rajagopuram

The “royal gateway” of a temple is called a rajagopuram. In South Indian temple styles, the tallest tower or spire is over the gateway of the temple, not over its inner sanctum. Many large temples have a series of gopurams that rise over a successive series of gateways. The rajagopuram is the tallest, standing at the outermost gateway of the temple. It is usually highly ornamented with images of divine beings and auspicious protective guardians. In U.S. temples, the rajagopuram is often the last part of the temple to be completed and the consecration of the rajagopuram is a great festive occasion.