| Notes | [fr. new. bāhāla] var. bahāla, bahāra, bāhāra; n. a Buddhist monastery (Malla 2000: 327). The term bāhā is a corruption of the Sanskrit term vihāra. The word went through various modifications: vihāra > vahāra > bāhāra > bāhāla > bāhāl > bāhā (Locke 1985: 3). There are two types of bāhāḥ: the main (mū) bāhāḥ, and the branch (kacā) bāhāḥ (Gellner 1992: 167-168). Unlike in a bahī, bāhāḥ does not have a flight of stairs leading to the main entrance, but is guarded by two lions (siṃha). There is no circumambulatory passage to the main shrine, but main bāhāḥs may have a digi, a building with a large hall for meeting and feasting that may stand within the bāḥāḥ complex or separately. (#new#RS) |
