A Gopuram or Gopura is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India. They are a prominent feature of koils, Hindu temples built in the Dravidian style.[1] They are topped by the kalasham, 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 built under the south Indian kings of the vijaynagara, Pallava and Chola dynasties. By the twelfth century, during the Pandya dynasty, 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.
^Ching, Francis D.K.; et al. (2007). A Global History of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons. p. 762. ISBN 978-0-471-26892-5.
^Ching, Francis D.K. (1995). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons. p. 253. ISBN 0-471-28451-3.
^Mitchell, George (1988). The Hindu Temple. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 151–153. ISBN 0-226-53230-5.
^"gopura". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2020-08-19. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
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