Temples and tales of tradition

The book, priced at Rs 200, is available at Universal Publishing, 142, IOA Complex first floor, 69, Royapettah High Road.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is known for a multitude of temples tucked away in nooks and crannies. However, a few temples still remain inconspicuous in the Chennai region and tackling this issue is historian Chithra Madhavan with her latest book, Vishnu Temples in South India - Volume V.The book details 30 lesser-known Vishnu temples in a radius of 40 km-50 km from Chennai. The fifth volume brings up the total number of such temples recorded by the historian as part of this series to 120.

“Through extensive research, site visits and conversations with the priests, I was able to record the historicity of these religious sites. These are small- to medium-sized temples that are not very well-known,” says the author. Madhavan provides information of the location, architecture, history, culture and festivals followed by these Vaishnavite temples. But the book also details the relationship between a few Vishnu and Shiva temples, such as the Vishnu temple dedicated to Varadaraja Perumal and the Siva temple dedicated to Ekamranatha in Minjur.

Chithra Madhavan
Chithra Madhavan

“Usually, a temple has one chariot, that is used by only that temple for all temple proceedings. However, here, the chariot is used by both temples. This is a very unique feature that I have not seen anywhere else,” says Madhavan, adding that most of the recorded temples are Chola-era structures. Additionally, some of these temples have interesting and unique architectural features.

“One such feature I saw was of a pillar in a temple in Vadamadurai, on which there were eight sculptures of the ashtadikapalakas (Guardians of the eight directions). Usually, these are found on the ceiling, but here, it was on a pillar,” she says. The book is filled with pictures to showcase such architectural delights.

Madhavan hopes that her book will be a source of information on these temples, most of which are undocumented. “As a historian and someone who is religious, I hope that my recording of the historicity of the place will lead to people from Chennai visiting these places, as they are all very important monuments with unique histories,” she says.

The book, priced at Rs 200, is available at Universal Publishing, 142, IOA Complex first floor, 69, Royapettah High Road. For details, call: 9840789096, 28114325 

Know the people
Studying temple inscriptions reveals much about those who lived in the area. One such case was an inscription about a local who repaired a breach in the village tank with his own funds.

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