Page 559 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

introducing south india  557

The main sanctum, where
the principal deity is enshrined,
forms the nucleus of the whole
complex. This is the garbhagriha,
or womb chamber. The main
doorway into the sanctuary
is opened only during prayer
time, to allow worshippers
to make offerings to the
deity within.
Wooden chariots covered
with carved panels are parked
outside the main gates.
During festivals they are Tanks and wells provide
pulled by devotees through water for ritual bathing,
the streets of the town. cooking and general
washing. Temple tanks have
steps on four sides for
bathers to descend to the
water. Small pavilions in
the middle are used for
special festivals.

The inner
enclosures,
constituting the most sacred
precincts, are filled with
subsidiary shrines, pillared halls,
flag columns, altars, kitchens,
rest houses, tanks and wells.

Axial mandapas and corridors direct
worshippers from the outer gopuras towards
the main sanctuary. Sculptures on columns
embellish these passageways. Bronze images
are also displayed here.

Mandapas are columned halls
which sometimes take on vast
proportions, especially the
Gopuras, or ceremonial gateways, with soaring, pyramidal so-called thousand-pillared
towers, are set into four sides of each of the concentric sets of halls. These can accommodate
walls that define the sacred complex. Their hollow brick towers large numbers of visitors who
are covered with brightly painted plaster sculptures. Barrel- come to listen to sermons or to
vaulted roofs at the tops of the towers are crowned by gilded enjoy performances of classical
pot finials, visible from all over the town. music and dance.

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