January 17, 2015
The Vaishnava temple is virtually an architectural art museum as it depicts almost the full range of specialities of the Vijayanagara temple architecture.
True to the Vijayanagara style, the temple can broadly be divided into seven architectural features - Prakara wall (compound), Gopura (the entrance), Mahamantapa (Inner hall), Mukha mantapa (outer hall, usually larger than the inner hall, wherever one exists), Antaralayam (a room preceding the sanctum sanctorum) and Garbhagriha (Sanctum sanctorum) and vimana (the tower above the sanctum sanctorum, usually the tallest structure of the main shrine).
The east-facing temple at the western end of Gorantla is surrounded by the prakara wall with an opening in its eastern section. On the gopura, the Vijayanagara emblem (Boar and an inverted sword) is visible.
The shrine has exquisitely carved alley pillars, a symbol of Vijayanagara architecture, with an elephant standing at the base with its trunk hanging in front of a lion with its forelegs raised up and its mouth wide open.
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