2. Varieties of Gopuras

Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra lists the names of the gopuras, the towering structure on the gateways of the temples, starting from the innermost prākāra, viz., antarmaṇḍala extending towards the outer prākāra as:

1. Dvāraśobhā,
2. Dvāraśālā,
3. Dvāraprāsāda,
4. Dvāraharmya and
5. Dvāragopura

Cf. Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra XLV.1cd-2:

antarmaṇḍalasālādiṣvadhunā procyate kramāt ||
dvāraśobhā dvāraśālā dvāraprāsādaharmyakam |
dvāragopuramityete kramānnāmnā prakīrtitāḥ ||^[1]

The Kāmikāgama states that these five gopuras have their existence in the five maṇḍalas and in such others which are considered in terms of five (I. 75. 29):

dvāraśobhā dvāraśālā dvāraprāsāda harmyake |
gopureṇaiva pañcāntaṃ maṇḍalādiṣu saṃsthitāḥ ||

The Kāśyapa Śilpaśāstra further specifies that the dvāraśobhā is one which has 1-3 storeys; dvāraśālā is the gopura of 2-4 storeys to be built in the second prākāra; the dvāraprāsāda is one that has 3-5 storeys; the dvāraharmya should be endowed with 4-6 storeys and the dvāragopura 5-7 storeys. Otherwise, all the gopuras of the pañcasālā must have storeys ranging from 1 to 3 and with adhiṣṭhāna that is endowed with or without an upapīṭha.

Thus 9 x 5 = 45 varieties of measures are given (XLV. 3, 6-7ab):

ekadvitritalaṃ vāpi dvāraśobhāṃ prakalpayet |
dvibhūmirvā tribhūmirvā caturbhūmirathāpi vā ||
...............
athavā sarvasāleṣu ekadvitritalaṃ tu vā |
sopapīṭhamadhiṣṭhānaṃ vinā vāpyupapīṭhakam ||
tayoruccayataḥ sarve navapañca vadāmyaham |
 

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf. Mānasāra, XXXIII. 4-5: It also mentions the 5 types of gopuras but uses the term Mahāgopura instead of Dvāragopura for the outermost gopura:

tasmāttu gopurairmānaṃ parigṛhyoktavatkuru |
ādyakedvāraśobhaṃ tu dvāraśālā dvitīyake ||
dvāraprāsādo madhye ca dvāraharmyaṃ mayādhike |
mahāmaryādādikuḍye ca mahāgopuramīritam ||