▁p rak aram . ▁ ▁G op ur am ▁▁ ▁A ▁G op ur am ▁or ▁G op ura , ▁is ▁a ▁monument al ▁tower , ▁usually ▁orn ate , ▁at ▁the ▁entrance ▁of ▁any ▁temple , ▁especially ▁in ▁Southern ▁India . ▁ ▁This ▁forms ▁a ▁prominent ▁feature ▁of ▁Ko ils , ▁H indu ▁tem ples ▁of ▁the ▁D rav id ian ▁architecture . ▁ ▁They ▁are ▁to pped ▁by ▁the ▁kal as am , ▁a ▁bul b ous ▁stone ▁or ▁metal ▁fin ial . ▁The ▁g op ur ams ▁function ▁as ▁gate ways ▁through ▁the ▁walls ▁that ▁surr ound ▁the ▁temple ▁complex . ▁ ▁The ▁g op ur am ' s ▁orig ins ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁early ▁structures ▁of ▁the ▁Pal lava ▁dynast y . ▁By ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁century ▁under ▁the ▁P and ya ▁r ul ers ▁these ▁gate ways ▁became ▁a ▁dominant ▁feature ▁of ▁a ▁temple ' s ▁outer ▁appearance , ▁eventually ▁over shadow ing ▁the ▁inner ▁san ctu ary ▁obsc ured ▁from ▁view ▁by ▁the ▁g op ur am ' s ▁col oss al ▁size . ▁It ▁also ▁domin ated ▁the ▁inner ▁san ct um ▁in ▁amount ▁of ▁orn ament ation . ▁O ften ▁a ▁shr ine ▁has ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁g op ur am . ▁ ▁The ▁g op ur am ▁ra ises ▁from ▁a ▁square ▁or ▁rect angular ▁gran ite ▁or ▁brick ▁base ▁to ▁a ▁py ram idal ▁structure ▁with ▁multiple ▁store ys . ▁ ▁A ▁temple ▁may ▁have ▁multiple ▁g op ur