What is "panchayatana"

From the sanskrit words Pancha (=five) and Aayatana (=god).

• Panchayatana puja is a worship ( puja) to five deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha.
• A Panchayatana temple is an hindu temple with five shrines.

An hindu temple is a Panchayatana one when the main shrine is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines. The origin of the name are the sanskrit words Pancha(five) et ayatana (containing).

Generally, the Hindu temple are built along a west-east axis. So the four subsidiary shrines are at the north-east, south-east, south-west, north-west.