Heiden (Shinto)

In Shinto shrine architecture, 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.