Garbhagriha
The innermost chamber of a Hindu temple housing the principal deity — a small, dark, sacred space above which the vimana rises. Access is typically restricted in active temples.
The garbhagriha (Sanskrit: 'womb chamber') is the innermost and most sacred chamber of a Hindu temple. It houses the principal deity — the murti or linga — and is a small, dark, cuboid space with thick masonry walls, typically without windows.
The garbhagriha is the ritual heart of the temple: all other spaces in the complex are arranged in relation to it. The vimana rises directly above it. Access is restricted in active temples — only priests (archaks) of the appropriate tradition may enter for performing puja. For documentation purposes, survey of the garbhagriha is typically limited to what can be recorded from the entrance.