Which famous temple at Thanjavur is known for its ‘gopuram’?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Brihadishvara
A gopuram is the towering gateway of a south Indian temple. The Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur was built under the patronage of the Chola rulers of Tamil Nadu, and its tall gopuram stands over the gateway of the temple. The rulers of Vijayanagara later built on such traditions and raised their own gopurams even higher.
NCERT (2025-26): “2. Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans … Some of the areas that were incorporated within the empire had witnessed the development of powerful states such as those of the Cholas in Tamil Nadu and the Hoysalas in Karnataka. Ruling elites in these areas had extended patronage to elaborate temples such as the Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur and the Chennakeshava temple at Belur. The rulers of Vijayanagara, who called themselves rayas, built on these traditions and carried them, as we will see, literally to new heights.…”
Fig. 7.3 The gopuram or gateway of the Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur |
