Prakara

Temple architecture

In the Hindu temple, the prakaram is the temple compound around the sanctum. Typically a Hindu temple prayer hall is generally built in front of the temple's sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha). Usually large Hindu temples have one or more prakarams. The Prakaram acts as circumambulatory passage to the devotees to come around the sanctum. Based on the size of the temple, there can be more than one Prakaram with the smaller one enclosed within the larger. As per Hindu religious practices, devotees start to come around the outer prakarams to the inner most before entering the sanctum. This is indicative of the belief that the devotees have to lose the outermost bondage to the inner most one before attaining divinity. The method is also indicative of reduction of noises in the outer space to the inner most to increase communiion with god. Ramanathaswamy Temple has outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the world, measuring about 6.9 m in height, 400 feet each in the east and west and about 640 feet in the north and the south. The inner corridors are about 224 feet each in the east and the west and about 352 feet each in the north and the south.