Temple gateway of chidambaram and Madurai

PRESENTED BY NANDHINI.R NANDHINI.S.S

NATARAJA TEMPLE CHIDAMBARAM

This temple is also known as sabhanayakaraya temple Here the gopurams are placed in an asymmetrical pattern The four gopurams , pyramidal shape temple gateways are situated in the 4th prakara wall within this wall we can find the main temple as well as the sacred theertha or water place and many subsidiary shrines and buildings. From the 4th prakara 4 gopuram leads to 5th prakaram.

PLAN OF NATARAJA TEMPLE

TOWERS
The temple has nine gateway towers. Four of these gateway towers or gopuras each with 7 storeys facing the cardinal directions. The tower is of 50m in high. The north and the south is 49m high each. The gopurams were carved with 108 classical dancing postures of Nataraja.

EASTERN TOWER
It was constructed by pallava king koperunsingam in the 12th century. It maintains the original structure of embedded miniature shrines while the other 3 have representations of deities and mythological scenes. Idols of pachaiappa mudaliar and his wife iyalammal have been sculptured in eastern gopuram.

WESTERN TOWER
It was built by chola kings around 1150 and there is no reliable evidence on the construction. Western gopuram is the earliest and smallest of the other four gopurams.

the sculpture shows goddess fighting the buffalo demon and warlike skanda astride his peacock.

NORTHERN TOWER
It was build by the king krishnadevaraya a king of vijanagara dynasty around 1300AD the 16th century. The gopurams have the rectangular base with granite representations of various deities in the niches. The seven tapering upper storeys are made of bricks and decorated with lime work.

SOUTHERN TOWER
Southern gopuram is also known as sokkaseeyan thirunilai ezhugopuram. It was constructed by the pandya king. It was identified from the presence of dynastys fish emblem sculptured on the ceiling. The pandyas sculptured two fishes facing each other when they completed gopuras(and left it with fish, in case it was incompletee.

MEENAKSHI TEMPLE MADURAI

Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple or Meenakshi Amman Temple is located in the holy city of Madurai It is dedicated to Lord Shiva (in the form of Sundareswarar or Beautiful Lord) and his consort, Goddess Parvati (in the form of Meenakshi ). There are 12 Gopurams or towers, including two gopurams with golden vimana over the sanctum of the main deities, that are sculptured and painted. There are 4 gopurams on the cardinal directions of east, west, north and south. The other gopurams were placed above the main deities.

GATEWAY TOWERS (GOPURAM)

The word comes from two Tamil words: (K) and (puram) meaning 'King' and 'exterior' A Gopuram or Gopura, is a monumental tower, usually ornate, at the entrance of any temple, especially in Southern India . This forms a prominent feature of Hindu temples of the dravidian style.They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial. They function as gateways through the walls that surround the temple complex. the most popular entrance being on the east side which is in line with the shrine of Meenakshi leads to the Ashtasakthi Mandapam where the pillars are full of sculptures. The tower ranging from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 50metres (170 ft) high,

VIEW OF TEMPLE

EAST RAJAGOPURAM
A tier constructed by maravarman sundarapandiyan the pandya king in 1216-1238 The tower is 153.3ft in high& the base measurement 111.3ft by 65.6 ft

WEST RAJAGOPURAM
It was constructed by the king parakrama pandian between 1315 and 1347. Its height 154.6ft of base length 101ft and width 63.6ft. It has 1124 sculptures of mythological figures are seen.

NORTH RAJAGOPURAM
This tower is named as tower without roof. The construction was started by krishnaveerappanikar in(1564-1572). This was completed by amaravati pudur vayinagaram nagappa chetti in 1878. This was remain unfinished for number of years and was therefore known as mottai gopuram meaning tower without roof.

SOUTH TOWER

SOUTH RAJAGOPURAM
Constructed by siramalai seventhi murthy chettiyar in 1559 It is the tallest of the temple towers measuring 160.9ft in high the base area of 100ft x67ft 1511 mythological figures are seen.