Panchayatana (temple)

Panchayatana (Sanskrit: पञ्चायतन, romanized: pañcāyatana) is a Hindu temple layout where the main shrine is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines. The origin of the name are the Sanskrit words pancha (five) and ayatana (containing), referring to a "five-shrined" layout.

Generally, Hindu temples are built along a west-east axis. The four subsidiary shrines are located at the north-east, south-east, south-west, and the north-west.

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