1.

Abacus

A flat slab or block forming the crowning member of a capital.

2.

Abhaya mudrā

Gesture of protection or reassurance; the open palm is held outwards and the extended fingers point downwards.

3.

Aesthetics

The part of philosophy dealing with the beautiful.

4.

Aisle

The side division in a building where the interior is divided by rows of columns or piers; usually lower and narrower than the central nave.

5.

Ambulatory

Literally, a place where one can walk, like a cloister or covered arcade; or the aisles surrounding the apse.

6.

Aṇḍa

The solid hemisphere forming the body of the stūpa.

7.

Anjali mudrā

A gesture of salutation, with hands folded palm to palm.

8.

Antarāla

(in Sanskrit intermediate space) the narrow vestibule connecting the inner shrine with the hall.

9.

Anthropomorphic

Representation or conception of God under human form, with human attributes and affections.

10.

Apsarā

Female semi-divine being, or nymph whose abode is the sky.

11.

Apse

A recess, mostly semicircular, sometimes polygonal, projecting from the end of a building; usually roofed by a semi-dome.

12.

Architect

A person skilled in architecture, who makes plans and designs for buildings, and supervises the construction.

13.

Architecture

The knowledge and skill of building edifices for public and private needs; different methods and styles of building; building construction in general.

14.

Architrave

Chief beam; the lintel or beam resting on the capitals of the columns.

15.

Āsana (Āsana)

Seat;the manner of sitting.

16.

Aśhram or Aśrama (Āśrama)

Hermitage.

17.

Astylar

(literally, without columns) a treatment of facade, hall or other important positions without columns.

18.

Atibhaṅga

Greatly bent, the tribhaṅga pose greatly emphasised.

19.

Aureole

Halo.

20.

Avadāna

(literally, 'heroic deed') an anthology of legends describing the heroic and pious works of Buddhist saints; stories of past and present lives of Buddhist saints.

21.

Avalokiteśvara

The Bodhisattva who presides over the present era.

22.

Bāhuvalaya

Bracelet on upper arm above elbow.

23.

Baraga

A standing posture with a slight bend, the weight of the body resting more on one leg than on the other.

24.

Bas-relief

French term for low relief.

25.

Beam

A large, long timber, like a squared tree trunk; in architecture, it can be of any material; used as a horizontal structural member placed on two or more supports.

26.

Bhavan

House, mansion.

27.

Bhikṣu or bhikku

Buddhist mendicant or monk.

28.

Bhūmisparśa mudrā

Earth-touching attitude, with the right hand touching the ground; the Buddha's earth-touching gesture, to call earth to witness all his good deeds.

29.

Bodhisattva

An enlightened being who has acquired bodhi (enlightenment) and satva (its very essence) but does not enter into nirvāṇa as he wishes to guide mankind to the true path.

30.

Bracket

A projecting member from a wall or column to support weight; also named corbel in medieval architecture.

31.

Calligraphy

fair writing, decorative handwriting.

32.

Capital

The upper part of the column, wider than the shaft of the column, to take the weight from the entablature, to which it forms the transition.

33.

Caitya arch

An arch shaped like a horseshoe, usually fronting the entrance of a chaitya temple.

34.

Caitya hall

A sanctuary, the place of religious worship for the Buddhists, containing the stūpa.

35.

Candra-śilā

(literally, a moonstone) lowest doorstep before the shrine.

36.

Chattra or chhatra

Umbrella, parasol.

37.

Chatrāvalī

Row of honorific umbrellas, e.g. those set on the top of the stūpa.

38.

Chakra

Wheel

39.

Chauri

Fly-whisk

40.

Chauri

A fly whisk; an insignia of royalty.

41.

Choli

Blouse, short-sleeved bodice.

42.

Chūḍāmaṇi

Crest jewel worn on the head by women.

43.

Cin or chin mudrā

Gesture to signify instruction by silent contemplation; the thumb and forefinger touch to form a circle with the other three fingers kept open, while the palm faces outwards.

44.

Colonnade

A row of columns placed at regular intervals, usually carrying an entablature.

45.

Column

A vertical architectural member, usually consisting of a base, shaft, and capital.

46.

Cornice

The upper portion of the entablature.

47.

Deccan

Plateau or tableland, c. 2000 feet altitude, covering much of peninsular India.

48.

Devas

The shining ones or gods.

49.

Dhammillā

Referring to any kind of hairstyle in which the hair is flat in the front and decorated with jewellery at the back.

50.

Dharmacakra

Buddhist wheel of law.

51.

Dharmacakra mudrā

Gesture of preaching the Buddhist law, with both hands held before the chest, the right in chin mudrā and the left with palm facing inwards.

52.

Dhoti

Lower garment worn by men.

53.

Dhyāna mudrā

Gesture of meditation, with one hand resting on the other in the lap.

54.

Dhyāni Buddhas

Meditative Buddhas.

55.

Drāvida

South Indian.

56.

Dvitāla

Two storeys.

57.

Ekatāla

One-storeyed.

58.

Ekāvali

Single-stringed chain.

59.

Entablature

The horizontal superstructure carried by the vertical columns consisting of three members: the architrave, frieze and cornice.

60.

Facade

Usually the front elevation of a building; sometimes applied to side elevations also.

61.

Finial

A carved decoration on the top of a pinnacle, spire, or gable; in general, a crowning architectural ornamentation.

62.

Fluting

Grooves or channels with curved sections formed in parallel lines, used as architectural decorations especially on columns.

63.

Fresco

A method of painting on a freshly plastered surface before it sets, so that the colours unite with it chemically and will not peel.

64.

Frieze

The central part of the entablature between the architrave and cornice.

65.

Gandharvas

Semi-divine beings.

66.

Garbhagṛha or garbhagriha

Inner apartment; inner sanctuary.

67.

Halo

Bright rays or rings pictured as encircling the head or body of holy or illustrious persons; also called aureole.

68.

Hāra (jewellery)

A necklace.

69.

Hārmika

A sort of finial on the flattened top of the stūpa, in the centre of which the shaft of the honorific umbrella is fixed, surrounded by a low railing.

70.

Hinayāna

An early form of Buddhism, also known as the Lesser Vehicle.

71.

Intercolumniation

The spacing between columns.

72.

Jamb

The side of a doorway or window frame; usually projecting.

73.

Jātaka

Legends of the supposed previous births of the Buddha; chief inspiration of Buddhist iconography .

74.

Kakṣyabandhana

A sash tied around the waist, falling in decorative folds at the sides.

75.

Kalaśa

Water pot.

76.

Kaṇkaṇa

A bracelet or thick coil tied around the wrist.

77.

Kapilavastu

Birthplace of the Buddha.

78.

Kapōta

Pigeon.

79.

Kartari mudrā or kartari mukha

A gesture in which the third finger and thumb touch each other, with fore and middle fingers stretched out and held apart in order to hold any attribute.

80.

Kaṭaka mudrā

Hand poised to hold a flower.

81.

Kaṭibandha or kaṭisutra

Elaborate girdle in three strings, with a decorative clasp and loops at the sides from which drapery folds fall.

82.

Kaṭyāvalambita

Relaxed posture, with one hand placed on the hip.

83.

Kāyabandhana or kakṣyabandhana

Sash used as girdle, falling in decorative folds at the sides.

84.

Keyūra

Armlet, worn just above the biceps by both men and women.

85.

Kharoṣṭhi

Script used by the ancient Persians and by Ashoka; written from right to left.

86.

Kiṅkanis

Small bells attacned to anklets.

87.

Kinnaras

Mythological beings half-human and half-bird.

88.

Kubera

God of wealth; chief of the Yaksas and also guardian of the north.

89.

Kumbha

A bulbous member of the capital over the kalaśa.

90.

Kun·ala

Ear ornament.

91.

Lakṣaṇa or lakshana

A bodily mark which distinguishes a Buddha, a Tirthaṅkara etc.

92.

Lalitāsana

A sitting pose, with one leg hanging down and the other resting on the cushion on which the person sits.

93.

Lintel

A beam of wood or any other material, laid across an opening like a door or window.

94.

Lotiform

Lotus-shaped.

95.

Mahābhārata

An epic poem on the great war of the Bharatas, describing the struggle between the sons of two brothers, the Pāna·vas and Kauravas, for the kingdom of Hastinapura in which the Kauravas were defeated.

96.

Mahāyāna

A development of Buddhism when the anthropomorphic form of the Buddha was introduced, also known as the Great Vehicle.

97.

Makara

A mythological creature shaped like a crocodile, symbolising the River Ganga.

98.

Mālasthāna

Looped garland decoration on the shaft of a pillar, immediately below the capital.

99.

Mānasāra

Ancient Indian text-book on image-making.

100.

Medhi or methi

Circular or square base on which the stūpa is built.

101.

Mekhalā

Girdle.

102.

Miniature

An illumination or colourful painting of manuscript books; a little picture, usually a portrait on ivory or parchment.

103.

Mithuna

An amorous pair.

104.

Monochrome

A drawing or painting made with one hue, or the method of doing so.

105.

Monolithic

Made of one block of stone, e.g. a large piece of sculpture, a pillar, or monument.

106.

Mudrā

Symbolic hand gestures signifying various actions of the Buddha and Hindu deities.

107.

Mural

A form of painting on walls, either decorative, informative or descriptive.

108.

Mṛga

Deer

109.

Nāga

Cobra

110.

Nave

In architecture, the central part of the hall between the aisles.

111.

Nūpura

Anklet.

112.

Padmapāṇī

A popular Botihisattva in the Buddhist pantheon, whose symbol is the lotus.

113.

Padmāsana

A sitting posture, cross-legged thigh; often seen in seated Buddhas, with both soles facing up, and resting on the opposite.

114.

Parinirvāṇa

The death of the Buddha.

115.

Paryaṅkasana

Ordinary cross-legged sitting pose, with feet tucked below.

116.

Phalaka

Abacus on top of the pillar supporting the corbel.

117.

Pilaster

In architecture, a vertical rectangular member projecting from the wall, usually having a base shaft and capital like a column.

118.

Pillar

A vertical, long, but very narrow support, ornamental shaft.

119.

Polychrome

Many-coloured.

120.

Porch

A projecting entrance, partly enclosed, with a roof of its own.

121.

Pradakṣiṇa or pradakṣiṇa patha

The circumambulatory passage around a sacred monument e.g. the Buddhist stūpa.

122.

Prajnāpāramitā

One of the twelve virtues of perfection.

123.

Padma

Lotus

124.

Pralambapādāsana

The sitting pose in which both the feet are left loose hanging below the seat, resting on some support or without support.

125.

Prasara

Entablature.

126.

Pūrṇakalaśa

(literally, 'vase of plenty' symbolised by a pot of foliage) a capital.

127.

Punḍarika

Lotus

128.

Pūrṇa-ghaṭa

Full pitcher

129.

Rafter

A piece of timber, commonly one of the sloping members of a roof.

130.

Rākṣasas

Demons having grimacing faces.

131.

Ratnakuṇḍala

Ear-ornament encrusted with gems.

132.

Rishi

Sage.

133.

Samabhaṅga

Erect pose; frontal, upright position, reserved for gods in a state of complete spiritual equilibrium.

134.

Saṅgha

Buddhist order of monks.

135.

Saṅghārāma

Habitation of the Buddhist community.

136.

Saṇghāṭi

Robe worn by Buddhist monks.

137.

Sculpture

The art of shaping hard and soft substances into statuary or ornaments.

138.

Shaft

In architecture, the round part of a column between the base and capital.

139.

Śilpa (śāstra)

Manual containing rules on art.

140.

Śilpin

Mason, artisan.

141.

Simhāsana

Lion throne, meant especially for the royalty.

142.

Sthapatis

The guild of builders; master craftsmen.

143.

Stucco

A kind of plaster for coating surfaces; especially utilised for moulded decoration.

144.

Stūpa

(from Sanskrit stup to heap, to pile up) originally a simple burial mound, it became a sacred monument for the Buddhists, although the Jains also used it. It enclosed either body relics (Śārirīka) or personal belongings (paribhogika) of the Buddha or Buddhist teachers, or marked places sacred to Buddhists (uddeśika). It became the symbol of the decease (parinirvāna) of the Buddha.

145.

Śikhara

Temple tower or temple spire.

146.

Sukhāsana

Sitting posture, with right foot hanging down and left foot up facing right knee; position of ease and comfort.

147.

Tāḍi

A cushion-shaped member of the capital, between the kalaśa and kūmbha.

148.

Thāba

(from Sanskrit stambha) the upright posts of the vedika.

149.

Toraṇa

Arched doorway, e.g. those attached to the vedika around the stūpas.

150.

Tracery

Ramified or branch-like ornamentation in stone, interlaced lines for decoration, resembling tracery.

151.

Tribhaṅga

Thrice bent pose, with the body bent to the right, then to the left, and again to the right, or in reverse.

152.

Tritāla

Three-storeyed.

153.

Udarabandhana

Waist-band worn only by men.

154.

Upavīta

Manner of wearing the sacred thread or garment, e.g. a saree-under the right arm and over the left shoulder.

155.

Írṇa

Jewel or lock or tuft of hair between the eyebrows of the Buddha, to represent his super-human quality.

156.

Urudāmas

'U'-shaped loops of pearls hanging from the girdle to the thighs.

157.

Uṣṇiṣa or ushnisha

Turban with frontal protruberance, protuberance on the head of the Buddha; the coping stone of the vedika.

158.

Uttarīya

Cloth worn by men on the upper part of the body.

159.

Vajrapāṇi

One of the Bodhisattvas, an emanation of the Dhyāni Buddha Akṣobhya. His symbol is 'vajra' (thunderbolt),

160.

Vajra

A thunderbolt

161.

Valayas

Bangles.

162.

Varada mudrā

Gesture of bestowal, with palm facing outwards, fingers outstretched and the hand held below the waist.

163.

Vāstu or śāstra

Manual containing rules on architecture.

164.

Vedi

In Sanskrit, altar.

165.

Vedikā

Railing around the Buddist stūpa or any other sacred monument in India.

166.

Vestibule

A passage hall or ante-room, usually between the maṇ·apa or the hall and the main shrine in the Indian temple and cave plans.

167.

Vihāra

The dwelling place of the bhikṣus.

168.

Viṇā

Stringed musical instrument.

169.

Vidyādharas

Angels whose abode is the sky.

170.

Votive stūpas

Small stupas made as an offering by the devotees, also erected over the ashes of the members of the saṅgha.

171.

Vyālas

(Vyālas) leonine figures.

172.

Vyālāvari (Vyālāvari)

A decorative frieze, with leonine faces, either on the basement or on the entablature.

173.

Vyākhyāna mudrā

Gesture of exposition, with right thumb and index finger forming an 0.

174.

Yakṣa or yaksha

(from Sanskrit yaj, to worship, worthy of worship) nature spirit; male semi-divine being.

175.

Yakṣiṇi

Female counterpart of yaksha,

176.

Yaṣti

Stick or staff fixed on the top of the stupa to hold the chattra or honorific umbrella.

177.

Yogāsana

Sitting posture with legs crossed as in the padmāsana pose, but the knees are slightly raised and supported by the yogapaṭṭa, a narrow band.

178.

Yogī

Male ascetic who undertakes disciplined meditation.

179.

Yoginī

One of the sixty-four mother goddesses.