Torana

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: torana

Indian gateway, usually of stone, marking the entrance to a Buddhist shrine or stupa or to a Hindu temple. Toranas typically consist of two pillars carrying two or three transverse beams that extend beyond the pillars on either side. Strongly reminiscent of wooden construction, toranas are often covered from top to bottom with exquisite sculpture. The four toranas of the Great Stupa at Sanchi (see Sanchi sculpture) are superb examples. See also torii.

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Architecture and Landscaping: torana

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Richly ornamented Indian gateway associated with the enclosure of a stupa.

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For the Australian car, see Holden Torana.

The Northern torana at the Great Stupa in Sanchi.

A torana is a type of gateway seen in Hindu and Buddhist architecture. Toranas are associated with stupas like the Great Stupa in Sanchi. Symbolic toranas can also be made of flowers and even leaves and hung over the doors of Hindus, particularly in Southern India. They are believed to bring good fortune and signify auspicious and festive occasions.

A Vesak Pandol in Colombo, Sri Lanka

During Vesak festival of Sri Lanka it is a tradition to erect electrically illuminated colorful Vesak toranas in public places. These decorations are temporary installations which remain in public display for couple of weeks starting from the day of Vesak

References

Studies in Medieval Indian Architecture By Ram Nath. Published 1995. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. 172 pages. ISBN 8185880565
India By Nick Edwards, Mike Ford, Devdan Sen, Beth Wooldridge, David Abram. Contributor David Abram, Nick Edwards, Mike Ford, Devdan Sen, Beth Wooldridge. Published 2003. 1440 pages. ISBN 1843530899

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		Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		Architecture and Landscaping. A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. Copyright © 1999, 2006 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Torana". Read more