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A gopuram or gopura (Tamil: கோபுரம், Telugu: గోపురం, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Malayalam: ഗോപുരം) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the South Indian architecture of the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana, [1] and Sri Lanka.
Annamalaiyar Temple East Gopuram (Raja Gopuram) 216.5 [10] 9th century AD; gopuram 16th century Annamalaiyar Temple covers 10 hectares, and is one of the largest temples in India. It is surrounded by four large unpainted gopurams, one facing each cardinal direction. The eastern gopuram rises to 66m, and is called the Raja Gopuram. [12]
Yali in pillars at Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple. Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple was built by Pandyan Emperor Sadayavarman Kulasekaran I (1190 CE–1205 CE). He built the main portions of the three-storeyed Gopuram at the entrance of Sundareswarar Shrine and the central portion of the Goddess Meenakshi Shrine, which are some of the earliest surviving parts of the temple.
Vimanas (storeys) and Gopuram (towering gateways to the temple complex) best characterize the temples of Tamil Nadu. [ 1 ] As per the Tamil Nadu Hindu Endowments Board, there are 390,615 temples.
The gopuram raises from a square or rectangular granite or brick base to a pyramidal structure with multiple storeys. A temple may have multiple gopurams, typically constructed into multiple walls in tiers around the main shrine. Rajagopuram indicates the prime one of all the gopurams within the temple. It is typically the most commonly used ...
The temple town lies on an islet formed by the rivers Kaveri and Kollidam. [4] The southern gopuram of the temple, called the Rajagopuram, is 239.5 feet tall and, as of 2016, is the tallest in Asia. The construction of the Rajagopuram began during the reign of Achyuta Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara empire.
The temple was much larger and once had seven courtyards according to inscriptions. Only one courtyard survives; parts of the temple such as the gopuram are in ruins, and the main temple and the main temple and associated shrines stand alone. [24] The temple continues to attract large gatherings of Hindu pilgrims every year. [25] [23] [26]
The temple has nine gopurams, 80 vimanas, twelve temple walls, 13 halls, fifteen large temple water bodies, three gardens, and three large precincts. The major gopuram of the temple is seven-tiered and raises to a height of 36 m (118 ft). [15] The two main shrines of the temple are for Vanmikinathar and Thyagarajar.