Haiden (Shinto)

In Shinto shrine architecture, the haiden (拝殿) is the hall of worship or oratory.

It is generally placed in front of the shrine's main sanctuary (honden) and often built on a larger scale than the latter.

The haiden is often connected to the honden by a heiden, or hall of offerings.

[1][2] In some cases, for example at Nara's Ōmiwa Shrine, the honden can be missing and be replaced by a patch of sacred ground.

[2] In that case, the haiden is the most important building of the complex.