Annamalaiyar Temple – Fourth Prakaram – Eastern,
Northern & Southern Gopurams of Third Prakaram
Of the bases of these three gopurams the animal frieze
has developed and the small lowest course remains plain, but in the upper
course a niche is added on either side to the decorations. While the lotus form
of the corbel projections is somewhat more developed than the corbels, and the
vase ornament base fluted with a plain raised band round is the widest part.
In the small northern and southern gopurams of this
court, the corbels over the pillars and at the corners have all three of the
usual lotus projections, but the others have the lateral pair only. They are
leveled off in the front, as they are also in those over the vase ornaments of
the eastern one. There are no vase ornaments on the northern and on the
southern one. Each is surrounded by a pavilion ornament instead by corbels.
All the gopurams of the middle court of Thiruvannamalai
temple are small and the chief niche alone is present. In the northern and
southern gopurams, the pavilion ornament surmounting this niche is of the
square type. The northern and southern gopurams of this court are small; the
main decorative court on their bases has the simple plan: the frontage on
either side of the gateway is set forward a little immediately beside it but
extending in a single plan beyond this with pillars and when present vase
ornament in simple relief upon it.
The niche of all the gopurams with a strip of wall on
either side of it and pillars flanking this stands forwards while the portions
of the wall bearing vase ornaments are correspondingly sunk back.
As this gopuram is built by Vallala Maharaja, it is
called as Vallala Maharaja Gopuram. The spire of the eastern gopuram of middle
court is modern. Rectangular pavilion ornaments alternate with more slender
ones presumably derived from the square type. It bears three figures. Though the
figures have burst out of the their niche their head dresses reach above the
basal part of the pavilion, except in the case of the Dvarapalakas on either
side of the external line of windows.
All niches are completely hidden by means of plaster
figures except the right at the top, a second row of these being introduced on
each storey along the bases of the pavilion ornament roofs. All kudus are very
large and extremely ornate.
