Chaityagriha

Chaityagriha, also spelled chaitya-griha, is a term in Indian Buddhist architecture for a temple hall or shrine designed to enshrine a stupa and accommodate congregational worship. The name comes from Sanskrit chaitya (shrine) and griha (house), literally “house of the shrine.”

Typically either rock-cut or brick-built, a chaityagriha presents a long nave that ends in an apsidal or semicircular sanctuary containing a central stupa. The stupa serves as the ritual focal point, around which worshippers circumambulate. The ceiling is often carved to resemble a wooden ribbed vault, while the walls may carry relief sculptures and decorative medallions. Entrances are usually marked by a prominent doorway and, in many examples, a surrounding verandah or ambulatory space.

Chaityagrihas emerged as a principal form of Buddhist religious architecture in India from the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century CE, with major concentrations in the Deccan and in cave complexes such as Bhaja, Karla, and Ajanta. Notable examples include the Great Chaitya Hall at Bhaja Caves, the Chaitya Hall at Karla Caves, and the chaitya halls of Ajanta, which illustrate the evolution of the plan, ornament, and craft of early Indian Buddhist art.

In use, chaityagrihas functioned as places for liturgical gatherings, sermons, and the veneration of the Buddha through the stupa. The form influenced later Buddhist temple designs and contributed to the broader development of cave-temple architecture in South Asia and beyond.