Garbhagriha

Common card · No. 493733

A garbhagriha (Sanskrit: गर्भगृह, romanized: Garbhagṛha), also known in Tamil as a moolathana or karuvaṟai, is the innermost sanctuary of Hindu and Jain temples, often referred to as the "Holy of Holies" or "sanctum sanctorum". The term garbhagriha (literally, "womb chamber") comes from the Sanskrit words garbha for womb and griha for house. Although the term is often associated with Hindu temples, it is also found in Jain and Buddhist temples. The garbhagriha is the location of the murti (sacred image) of the temple's primary deity. This might be a murti of Shiva, as the lingam, his consort the Goddess in her consecrated image or yoni symbol, Vishnu or his spouse, or some other god in symbol or image. In the Rajarani temple in Bhubaneswar, near Puri, there is no symbol in that lightless garbhagriha.

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