Glossary

Chandrashala

Chandrashala

A decorative motif similar to a barrel-vaulted roof, with a circular dormer-shaped or horseshoe-shaped arch. It is commonly found in rock-cut monuments and structural temples in India, with the earliest evidence found in the Lomas Rishi Cave. From the Sanskrit, meaning “moon window.” It is occasionally found in the facade of chaitya halls, and is known as a chaitya arch. It is also incorporated as a decorative element in structural temples in southern India and known as gavaksha (or kudu in Tamil).

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