National Pandata (Torroramai )

The National Pandata, also called the Golden Tree Pandata or the “Gold Lilly Pandata” is one of the most important religious buildings in the city of Torroramai, capital city of Ororr. It was constructed in the 5th century, and is one of the largest religous buildings in the world.

It takes the form of a classic Theristplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigMother Church of Ororr (Therism)

The Mother Church is the state religion of Ororr, which combines both religion and government in one institution. It is based on the teachings of the Great Prophet Therion, who in the early decades of the modern era raised an army that conquered much of northwestern OrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrOrorrMEMEOrorrMEMEOrorrOrorrHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerHerher pandata or temple complex, with a grand portico facing Loyalty Square. The portico opens onto a large entrance hall faced in Siltorn marble, containing memorials to national heroes. Beyond this is the spectacular “Gold Leaf Chiyaka”, constructed to create the illusion of a golden forest, with cool dappled shade and the harmonious sounds of rustling leaves and birdsong.

The chiyaka's arcade is large circular building with a toroidal or doughnut-shaped roof. The construction is brick, supported on gilded columns with plasterwork suggesting the trunks of trees. The vaulted roof has inclusions of glass tesserae in various autumn shades. Thousands of varnished copper leaves are suspended on slender leaves, which move in the gentlest breeze to make a gentle sound and give the illusion of branches swaying in the wind.

The arcade is divided into six sections, representing the six regions of Ororr: Deltirot, Gaskanin, Dunasanin, Moritarr, Gildot and Mangasor. Each section is dedicated to representations of each of the regions, with memorials to historic events and local heroes of the church-state. The smallest section is for Mangasor, since it is largely empty of population other than the sanctuary of Foratuna. The floors are covered in a pattern of equilateral triangles, prisms of rock from towns and cities throughout the natural landscape of Ororr.

The central circular courtyard is open to the sky. A sunken pit is surrounded by rows of circular steps, large enough for many hundreds of supplicants to sit on mats to meditate and pray. At the heart of the chiyaka is a lilly-tree or lillypad tree, a tall slender viridplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVirid

Referring to the Virid Kingdom of flora and fauna, toxic to human life. plant with large flat circular leaves, which naturally grow in a stepped spiral around the plant's trunk. Lilly trees are fast growing and live for up to 80 years, similar to a human lifespan. The lilly trees are named by the guardians of the temple, and often colloquially used in the city to refer to historical periods of time.

The pandata complex consists of libraries, memorial niches and other contemplation areas. The central temple is a circular building 86 metres in diameter. The roof is toroidal or doughnut-shaped, with a hole in the middle open to the sky. At its centre is a natural tree trunk gilded with gold leaf. Carved wooden and metal branches extend upwards and curve over, seemingly supporting the roof, which is broken with thousands of small cutouts filled with coloured glass, giving the floor the appearance of dappled shade.

Slightly offset at the east end is a second chiyaka, a brick and stone building with an enclosed dome. This is all that remains of the original Holy City pandata demolished in the 7th century. It is used for private prayer and contemplation by members of the church state government, and is sometimes opened to the public when bad weather prevents use of the central chiyaka.