Gopuram
A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. This forms a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style.[1] They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial. They function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex.[2]
The gopuram's origins can be traced back to early structures of the Tamil kings Pallavas and by the twelfth century under the Pandya rulers these gateways became a dominant feature of a temple's outer appearance, eventually overshadowing the inner sanctuary which became obscured from view by the gopuram's colossal size.[3] It also dominated the inner sanctum in amount of ornamentation. Often a shrine has more than one gopuram.[4]
A koil may have multiple gopurams, typically constructed into multiple walls in tiers around the main shrine. The temple's walls are typically square with the outer most wall having four gopura-vimanas, one each on every side, situated exactly in the center of each wall. The sanctum sanctorum and its towering roof (the central deity's shrine) are also called the vimanam. Generally, these do not assume as much significance as the outer gopurams, with the exception of a few temples where the sanctum sanctorum's roofs are as famous as the temple complex itself. The Ananda Nilayam gopuram-vimanam of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is a famous example where the gopuram of the main shrine occupies a very special place in the temple's history and identity.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
The word comes from two Tamil words: கோ (Kō) and புறம்(puram) meaning 'King' and 'exterior' respectively.[5] It originates from the Sangam age when it was known as ஓங்கு நிலை வாயில் (ōngu nilai vāyil) meaning 'Imperishable gateway'.[6]
[edit] Architectural details
A gopuram is usually rectangular in form with ground-level wooden doors, often richly decorated, providing access. Above is the tapering gopuram, divided into many storeys which diminish in size as the gopuram tower narrows. Usually the tower is topped with a barrel vaulted roof with a finial.[3]
Gopurams are exquisitely decorated with sculpture and carvings and painted with a variety of themes derived from the Hindu mythology, particularly those associated with the presiding deity of the temple where the gopuram is located.
[edit] Examples
The Gopurams of Tamil Nadu built centuries ago were urban nodes and focal points of their surrounding towns. The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamilnadu state is the tallest Hindu Gopuram in the world. This 17th Century Gopuram, known as the Rajagopuram (the royal temple tower), rises from the base area of around 13 cents (32500 sq ft) and goes up to 196 feet (60 m), moving up in eleven progressively smaller tiers. The recently built (2007) 'Rajagopuram' Gopuram of Murudeshwara in Karnataka is 237.5-feet tall and 20 floors is the next tallest Gopuram. The magnificent 123-feet long statue of Lord Shiva in the backdrop. The Meenakshi Amman Temple Gopuram in Madurai also built in the 17th century is the third largest Gopuram, and the Gopuram of Sri Andal Temple in Srivilliputtur is the third highest temple tower in Tamilnadu. It is 60 m (192 ft) high and has thirteen progressively smaller tiers. This Gopuram is the centerpiece of the state symbol of the Government of Tamilnadu.
-
Murdeshwar temple gopuram
-
Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple gopuram
-
Andal Temple gopuram
-
Vijayanagar Raya Gopura
.jpg)
[edit] Gallery
-
Tirumala Venkateswara Temple gopuram
-
Gopuram of the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi
-
A gold overlaid gopuram at the Kamakshi Amman Temple, Kanchipuram
-
Side-view of the second gopuram(Palli Gopuram) at the Ekambareswarar temple, Kanchi
-
Main gopuram at the Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Kanchi
-
Gopuram and modern tower in Singapore
-
Gopuram of the Annavaram temple at Annavaram
-
Entrance, with gopuram, of Athi Koneswaram temple, Thampalakamam, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
-
Top of a gopuram at Madurai
-
Gopuram of Nanjangud Temple at Night, Nanjangud
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Ching et al., Francis D.K. (2007). A Global History of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons. p. 762. ISBN 0-471-82451-3.
- ^ Ching, Francis D.K. (1995). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons. p. 253. ISBN 0-471-82451-3.
- ^ a b Mitchell, George (1988). The Hindu Temple. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 151–153. ISBN 0-266-53230-5.
- ^ "gopura". Encyclopædia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037402/gopura. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ Sellby, Martha A. (2008). Tamil geographies: cultural constructions of space and place in South India. SUNY Press.
- ^ S. Sundararajan (1991). Ancient Tamil country: its social and economic structure. Navrang.
[edit] References
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gopurams |
