columned hall preceding the temple sanctuary

pillared hall in indian temples. The mandapa is often large in size (hundred-pillar mandapa, thousand-pillar mandapa - in fact, there are less in number); pillars are most times well ornamented and display carvings of gods and goddesses, various characters and mythical animals. The mandapa comes before the entrance of ardha-mandapa (ardha means half), and ardha mandapa precedes the small hall which gives access to the garbhagriha, the inner very holy sanctuary of the temple. It's generally not permitted to go inside the latter

A room in a temple just before the sanctuary.