Why the Meenakshi Gopurams are special
The Meenakshi Hindu Temple in Madurai, India is renowned for its skyscraping gopurams (photo shows one of them).
These structures were erected in the 13th to 16th Centuries. They reach as high as 50 meters (165 feet) and are abundantly decorated from base to roof with flamboyantly colored god and animal sculptures of fanciful design.

Behind the gopurams
The four main gopurams serve as entrance gates to the walled Meenakshi Temple, which is as large as a dozen football fields.
This immense Dravidian-style temple contains the enormous Hall of a Thousand Pillars (actually "only" 985, but they're all wonderfully sculptured).
Meenakshi Temple also houses a myriad of fascinating small temples and corridors that are fun to discover on your own. Surprises await your every turn.

What leading travel books say about Meenakshi and its gopurams
Meenakshi's towering gopurams stand out with their colorful stucco images.
India
Footprint Handbooks

Meenakshi Temple dazzles visitors with the vibrant hues of its sculptures.
India & Nepal
Let's Go Guidebooks