Subproject A05 [B04]

“Stairway to Heaven”: Liminal Spaces in Early Buddhist and Hindu Sacred Architectures

Subproject A05 investigates the metaphorical significance of liminal spaces in early Buddhist and Hindu sacred architecture in South Asia (3rd century BCE–7th century CE). Focusing on elements such as staircases, doorways, thresholds, and gateways, the project explores how architecture not only structures movement through sacred spaces but also conveys religious meaning.

These architectural features serve practical purposes by guiding access and circulation within temples, shrines, caves, and other religious complexes. At the same time, they often carry rich visual programs, including auspicious symbols, mythological beings, and narrative scenes. A05 examines how such spaces and images transform architectural elements into metaphorical thresholds that mediate between the human and the divine, the mundane and the sacred. Particular attention is paid to how movement through these spaces evokes processes of transition, transformation, and approach to a sacred center.

The project builds on the results of the former subproject B04, which investigated metaphors of divine embodiment and anthropomorphism in South Asian religious traditions. Reflecting a broader shift from embodiment to materiality within the CRC, A05 now turns to sacred architecture and the metaphorical dimensions of built environments. Combining approaches from art history, religious studies, and metaphor research, the project contributes to a deeper understanding of how architectural spaces communicate religious meaning and shape religious experience.