How many Gopurams are there in Meenakshi Temple?
14 gopurams
The temple has 14 gopurams or gateway towers and 33,000 sculptures including two golden sculptured vimanas that is the tower above the sanctum. The southern gopuram is the tallest of them all with a height of 170 feet. Friday sees the most number of devotees visit the temple with the number going as high as 25,000.
Where do you see Gopurams in temples?
Gopuram is a storeyed structure that is commonly seen at the entrance of the temple, these pyramidal structures act as a gateway for entering the main temple area.
Who built Andal Temple in Srivilliputhur?
The temple has inscriptions from Chola, Pandya and Nayak rulers, spanning across various centuries from the 10th to 16th centuries. As per some accounts, the original structure was constructed by Tribuvana Chakravarthy Konerinmai Kondan Kulasekaran and the Andal temple by Barathi Rayar.
Why do temples have Gopurams?
With the increasing threat from invading armies, the temple cities found it expedient to erect a series of protective walls to safeguard and defend their temples, palaces and cities. The Gopuras constructed on the gateways leading from one enclosure to the next, initially, served as watch towers for defense.
What are the Gopurams located in the temples in South India?
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. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial.
What are Gopurams made of?
The gopura is generally constructed with a stone base and a superstructure of brick and pilaster. It is rectangular in plan and topped by a barrel-vault roof.
What is the meaning of Andal?
Andal (Tamil: ஆண்டாள், Āṇṭāḷ ), also known as Godadevi, Nachiyar and Kothai, is the only female Alvar among the 12 Alvar saints of South India. She is human incarnation of Goddess Bhudevi. Andal is an important female figure for women in South India and has inspired women’s groups such as Goda Mandali.
Who is father of Andal?
Periyalvar
Andal/Fathers
According to Hindu legend, Periyalvar was the foster father of Andal, the only female alvar. The works of Periyalvar contributed to the philosophical and theological ideas of Vaishnavism. His contributions are Thirupallandu and Periya Azhwar thirumozhi among the 4000 stanzas in the Nalayira Divya Prabandam.
Who built Gopurams?
Both of them are designed and constructed as per rules given in the texts of Vaastu shastra. The gopuram’s origins can be traced back to early structures of the Pallava kings, and relate to the central shikhara towers of North India.
What is the Speciality of Meenakshi Temple?
Meenakshi Temple is especially famous for the huge sculpture of the Nataraja, which is built on a silver altar. The temple has a ‘Hall of Thousand Pillars’ and each pillar is carved with various sculptures. Meenakshi Temple has a pond called ‘Porthamarai Kulam’ or ‘The Golden Lotus Pond’ in its complex.
How tall is the Srivilliputtur temple in gopuram?
Srivilliputhur Andal Temple’s gopuram measures eleven storeys high and 193feet tall, making it the tallest of its era. The others are not. It is chosen as State Emblem in 1956. Sri Rangam Rajagopuram (240ft tall) was completed in 1987. We know Sri Rangam temple was destroyed in Islamic invasion and reconstructed by Vijayanagara Emperors.
What are the features of a Hindu gopuram?
Ancient and early medieval temples feature smaller gopuram, while in later temples they are a prominent feature of Hindu temples of the Dravidian style; or in many cases the temple compound was expanded and new larger gopuram built along the new boundary. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial.
Which is the tallest Gopuram in Kanchipuram?
Its gopuram is 192 feet (59 m) in height. Ekambareswarar Temple is the largest temple in Kanchipuram, a highly visible symbol of Pallava dynasty. The entire complex covers an area of 10 hectares and has five courtyards. Kallazhagar Temple is located in Azhagar Koyil, and is dedicated to Vishnu.
Who is the goddess of Lord Vishnu in Srivilliputhur?
Srivilliputhur Andal Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu. In this temple, Lord Vishnu is worshipped as Vadapathrasayi and goddess Lakshmi was known as goddess Andal. According to the legends mother, Andal has the prominent part in the temple.