Torana

Glossary

Meaning ‘gateway’ or ‘arched entrance’ in Sanskrit and Pali, torana refers to a free-standing gateway marking the entrance to a Buddhist shrine or stupa, or a Hindu temple. Usually made of stone, it comprises two pillars supporting two or three transverse beams extending beyond the pillars on both sides, or an ornamented arch forming a single structure. The oldest surviving Buddhist torana is at the Bharhut Stupa, dated to c. 250 BCE.

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Architecture

Torana%newline%Meaning ‘gateway’ or ‘arched entrance’ in Sanskrit and Pali, torana refers to a free-standing gateway marking the entrance to a Buddhist shrine or stupa, or a Hindu temple. Usually made of stone, it comprises two pillars supporting two or three transverse beams extending beyond the pillars on both sides, or an ornamented arch forming a single structure. The oldest surviving Buddhist torana is at the Bharhut Stupa, dated to c. 250 BCE.

Chicago	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. “Torana”. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/torana/
MLA	“Torana.” MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. https://mapacademy.io/glossary/torana/. Accessed 27, April, 2024.
Harvard	MAP Academy Encyclopedia of Art. (2022) Torana. [Online]. Available at: https://mapacademy.io/glossary/torana/. (Accessed: 27, April, 2024)