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The Door-Frame of the Garbhagṛiha
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of the doors. The tradition about the position of doors was highly elaborated in the Puranas like M. P.,22 Ag. P.,23 G.P.,24 VDH. P.25 etc.
Br. Sm.26 and VKP.27 also lay down similar rules for the position of the door.
The Puranas and Silpaśastras liad down elaborate rules for the doors of the temples. All works agree as to the position of the doors. They must face the exact cardinal points and must not be turned to any of the corner directions, 28 and they should be placed cxactly in the middle of the front wall, 29
In case of the rectangular garbhagriha, the door should be placed on the side of the longer wall in front.30 This canon is found well-followed in the two extant examples of rectangular shrines namely those at Kadvar and Kalsar.
Several texts like Br. Sm. and Ag, P. also enumerate certain rules regarding the prohibited positions of doors here as well as in Silpatexts. This is known as Vedha (fault) which is to be avoided. 31
The width of the Jamb should be of its height, the same applies to that of threshold, the thickness of the Jamb should be of its width.39 All the texts are unanimous on this point.
22. M.P. CCLV.. 7-9.
23. Ag. P. CV.. 25. ff.
24. G. P. XLVI. 31-35.
25. VDH. P. LXXXVIII, 2
25. Garga, quoted by Bhattotpola (Br. Sm. Viziangram. Sans, series) LII. 69-73.
27. VKP. VII. 66 ff.
28. Ag. P. CIV. 2.
29. Br. Sm. LV. 10; VDh. LXXXVIII. 2.
30. VDh. LXXXVI, 38.
31. Br. Sm. LII. 70-81; Ag. P. CIV. 31-38. 32. Ag. C. IV. 28. Br. Sm. LV. 13.
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