3.1

Consistent in its completeness and appearance, the Prāsāda is yet not of one origin as is the Vedic altar. Its socle or 'base' (adhiṣṭhāna, pīṭha, etc.), the covered and enclosed chamber (garbha-gṛha) and its superstructure, the support of the finial, are the three main architectural parts in the vertical direction, each of which refers to a different source⁴³. Yet so thoroughly were these parts amalgamated that they constituted the Hindu temple throughout India for about a millennium and a half in preserved structures; a continuous sequence of forms in the various provinces to which each has given its particular impress, whether in its most imposing monuments or unassuming wayside shrines.