Srivilliputhur Temple Gopuram -- Colorful Dravidian Architecture HD Wallpaper

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Bathed in equatorial sunlight, the Srivilliputhur gopuram presents its full grandeur to the viewer -- tier upon tier of painted stucco figures rising in diminishing registers toward the barrel-vaulted crown, each level populated with a different cast of divine characters. The warm afternoon light picks out the reds, blues, greens, and golds of the painted sculptures with extraordinary clarity, while palm trees at the base provide scale that makes the tower's height almost impossible to believe. Dravidian gopurams are not merely decorative -- they serve a precise liturgical function. The gopuram marks the entrance to the temple's sacred precinct; its height is a beacon visible from miles away, calling devotees to worship. The sculptures on its surface serve as a visual encyclopedia of Hindu mythology, allowing illiterate devotees to "read" the stories of the gods by looking at the tower. In this way, the gopuram functions as both architecture and scripture. The Srivilliputhur temple has a special status among South Indian temples because of its association with two of the twelve Alvars: Periyalvar (Andal's foster father) and Andal herself. Periyalvar's devotional hymns (Periyalvar Tirumozhi) include the famous Pallandu verses sung at the beginning of every Vishnu temple puja across Tamil Nadu. The temple complex includes separate shrines for Andal, Ranganatha (as Vadabhadrasayi), and Periyalvar, making it a complete pilgrimage destination for Srivaishnava devotees. The gopuram's image on the Tamil Nadu state emblem ensures that every government document carries this temple into the secular world. Free HD download.

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