Heiden (Shinto)

A heiden (幣殿 offertory hall) is the part within a Shinto shrine's compound used to house offerings. It normally consists of a connecting section linking the honden (sanctuary, closed to the public) to the haiden (oratory).^[1] If the shrine is built in the Ishi-no-ma-zukuri style,^[2] its stone pavement is lower than the floor of the other two rooms, and it is called ishi-no-ma (石の間 stone room), hence the name.^[3] It can also be called chūden (中殿) or in other ways, and its position can sometimes vary. In spite of its name, nowadays it is used mostly for rituals.

References

1. Heiden, JAANUS, accessed on November 17, 2009
2. Also called Gongen-zukuri
3. Heiden, Encyclopedia of Shinto, accessed on November 17, 2009