PAGODA (according to some, a corruption of the Sanskrit word Niagara!, sacred; but according to others a corruption of putgada, from the Persian put, idol, and gada, house) is the name of certain Hindu temples which are amongst the most remarkable monuments of Hindu architecture. Though the word itself ds'ignates liut the temple where the deity—especially Siva and his consort Durgtl, or P:irrati was worshiped, a pagoda is in reality an aggregate of various monuments, which, in their constitute the holy place sacred to the god. Sanctuaries, porches, colon nades, gateways, walls, tanks, etc., are generally combined for this purpose, according to a t bin which is more or less uniform. Several series of walls form an inelosnre; between I hpull are alleys, habitations for the priests, etc., and the interior is occupied by the terrotle itself, with hnildings for the pilgrims, tanks,. porticoes. and open colonnades. The will have, at their openings. gnpuras, or large pyramidal gateways, hi-her than themselves, mid so constructed that the gopura of the outer wall is always higher than that of the succeeding inner wall, the pagoda itself being smaller than the smallest gopura. The extent of the inclosing walls is generally considerable; in inost instances they consist of hewn stones of colossal dimensions, placed upon one another without mortar or cement, hut with such admirable accuracy that their joints are scarcely visible. The gateways are pyramidal buildings of the most elaborate workmanship; they consist of several. sometimes as many as fifteen stories. The pagodas themselves, too. are of a pyramidal shape. various layers of stones having been piled upon one another in suc cessive in some pagodas, however, the pyramidal form begins only with the higher stories. the broad basis extending to about a third of the height of the whole building. The sides of the different terraces are vertical, but the transition from one to the other is effected by a vault surmounted by a series of small cupolas. NO11(11 hide iho vault itself. A single cupola, hewn out of the stone, and surmounted by a globe, gen erally crowns the whole structure; but. sometimes the latter also ends in fantastical spires of a finlike shape or concave roofs. The pagodas are covered all over with the riehest ornamental ion. The pilasters and columns, which take a prominent rank in the orna mental portion of these temples, show the greatest variety of forms; some pagodas are also overlaid with strips of copper, having the appearance of gold. The most celebrated pagodas on the main-land of India are those of 111athura, Trichinopoli, Chalambron, Kon jeveram, Juggernaut, and Deogur, near Ellora.—That of Mathura consists of four stories, and is about 63 ft. high; its base comprises about 40 sq. feet. Its first story is made of hewn stones, copper, and covered with gilt; the others of brick. A great number of figures, especially representing deities, tigers, and elephants, cover the building.—The
pagoda of Tanjore is the most beautiful monument of this kind in the s. of India; its height is 200 ft., and the width of its basis is equal to two-thirds of its height.—The pagoda of Trichinopoli is erected on a hill, elevated about 300 ft. over the plain; it differs in style front other pagodas dedicated to Brahmanieal worship, and exhibits great similarity with the Buddhistic monuments of Thibet.—The great pagoda of Chalambron, in Tan jore, is one of the most celebrated and one of the most sacred of India. It is dedicated to Siva and Parvati, and filled with representations belonging to the mythical history of these gods. The buildings of which this pagoda is composed cover an oblong square 860 ft. long and 210 ft. wide.—At Konjeveram there are two pagodas—the one dedicated to S'iva and the other to Parvati.—The pagodas of Juggernaut, on the n. end of the coast of Coromandel, are three; they are erected likewise in honor of S'iva, and are sur rounded by a wall of black stones—whence they are called by Europeans the Black Pagodas—measuring 1122 ft. in length, 696 ft. in width, and 24 ft. in height. The height of the principal of these three pagodas is said to be 344 ft.; according to some, however, it does not exceed 120 to 123 feet.—The pagoda of Deogur, near Ellora, con sists also of three pagodas, sacred to S'iva; they have no sculptures, however, except a trident, the weapon of Siva, which is visible on the top of one of these temples.—The monuments of iNlayalipura, on the coast of Coromandel, are generally called the Seven Pagodas; hut as these monuments—which are rather a whole city than merely temples— are buildings cut out of the living rock, they belong more properly to the rock-cut mon uments of India than to the special class of Indian architecture comprised under the term pagoda.
The term pagoda is, in a loose way, also applied to those Chinese buildings of a tower form which consist of several stories, each story containing a single room, and being surrounded by a gallery covered with a protruding roof. These buildings, however, differ materially front the Hindu pagodas, not only so far as their style and exterior appearance are concerned, but inasmuch as they are buildings intended for other than religious purposes. The Chinese call them ta, and they are generally erected in com memoration of a celebrated personage or some remarkable event; and for this reason, too, on some elevated spot, where they may be conspicuous, and add to the charms of the scenery. Some of these buildings have a height of 160 ft.; the finest known speci men of them is the famous Porcelain Tower of Nankin (q.v.). The application of the name pagoda to a Chinese temple should be discountenanced, for, as a rule, a Chinese temple is an insignificant'buildimr, seldom more titan two stories high, and built of wood; the exceptions are rare, and where they occur, as at Pekin, such temples, how ever magnificent, have no architectural affinity with a Hindu pagoda. .