(gopura) gateway of south indian temples, in the shape of a steep pyramid, ornamented in profusion with deity, monster and other character statues. The gopuram can reach 60 meters high in certain Tamil Nadu temples. Temples generally own four gopuram, one for each cardinal point; but when several successive enclosures have been erected at different periods, each enclosure can have its own gopuram, smaller and smaller from outside (the most recent) to inside (the most ancient)

Entrance tower

a towerlike structure over an entrance (gateway) to a temple or temple compound, shaped like a wedge standing on its wide end, consisting of many tiers that are highly decorated (sculpted), often with images of deities and figures from Hindu cosmology