Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies - DUBOIS, Abbé Hindu Manners, Customs and Ceremonies, Dubois | Page 620

INTERIOR OF THE SHRINK
580
mod
stone figure, either of
by four pillars, a coarsely sculpt
a bull Lying Hat on its belly, or of a lingam, if the temple is
dedicated to Siva
or of the monkey Hanuman, or of the
;
or of the god
serpent Capella, if it is a temple of Vishnu
Vigneshwara or maybe of some other symbol of Hindu
worship. This is the first object which the natives worship
before entering the shrine itself.
The door of the shrine is generally low and narrow, and
it is the only opening which allows a free passage of air
and light from outside, for the use of windows is entirely
unknown in the Peninsula. The interior of the shrine is
habitually shrouded in darkness, or is lighted only by the
feeble nicker of a lamp which burns day and night by the
One experiences a sort of involuntary
side of the idol.
shock on entering one of these dark recesses. The interior
of the shrine is generally divided into two parts, sometimes
The first, which may be called the nave, is
into three.
the largest, and it is here that the worshippers assemble.
The second is called the adytum, or sanctuary, where the
This
idol to whom the shrine is consecrated is placed.
chamber is smaller and much darker than the first. It is
generally kept shut, and the door can be opened only by
;
;
the officiating priest, who, with some of his acolytes, has
alone a right to enter its mysterious precincts for the pur-
pose of washing and dressing the idol and presenting the
offerings of the faithful, such as flowers, incense of sandal-
wood, lighted lamps, fruit, butter-milk, rich apparel, and
jewels.
of the modern Hindu temples are vaulted, but
them have flat roofs supported by several rows of
massive stone pillars, the capitals of which are composed
of two heavy stones crossed, on which are placed the beams,
Some
most
of
also of stone, which extend through the length and breadth
The beams again are covered horizontally
of the building.
with slabs of stone strongly cemented to prevent leakage.
Whether the object be to make these buildings more impos-
ing and solid, or to preserve them from the danger of fire,
wood is never employed except for the doors.
The adytum, or sanctuary, is often constructed with
a dome, but the building as a whole is generally very low,
and this destroys the effect of its proportions in a striking