Heiden (Shinto)
In Shinto shrine architecture, a heiden is the part within a Shinto shrine's compound used to house offerings. It normally consists of a connecting section linking the honden to the haiden. If the shrine is built in the Ishi-no-ma-zukuri style, its stone pavement is lower than the floor of the other two rooms, and it is called ishi-no-ma, hence the name. It can also be called chūden or in other ways, and its position can sometimes vary. In spite of its name, nowadays it is used mostly for rituals.
