also: どうじゃ · とうじゃ
noun
large and small buildings (esp. shrines and temples)
Archaic term referring collectively to the various halls and smaller structures within a temple or shrine complex. Not used in modern everyday speech.
古い文献には、寺の堂舎の様子が詳しく記されている。
Old documents describe in detail the state of the temple's halls and buildings.
Alternate historical reading; less common than どうしゃ.
Compound of 堂 (hall, temple) and 舎 (building, house). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word appears in classical texts referring to temple and shrine architecture.