Category: Temples of Tamil Nadu

  • The Devadasi influence at the Suchindram Temple

    The Devadasi influence at the Suchindram Temple

    The Suchindram Temple is a work of art and contributing to its wonders have been several Devadasis. A brief look at their work at this shrine.

  • An Excellent Primer on the Tirumurai

    An Excellent Primer on the Tirumurai

    Tirumurai – Glimpses into Tamil Saiva Poetry  By Sharda Narayanan and Madhangi Rathnavel Published by Ambika Aksharavali, Chennai, 2021 No. of page – 380 Price – Rs 1,200 The Panniru Tirumurai form a very important part of the priceless legacy that is ancient Tamil poetry. Post the Sangam works this would perhaps be the next…

  • Flying South for Summer – a heritage tour of Nanji Nadu – May 27 to 30, 2022

    Flying South for Summer – a heritage tour of Nanji Nadu – May 27 to 30, 2022

    Join Sriram V on a heritage tour of Nanji Nadu – the area between Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and surroundings from May 27 to 30, 2022

  • Singaperumal Koil – where Narasimha has three eyes

    Singaperumal Koil – where Narasimha has three eyes

    Singaperumal Koil, located around 45 km from the city has as is well known, an ancient cave shrine to Narasimha. Sengundram, located five kilometres away is now better known for the clutch of industrial houses that have set up base there. It is difficult to conjecture that the narrow road leading from Singaperumal Koil to…

  • KG Vijayakrishnan – a life in language and music

    KG Vijayakrishnan – a life in language and music

    It was very saddening to know that my dear friend Dr KG Vijayakrishnan passed away last night. I first got to know him through Sanjay Subrahmanyan. The two of us were running sangeetham.com and sometime in 2007 or so, Sanjay sent me Vijayakrishnan’s book The Grammar of Carnatic Music. If I recall correctly, we reviewed…

  • The Kapali Temple Festival, in 1802

    One of the most fascinating aspects of the Kapali temple is the way snippets of history keep coming up. Here is a description of the temple festival as seen in 1802!

  • Adhikara Nandi at Kapaliswarar Temple, 2022

    Adhikara Nandi at Kapaliswarar Temple, 2022

    Kapali is back! It felt nice to be at the Adhikara Nandi sevai at the Kapaliswarar Temple in Mylapore today as part of the Panguni Uthiram festival. #Mylapore, #Mayilai, #Kapali, #AdhikaraNandi

  • Answers to Saundaryalahari quiz

    Answers to Saundaryalahari quiz

    Firstly, a big, big thanks to all those who over Fb, Fb messenger and email sent in answers to the quiz I made bold to set up. I am of course delighted that my cousin Rama Murali (singer Amritha Murali’s mother) managed to get them all in one fell swoop. But then she has been…

  • Saundaryalahari – a small quiz

    Saundaryalahari – a small quiz

    Beginning with the first lockdown in March 2020, I embarked on learning the Saundaryalahari. I think it was my way of maintaining sanity in what has been a most stressful time for the whole world. My father, who passed away in 2017 knew the stotram by heart and I used to marvel at the felicity…

  • Places in Chennai that Vallalar sang of

    Places in Chennai that Vallalar sang of

    Arutprakasa Vallalar or Ramalinga Swamigal was a savant of the 19th century whose teachings were startlingly refreshing for his times and remain so even today. The concepts of universal love, recognising hunger as the greatest impediment to spiritual growth and the worship of God as light remain utopian and yet cherished ideals and may be so…