Traditional Chinese 大雄寶殿 Hanyu Pinyin Hokkien POJ Tōa-hiông Pó-tiān | Simplified Chinese 大雄宝殿 Wade–Giles Ta-hsiung Pao-tien | |
Literal meaning Precious Hall of the Great Hero Similar Buddhist temple, Sudeoksa, Tongdosa, Main Hall, Bulguksa | ||
The mahavira hall of gleams temple
A Mahavira Hall, usually simply known as a Main Hall, is the main hall or building in a traditional Chinese Buddhist temple, enshrining idols of Gautama Buddha and various other buddhas and bodhisattvas. It is encountered throughout East Asia, including in some Japanese Buddhist Main Halls.
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Names
From their importance and use, they are often simply known in English as the temples' "Main" or "Great Halls". The term "Mahavira Hall", also encountered as "Mahāvīra Hall" or "Hall of the Mahāvīra", is a reverse translation, employing the original Sanskrit term in place of its Chinese or English equivalent. They are also known as the Precious Hall of the Great Hero, the Hall of Great Strength, or the Daxiongbao Hall. Less often, a main hall is called an "adytum", after the equivalent area in Greco-Roman temples. It is also sometimes misunderstood as the "Great, Powerful, and Precious Palace".