Stambha Explained

A stambha is a pillar or a column employed in Indian architecture.^[1] A stambha sometimes bears inscriptions and religious emblems.^[2]

Religion

In Hindu mythology, a stambha is believed to be a cosmic column that functions as a bond, joining heaven (Svarga) and earth (Prithvi). A number of Hindu scriptures, including the Atharva Veda, feature references to stambhas.^[3] In the Atharva Veda, a celestial stambha has been described as an infinite scaffold, which supports the cosmos and material creation.

In the legend of Narasimha, an avatara of Vishnu, the deity appears from a stambha to slay the asura Hiranyakashipu. The stambha has been interpreted to represent the axis mundi in this myth by Deborah A. Soifer.^[4]

Architecture

Stambhas are popularly employed in Indian architecture. Different stambhas serve different purposes, including the following:

• A dhvaja stambha (flagstaff tower) is placed opposite the main shrine, on an axis with the main deity.
• A kirti stambha (glorious tower) and vijaya stambha (victory tower) are erected to commemorate victories.
• The most well-known stambhas of India are the Ashoka Stambha (Pillars of Ashoka) — erected during the reign of Ashoka, spread across the subcontinent, bearing different types of royal edicts.
• The Adi Purana — a huge manastambha — stands in front of the samavasarana of the tirthankaras, which is regarded to causes entrants to a samavasarana to shed their pride.

See also

• Related topics
  • Hutheesing Jain Temple
  • Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts
  • Dhar iron pillar
  • History of metallurgy in South Asia
  • Iron pillar of Delhi
  • Pillars of Ashoka
  • Heliodorus pillar
• Other similar topics
  • Early Indian epigraphy
    • • • • Indian rock-cut architecture List of rock-cut temples in India Outline of ancient India
  • South Indian Inscriptions
  • Tagundaing

Sources

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend by Anna Dallapiccola.

Notes and References

1. Book: Walker, Benjamin . Hindu World: An Encyclopedic Survey of Hinduism. In Two Volumes. Volume I A-L . 2019-04-09 . Routledge . 978-0-429-62465-0 . 199 . en.
2. Book: Jarzombek . Mark M. . A Global History of Architecture . Prakash . Vikramaditya . 2011-10-04 . John Wiley & Sons . 978-0-470-90248-6 . 806 . en.
3. Book: Vatsyayan, Kapila . The Square and the Circle of the Indian Arts . 1997 . Abhinav Publications . 978-81-7017-362-5 . 27 . en.
4. Book: Soifer, Deborah A. . The Myths of Narasimha and Vamana: Two Avatars in Cosmological Perspective . 1991-01-01 . SUNY Press . 978-0-7914-0799-8 . 156 . en.