Some
of the constructional details of the temple stagger the imagination. The Sreebalipura, the
magnificent rectangular corridor built of stone surrounding the main shrines, took 4,000
masons, 6,000 labourers, 100 elephants and seven months to complete the work. And the
temple -flagstaff, built of special teak, later encased in gold, came from a site 48 km.
away without ever touching the ground-a colossal feat performed by elephants.
The Travancore State Manual has a detailed description of the temple, which is summarized
below:
"This temple stands on an elevated part of the town. The area covered by its
enclosures is 570 feet X 510 f or 25,700 sq. feet or about 7 acres. It faces east and
surrounded by massive fort walls. A handsome flight stone-steps on the eastern sideshows
the gentle eminence of the temple site, the front portion of which is covered a huge
gopura or tower pyramidal in shape and built granite and
brick on the model of the lofty Gopuras of the east coast temples. This tower is about 100
feet in height and has stories with window light-openings in the centre of each of them. |
