The Hindu Temple v1.c9.s5.44

v1.c9.s5.44

¹³ A plan indicating the position of the images (and shrines) of the Parivāradevatās within a Viṣṇu temple of 7 enclosures is drawn by T. A. Gopinatha Rao, ‘Elements of Hindu Iconography’, Pt. ii, vol. I, Appendix A. The images are assigned to the 4 quarters and the intermediate directions and also to points in the middle or at other regular intervals between the quarters and sub-quarters. From there, diagonally towards the centre the images are placed. While the image occupies the Brahmā-part (Brahmabhāga) in a Garbhagṛha whose side is divided into seven (‘Agnipurāṇa’, LX. 1 f.), the Liṅga should not be placed exactly in the centre of the Garbhagṛha but slightly north-east of it at the distance of half a barley corn or a barley corn (yava) in order to avoid the piercing (vedha) of the centre (‘Agnipurāṇa’, XCVII. 4-5). By this slight deviation the rules of the Vāstupuruṣamaṇḍala are obeyed and mechanical symmetry is being avoided.