Why do temples have gopuram?
Symbolically, the Gopura or the entrance to the temple represent he feet of the deity. The Gopura also emphasizes the importance of the temple within the city. Gopurams came in rather late during the mid-12th century in evolution of Dravidian or South Indian Temple Architecture and probably due to security reasons.
What is four storey temple called?
A gopuram or gopura (Sanskrit: गोपुरम्, gopuram, Tamil: கோபுரம், Malayalam: ഗോപുരം, Kannada: ಗೋಪುರ, Telugu: గోపురం) is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the Dravidian architecture of the Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana states of Southern …
What is the entrance to a temple called?
Explanation: The entrance of the temple is referred to as dvarakosthaka in these ancient texts notes Meister, the temple hall is described as sabha or ayagasabha, pillars were called kumbhaka, while vedika referred to the structures at the boundary of a temple.
What is shikara in Temple?
Shikhara, (Sanskrit: “mountain peak”) also spelled shikara, also called shikar, in North Indian temple architecture, the superstructure, tower, or spire above the sanctuary and also above the pillared mandapas (porches or halls); it is the most dominant and characteristic feature of the Hindu temple in the north.
What are the major styles of temples?
Three main styles of temple architecture are the Nagara or the Northern style, the Dravida or the Southern style and the Vesara or Mixed style. But at the same time, there are also some regional styles. Nagara (in North India) is associated with the land between the Himalayas and Vindhyas.
What is the alternative name for gopura in India?
Alternative Title: gopuram. Gopura, also spelled gopuram, in south Indian architecture, the entrance gateway to a Hindu temple enclosure.
Which is the most important temple in South India?
Here’s where to find the most magnificent South India temples. Many of these places have more than just the one temple, so do look around. Ancient Madurai in Tamil Nadu is home to the most impressive and important temple in South India —the Meenakshi temple. If you only see one South Indian temple, this temple should be it.
What kind of building is a gopura in Hinduism?
Often a series of gopura s are to be found at a shrine, each providing entry through a new enclosure wall. …the great entrance buildings, or gopuras, that give access to the sacred enclosures in which the temples stand. Relatively small… The gopura is generally constructed with a stone base and a superstructure of brick and pilaster.
How is the spire of an Indian temple designed?
The Mandir’s spire, usually a tapering conical or pyramidal superstructure with a dome designed adhering principles of concentric squares and circles and referred in North India as Shikhaa and Vimana in South India is symmetrically aligned exactly above the Brahma Pada or the central core of the Mandir.