" Where adoration sublimes ! "

"A
land of temples", as Tamil Nadu is better known enchants divinity.
There are more than 30,000 temples in Tamil Nadu. The temples were
constructed by various dynasties. Tamil Nadu is the home of the legacy of
ancient Dravidian art and culture, characterised best by deliberately ornate
temples with their towers known as gopurams which aspire to touch the
heaven.
These temples bear a superficial architectural resemblance with each other
in that they share the similar physical features,which include the gopuram
or the imposing tower over the entrance, from all four directions the
vimanam which is the tower over the sanctum and the spacious halls and
corridors. The temples were also much more than a place of worship. They
were a place for social gathering, for education, for celebration.
Temple Architecture

Tamil Nadu, the holy land, is the land where temple architecture grew with
innovation. The Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagar rulers and the
Nayakas have made worthwhile contributions to temple art in Tamil Nadu.
Thousands of temples with rising towers touch the skyline of the entire
state of Tamil Nadu. The Tamils have been the most innovative temple
builders. Temples from the pre Christian era as well as those from the 20th
century exist in this state, where the ancient rulers have made outstanding
contributions to the growth of these monuments of great artistic value. The
spectacular architecture of these temples indeed inspires architectural
innovation.
History rewind

The
most ancient temples were constructed of brick and mortar. Upto about 700 AD
temples were replicated out of caves. The Pallava Kings (upto 900) were
great builders of temples of stone. The Cholas (900-1250 AD) have a number
of monuments to their credit. It must be mentioned about the Brihadeeswarar
Temple in Tanjavur which unfurls history itself. The Cholas added many
ornate mandpams or halls to temples and built large gopurams - towers. The
Pandya Style (Upto 1350 AD) saw the emergence of the architecture of huge
towers, high wall enclosures and enormous towered gateways. The Vijayanagar
Style (1350 - 1560 AD) is recognised for the intricacy and beauty especially
for the decorated monolithic pillars. The Naik style (1600 - 1750 AD) is
known for the addition of large prakarams (circumambulatory paths) and
pillared halls.