Gopuram

Gopuram

Gopurams from various temples; Left to right:
1. Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
2. Murudeshwar Temple
3. Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram
4. Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala
5. Nallur Kandaswamy Temple
6. Angkor Wat

A gopuram or gopura is a monumental entrance tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of a Hindu temple, in the Dravidian architecture of South India, and Sri Lanka. In temples in other parts of India, they might be present but are more modest, while they are often the highest parts of the temple in the south. They also appear in architecture outside India such as the Khmer architecture in South East Asia.

The gopurams often function as gateways to the temple complex. They might be multi-storeyed and the higher levels typically repeat the lower level features on a rhythmic diminishing scale. They may consist of various sculptures and ornamentation. They are topped by one or more kalasams , which are a type of bulbous metal or stone finials. The gopurams are designed and constructed as per rules given in the texts of Vaastu Shastra.

Ancient and early medieval temples feature smaller gopurams, while they became a prominent feature of the Hindu temple architecture since the later Middle Age. The gopuram's origins can be traced back to the Pallavas. As temples were expanded between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries CE, during the reign of the Pandyas, Vijayanagara, and Nayakas, larger gopurams were built along the boundary walls.

The tallest gopuras are of the Murdeshwara temple, at 249 ft (76 m), completed in 2008, ^[1] and the rajagopuram of the Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam at 239.5 ft (73.0 m), completed in 1987. ^[2]

Etymology

In Tamil language, gopuram is a derivation is from two words: கோ (kō) and புறம் (puram) meaning 'king' and 'exterior' respectively. ^[3] During the Sangam period, it was known as ஓங்கு நிலை வாயில் (ōnggu nilai vāyil) meaning 'imperishable gateway'. ^[4]

In Telugu, the word is derived from కోపు (Kōpu) and అరం (Araṁ) meaning "top" and "to exist". ^[5]

An alternative derivation is from Sanskrit, where the word emerged from a combination of go (Sanskrit : गो) meaning 'city', and puram (Sanskrit : पुरम्) meaning ' town' or 'settlement'. ^[6]

History

A gopuram may have multiple storeys. Left: Single storey; Right: Two stories

The gopuram's origins can be traced back to the Pallavas who built the group of monuments in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram. ^[7] The Cholas later expanded the same, as evident from the 11th century CE Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, marking a crucial step forward with two multi-storey gopurams from that period, much larger than any earlier ones, though much smaller than the vimana above the garbagriha (sanctum) of the temple. ^[8] By the Pandya rule in twelfth century, these gateways became a dominant feature of a temple's outer appearance. ^[9] The gopurams of the Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram are early examples of large gopurams that were constructed in the mid-13th century but completed over a longer period. ^[10] As temples were expanded between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries CE, during the reign of the Vijayanagara, and Nayakas, larger gopurams were built along the boundary walls. ^{[11] [12] [13]} While gopurams are generally present atop the gateways in Hindu temples, it became a dominant feature of a temple's outer appearance in the later years, it eventually overshadowed the vimana and the inner sanctum which became obscured from view by the gopuram's colossal size and the surrounding courtyards. ^{[11] [14]}

Architecture

Closeup showing bronze kalashas (finial) and kirtimukha

The gopurams are designed and constructed as per rules given in the texts of Vaastu Shastra. ^[15] It is usually a tapering oblong in form with ground-level wooden doors, often richly decorated, providing access. Above is the tapering or "battered" gopuram, divided into many storeys ( talas ), which diminish in size as the gopuram tower narrows. ^[11] Usually the tower is topped with a barrel vaulted roof with a finial. ^[16] They are exquisitely decorated with sculpture and carvings and painted with a variety of themes and scenes derived from the Hindu mythology, particularly those associated with the presiding deity of the temple where the gopuram is located. ^[13]

The gopurams often function as gateways to the temple complex, and a temple may have multiple gopurams atop the entrances into successively smaller walled enclosures around the main shrine, with the largest generally at the outer edges. The temple compound is typically square or rectangular with at least the outermost wall having gopuras, often from the four cardinal directions. ^{[12] [11]}

See also

• List of tallest Gopurams
• Candi bentar, split gateways for Indonesian Hindu temples
• Paduraksa, greater gateways to inner and more sacred areas in Indonesian Hindu temples
• Pagoda

References

1. "Murudeshwar Temple Now Tallest Gopuram in Asia", April 2008
2. "Towers" on temple website Archived 21 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine ; Tamilwebworld
3. Sellby, Martha A.; Indira Viswanathan Peterson (2008). Tamil geographies: cultural constructions of space and place in South India. SUNY Press.
4. S. Sundararajan (1991). Ancient Tamil country: its social and economic structure. Navrang.
5. Vaachaspathy (1 June 2020). Bangaru Nanelu.
6. Lienhard S., von Hinèuber O. (2007). Kleine Schriften: Supplement (in French). Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 414. ISBN   978-3-447-05619-9.
7. "Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
8. S.R. Balasubrahmanyam (1975), Middle Chola Temples, Thomson Press, pp. 16–29, ISBN   978-9-0602-3607-9
9. Mitchell, George (1988). The Hindu Temple. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 151–153. ISBN   978-0-2265-3230-1.
10. Harle, J.C. (1994). The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent (2 ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 320–325. ISBN   0300062176.
11. Michell, George (1988). The Hindu Temple. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 151–153. ISBN   0-226-53230-5.
12. 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.
13. "Gopura". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 1 June 2008.
14. Neela, N.; Ambrosia, G. (April 2016). "Vimana architecture under the Cholas" (PDF). Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science & Humanities. 3 (4): 57. ISSN   2321-788X . Retrieved 5 July 2019.
15. Ananth, Sashikala (1 January 2000). Penguin Guide to Vaastu: The Classical Indian Science of Architecture and Design (2 ed.). Mumbai: Penguin Publishing. ISBN   014027863X.
16. Ching, Francis D.K. (1995). A Visual Dictionary of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons. p. 253. ISBN   0-471-28451-3.

Further reading

• Dallapiccola, Anna L. (2002). Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend. London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN   0-500-51088-1.