pancharatha

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{{Distinguish|Pancharatna (architecture)}}

{{Hatnote|See also Pancha Rathas, religious buildings in Bhubaneswar}}

Image:Plan of subsidiary shrines of Brahmeswara Temple.jpg

A Hindu temple is a pancharatha when there are five ratha (on plan) or paga (on elevation) on the tower of the temple (generally a shikhara).{{Cite web |url=http://tourism.oriyaonline.com/temple_architecture.html |title=Temple Architecture of Orissa |access-date=2012-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013100126/http://tourism.oriyaonline.com/temple_architecture.html |archive-date=2012-10-13 |url-status=dead }} The rathas are vertical offset projection or facets.

The name comes from the sanskrit Pancha (=five) and Ratha (=chariot), but the link with the concept of chariot is not clear.

There are also temples with three rathas (triratha), seven rathas (saptaratha) and nine rathas (navaratha).

File:Triratha-Pancharatha-Saptaratha.jpg