SSC
In South Indian (Dravidian) temple architecture, the monumental entrance tower at the gateway of the temple complex is called the:
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Answer: Option A — Gopuram
Detailed Solution
In South Indian (Dravidian) temple architecture, the "gopuram" is the monumental, often very tall, entrance tower at the gateway of the temple complex.
About gopurams:
- "Gopuram" comes from Tamil and Sanskrit, possibly meaning "town gate" or "cow gate".
- They are built over the entrances in the outer walls (prakaras) of the temple.
- They are usually rectangular in plan, with a tall, tapering, pyramid-like structure of many storeys (tiers).
- They are richly decorated with brightly painted sculptures of gods, goddesses, animals and mythological scenes.
- At the top, there is a barrel-vaulted roof with "kalashas" (pot-shaped finials).
Development:
- In the early Pallava and Chola temples, gopurams were small, and the main tower over the sanctum (vimana) was the tallest structure.
- From the later Chola period (12th century) onwards, gopurams became larger and taller than the vimanas.
- Under the Pandyas, the Vijayanagara rulers and the Nayakas (13th-17th centuries), gopurams became huge and dominated the temple complex.
Famous gopurams:
- The Rajagopuram of the Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam (Tamil Nadu): about 73 metres (239 feet) high, one of the tallest temple towers in Asia; it was completed in 1987.
- The gopurams of the Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai: 14 gopurams, the tallest about 52 metres.
- The gopurams of the temples at Chidambaram, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai and Kumbakonam.
- The gopuram of the Srivilliputhur Andal Temple appears in the emblem of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Other parts of a Dravidian temple:
- "Vimana": the tower over the sanctum (garbhagriha).
- "Mandapa": a pillared hall.
- "Prakara": the enclosure wall.
- Temple tank: a sacred water tank.
North Indian (Nagara) temples:
The tower over the sanctum is called a "shikhara".
Why not the other options?
- ✗The vimana is the tower over the sanctum in Dravidian temples.
- ✗The shikhara is the tower in north Indian temples.
- ✗The mandapa is a pillared hall.
Quick tip
Remember: Gopuram = gateway tower of south Indian temples (Srirangam Rajagopuram = tallest; Srivilliputhur gopuram on Tamil Nadu's emblem); Vimana = tower over the sanctum.
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