chauka

Chauka is a term used in several South Asian languages to denote a square or four-cornered area, typically on the floor. In ritual and domestic contexts, a chauka is a designated space for placing religious images, lamps, flowers, fruits, and other offerings during puja, homa, weddings, or other ceremonies. It may be drawn with chalk or colored powders on a clean floor or be a fixed wooden or cloth-covered platform. The concept reflects broader practices of delineating sacred space within the home and temple.

Regional variations exist in how a chauka is prepared and used. In some communities, the chauka is a simple drawn square that remains in place for the duration of a ceremony; in others, a raised platform serves as the altar. In many households, a small chauka sits near the entrance or in the central room as a focal point for daily devotion.

The term is also found in historical and ethnographic descriptions of ritual life in the Indian subcontinent. Beyond ritual use, chauka is colloquially used to refer to a square or four-cornered space in everyday language, illustrating its broader role in describing spatial arrangements.