Annamalaiyar Temple – Sixth Prakaram – Peigopuram
The Western tower is called Peigopuram, which is merely
an aberration. As its name erroneously indicates, there is neither ghost nor
devil in it. It was actually Melgopura or Mela gopuram which means the western
tower. The tower was also called Periya gopuram before the other towers were
built. But as years passed, this name got corrupted into Peigopuram.
One belief is that name of this Gopura is a corruption
of Melgopura (i.e. West Tower). However others speculate that the name of the
Gopura i.e. Pey (demon, ghost) has occurred not by mistake or
misrepresentation. That in fact the Tower’s name is significant in that it
represents the wild, uncultivated aspects of the Mountain’s west side as
opposed to the cultivated area.
The Pey Gopura has seven storeys and is 144 feet in height.
According to an inscription dated 1388 A.D., the base of the tower was
constructed by King Ballala III and the spire about 1516 A.D. by King
Krishnadevaraya. The base is much like that of the eastern gopuram. The lotus
projections of its corbels are more prominent. It suggests that it was the last
gopuram of this court to be constructed.
The vase ornaments are surrounded by a pair of corbels
only, the median being absent. The spire of this gopuram is the first addition
which Krishnadevaraya would have taken in hand when he started work on this
temple. Its vertical lines of pavilion ornaments above the niches on the base
are of rectangular type. On either side of these are lines of the square type
of pavilion ornament with niches of the narrow and slit like type of
characteristic of Vijayanagar period. The brick work suggests that it must have
been with the window ornaments of the pavilion roofs comparatively small and
the style generally restrained and severe.
Its base is similar to that of the Raja Gopura on the
east. The bases of all the four outer Gopurams are ascribed to Krishnadevaraya.
All the niches of this base are narrow and empty. The spire is said to have
been built in 1740 A.D. The Dvarapalakas are taller than the windows they stand
beside and are present on each storey from bottom to top.
