Fwd: The word "gOpuram"

[Guest guest]

 

Dear Bhagavathas, I am happy to have so many responses from so many. To be

very honestI am not a scholar in sanskrit. However, as this letter has evoked

so many responses, I am offering my opinion, which certainly can never be taken

as correct.

 

Gopuram is different from pronouncing it as "KOPURAM". The word is normally

pronounced as GOPURAM only. If this is so, the word is certainly Sanskrit. In

this case the origin could be from sanskrit

GO + Puram. If it is taken as KOPURAM, the origin could be construed

as the Tamil Ko ( King) +Puram. Ofcourse Puram is not certainly Tamil in

origin. But for example Nagar or Nagaram also is not Tamil. But this word

Vinnagaram has been used by the GReat Alvaars.

 

Further we dont say that we go to Gopuram or KOpuram. We only say that we go

to KOVIL. Gopuram or be it Kopuram is only at the entrance of a temple. It

rightly means the temple Tower and not the Temple, which includes Gopuram as

well. Vimana is the cover over the Sanctum sanctorum of the Presiding deity and

is not certainly the Go0puram.

I shall be glad if anyone could tell me a synonym in Tamil to the Tamil word

KOIL or KOVIL. Kindly bear with me for any of the shortcomings in this letter.

With kind regards, R.Rajagopalan.

 

On Tue, 25 May 2004 sudarshan madabushi wrote :

>

>Dear Sri Rajagopalan,

>

>Thank you. This is what even the friend from Harvard

>University, Sri Naresh has also pointed out.

>

>If "gOpuram" is indeed of Tamil origin, I wonder what

>the Sanskrit word for temple tower is? Perhaps it is

>"vimAna"?

>

>Can anyone throw some light?

>

>Rgds,

>Sudarshan

>

>

>

>

>

> > "Ramasamy Rajagopalan"

> > <rrajagopalan36

> > "sudarshan madabushi"

> > <mksudarshan2002

> > CC: ,

> > oppiliappan,

> > tiruvenkatam

> > Re: The word "gOpuram"

> >

> >  Pranams to all bhaagavathaas,

> >

> > Recently I heard the opportunity to listen a

> > speech of a great scholar, who said that KO in Tamil

> > means King and puram means the city, which means

> > Gopuram means the city of the King. Our king is

> > Lord Narayana or Shiva . So also KoVil in tamil

> > means the Ill ( Illam)

> > of the KO, also known as KOVIL. KO+ Ill is KOIL or

> > KOVIL.

> > I have just given another interpretation. That is

> > all.

> >

> > Daasan,

> > Prof.Dr.R.Rajagopalan.

>

>

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