page_title: Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu
section_title: Vimanam
hierarchical_section_title: Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu / Common Terminologies / Vimanam
caption_attribution_description: English: Golden tower (shikhara) of the Madurai Meenakshi temple
context_page_description: Iconography of Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu is governed by the Shaiva Agamas that revere the ultimate reality as the Hindu deity, Shiva. Āgama in the Hindu religious context means a traditional doctrine or system which commands faith. Temple worship according to Āgamic rules can be said to have started during the Pallava dynasty in South India, but they were fully under establishment during the Chola dynasty The temples during the Chola period expanded to Sri Lanka and islands in South East Asia. The temple complex was expanding with niches for various deities on the stipulated sides of the sanctum. Lingam was universalised and prakarams with subsequent deities came up. The temple parivara expanded considerably during the Chola period. The niches of following Āgamic rules for building Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu, a South Indian state continues even in the modern era. Some of the prime images like that of lingam, Vinayagar and Parvati are present in all the Shiva temples. Almost all the temples follow the same custom during festivals and worship methods with minor exceptions. Most of the Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka are built in Dravidian architecture.
context_section_description: Vimana (Tamil:விமானம்) is a term for the tower above the garbhagriha or Sanctum sanctorum in a Hindu temple.  The towering roof of the other deities is also called the vimanam. These do not assume as much significance as the outer gopurams (gateway towers), with the exception of a few temples where the vimanams are as famous as the temple complex - Kanka sabai (Golden stage) at Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram covered with golden plates and the Ananda Nilayam vimanam of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple are examples.
caption: Golden vimana of Madurai Meenakshi Temple
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