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Home > Temples of Kerala > Vedi or Vedika Vedi or VedikaVedi or vedika is a railing and it is above adhishtaana on which the outer wall (baahya-bhitthi) proper is built. It consists of series of plasters. The material used for its construction is either granite stone, laterite stone or burnt bricks. The height of the vedika is equal to the height of the sill (pati) or 1/8, 1/7, or 1/6 of the height of the pillar or 2, 2 ½ , 3, or 3 ½ times the width of the pillar or 1 ½ , 2 or 3 dands. (The measure of dands corresponds to the measure of utthara, which is the horizontal beam immediately above the pillars. For elevation aspects, this dand is used as the measure). The members of mouldings are of two types. In the first type,half the height of the vedika comprises gala (lower-most part) and the remaining half is divided into three equal mouldings viz. padma, kampa and again gala. The second type is that the height of the vedika is divided by 6,7 or 8 and comprises of 1 part kampa, 2 parts padma and 1 part kampa and the remaining part gala. The vedika is built firmly and levelled completely as the wall and pillars rest on it. At times, the outer side of the vedika may be decorated with carvings or alternating with pillars and floral ornamental motifs. In exceptional cases the upper most moulding of the vedika is similar to that of the crowning moulding of adhishtaana known as prathi.
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