The Hindu Temple v1.c8.s3.10

v1.c8.s3.10

⁴⁵ As a railing fences in the sacred ground, so does the corresponding portion of the wall (vedi, vedikā) of a structure. In this sense it is an ‘enclosing’ wall (Coomaraswamy, ‘Yakṣas’, Pt. I, p. 22). The term Vedi is thus not used for a definite architectural shape; it indicates its relative lower position in the whole structure. It denotes also the lower portion of any vertical unit, such as those of the Bhūmis or storeys ; (‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’, LXII ; ‘Mānasāra’, XXII). Vedi is also the name of the highest part of the trunk of a North Indian Śikhara ; the superstructure of the temple. In this application the meaning of sacred ground or altar prevails. On this ‘High Altar’ is placed the finial of the temple (see note 47). The name for the enclosure or enclosing wall around the whole sacred precinct, etc. is Prākāra.