The South Indian temple consists essentially of a square-chambered sanctuary topped by a superstructure, tower, or spire and an attached pillared porch or hall, enclosed by a peristyle of cells within a rectangular court. The external walls of the temple are segmented by pilasters and carry niches housing sculpture. The superstructure or tower above the sanctuary is of the type and consists of an arrangement of gradually receding stories in a pyramidal shape. Each story is delineated by a parapet of miniature shrines, square at the corners and rectangular with barrel-vault roofs at the centre. The tower is topped by a dome-shaped cupola and a crowning pot and finial.

This style has developed in the Dravida Desam. The Vimana and the Gopurams are the distinctive characteristics of the Southern style. The Vimana is a tall pyramidal tower consisting of several progressively smaller storeys. This stands on a square base. The Gopuram has two storeys seperated by a horizontal moulding. The Prakara or the outer wall, envelops the main shrine as well as the other smaller shrines. The Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar rulers, the Nayakas all contributed to the Southern style of temples.

Some Famous Temples of South India are:-

Kerala

-Guruvayoor Temple

-Sabarimala Temple

Tamil Nadu

-Meenakshi Temple

-Kanchipuram Temple

-Mahabalipuram

-Rameshwaram

Karnataka

-Badami Cave Temple

-Somnathpur Temple

Andhra Pradesh

-Tirupati Balaji Temple