Toran

Toran from Saurashtra, India, 20th Century, plain cotton weave with embroidery and mirror work, Honolulu Academy of Arts. The hanging pieces are styalized mango leaves

Toran is the name in Hinduism (Sanskrit. torana, from tor, pass) of a sacred or honorific gateway in Buddhist architecture. Its typical form is a projecting cross-piece resting on two uprights or posts. It is made of wood or stone , and the cross-piece is generally of three bars placed one on the top of the other; both cross-piece and posts are usually sculptured.

Toran may also refer to a decorative door hanging, usually decorated with marigolds and mango leaves, or a string that is tied on the door with the flower on it as a part of traditional Hindu culture on the occasion of pooja. A toran may feature colours such as green, yellow and red. They also have animals and other features.

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.