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The Structural Temples of Gujarat In South India the Gopuram attained the height of a sky-scraper and was embellished with groups of plastic imaginary when it reached its maturity during the Madura period. It became pre-eminant even in relation to the Prāsāda inside.
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Dipastambha (Lamp-pillar), especially popular in South India, is an architectural device which illumines the temple court during night time through the light of numerous lamps around the pillar. The whole structure from bottom to top is systematically arranged in mouldings corresponding to vertical member of the maṇḍovara.
In the Pancayatana or five shrined temple, the central temple is surrounded by four entirely separate and smaller shrines, all systematically grouped so as to form the whole into one unified but somewhat complex composition. They are located, at the four corners of the platform of the central temple and constructed on the same architectural design and plan that of the central one. At times more supplementary shines (Devakulikās) are also added, surrounding the central temple.
Many Jain temples contain a range of exterior cells (Devakulikās) grouped in pillared varandah surrounding the inner court on all sides. The cells contain images of Tirthankars their number ranging from 24 to 72.29 The principal shrine in such temple complex is situated in the middle of the inner court.
29. i. e. 24 present, 24, past and 24 future Tirthankars.
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