temple architecture
Prakaram
The rectangular enclosure wall surrounding a South Indian temple complex, typically with gopuram towers at its gateways — major temples have two to four concentric prakarams.
The prakaram is the rectangular enclosure wall of a South Indian Dravidian temple. Gopuram towers mark its gateways, typically on the cardinal axes. The prakaram encloses the temple precinct, defining the boundary between sacred and secular space.
Major Dravidian temples have multiple concentric prakarams, each with its own gopurams and subsidiary shrines along the interior walls. The outermost prakaram defines the temple's legal boundary and is typically the reference line from which regulated zones for ASI or HR&CE-protected temples are measured.