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The awe-inspiring Dravidian temple architecture of Tamilnadu

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ॐ श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः ॐ श्री शिवानन्दाय नमः ॐ श्री चिदानन्दाय नमः ॐ श्री दुर्गायै नमः 

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‘The beautiful temples that dot the South Indian state of Tamilnadu have rightfully been designated as a “Land of Temples“. 

The glory of Tamil temple architecture, also known as Dravidian temple architecture, reaches its pinnacle in the Meenakshi temple at Madurai.

The temple with its profusion of beautiful sculptures,  thousand-pillared Mandapas, mighty huge pillars of stone, towering Gopurams (gateway) etc speak very highly of the architectural brilliance of the extraordinary Tamil sculptors.

Arunachaleshwara Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu

Brihadeeshwara Temple, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu

Madurai Meenakshi Temple, TamilnaduClick here to get in touch with ‘Tamilnadu Tourism’ for an exhilarating tour & pilgrimage of awe-inspiring ‘Tamilnadu Temples’

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The Tamil sculptor’s fine sense of balance and skill is also displayed in other temples of the state. At Chidambaram, one finds beautiful panels depicting the 108 Karanas of the Natya Shastra, while Kanchipuram houses a number of temples starting from the earliest Pallava times to the Nayaka period and even much later. 

Kapaaleshwarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai

Kapaaleshwarar Temple, Mylapore, ChennaiThe artistic achievements of the Tamil sculptors are also displayed at the grand Ekambareshwara Temple and the Varadaraaja Temple of Kanjeevaram.

Sarangapani Temple, Kumbhakonam, Tamilnadu

Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, Tamilnadu 

Kapaaleshwarar Temple, Mylapore, Chennai

Kapaaleshwarar Temple, Mylapore, ChennaiClick here to get in touch with ‘Tamilnadu Tourism’ for an exhilarating tour & pilgrimage of awe-inspiring ‘Tamilnadu Temples’

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The granite carving in Tamilnadu is confined to the area around  Mamallapuram (also known as Mahabalipuram) and Chingleput. This may be attributed to the fact that the Government has set up Mamallapuram School of Sculpture here.

Just as in bronze, the 20th-century sculpture has not yet evolved an idiom of its own, and many of the carvings are copies of the earlier periods of Tamil history.

The quality of the material is an extremely important part of the sculptural process. Just as the Shilpa Shastra set out the measurements and techniques of sculpting, the sculptors here have also gone into a detail regarding the quality of stone, its maturity, texture, color and other things.

The artists out here work with the indigenous varieties of the stone available in the state, as it is extremely durable for construction purposes.

Also the homogeneity of the stone is important, for the stability and durability of the final product.The stones are selected carefully for their texture and the lie of the stone.

After the sculptural work is complete, a ceremony called as Nayanon-milan is held. In this ceremony, the image is invested with sight, life and breath, thus making it a virtual living force. Only then is the image ceremoniously placed in the Garbhagriha or the Sanctum Sanctorum in the sacred temple.

Click here to get in touch with ‘Tamilnadu Tourism’ for an exhilarating tour & pilgrimage of awe-inspiring ‘Tamilnadu Temples’

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