The Essential Guide to Visiting the Lesser Known Temples of Tamil Nadu

The Temples of Tamil Nadu are important in many ways. For people who believe in the religion these are spiritual sanctuaries. For art lovers they are the repositories of great cultural wealth. For those with an interest in history they are invaluable sources of knowledge. For the curious and otherwise interested they are fascinating sites to explore. There are many reasons to visit these wonderful placers.

Visiting these temples are sometimes challenging and a knowledge of their peculiarities are essential to make your visit convenient, hassle-free and meaningful. This post is meant to familiarize the uninitiated to certain customs and cultural aspects related to these temples to make your visit pleasant. We think this will be of special use for foreigners and visitors who are unfamiliar wth the country. For locals it is part of their culture and they will know more than what is written here.

1. Timing: 

When planning a trip to a temple or group of temples, it is very important to find out when the temple is open. Most temples open quite early in the morning. 6 am opening is common. Most temples will close their doors by noon. They will open again in the late afternoon between 4 pm and 6 pm and remain open till late at night. Most temples close around 9 pm. These are very general times and the exact opening and closing times for individual temples will vary and should be verified beforehand. Temples that are not active and are under the direct management of the archeological or heritage departments of the government might have more regular opening and closing times.

2. Special Days:

Prior knowledge of the astrologically important days will be useful in planning a visit. Most temples will be closed during an eclipse while others will be open. Special days for the temple or the deity will sometimes draw large crowds. For those who like to experience the special poojas, festivals and rituals, these days might be attractive. For others who are interested in experiencing these temples in peace and quiet and admire the art and architecture unhindered, a quiet day might be more attractive.

3. Attire:

Modest attire is recommended for active temples. For men long pants are fine. A Veshti or the traditional South Indian male lower garment may be appreciated but certainly not essential.  Most temples will not allow shorts or the multicoloured lungi or sarong that is worn by men in some parts of South Asia. Jeans are not advisable. Women can wear any garment that covers the legs including a long skirt that is below the knee, a Chruridar, Kurta-pyjama or Punjabi Suit or any other traditional Indian garment. Saris are certainly not essential. If you use common sense you will be all right. Some one being rude to you on account of your attire can sometimes spoil a trip. In some parts, especially the deep south such as in Kanyakumari district men are sometimes asked to take off their upper garment such as a shirt and are required to be bare bodied waist up inside the temple. So be prepared to take your shirt off if you are male. In most others places wearing a shirt or T -Shirt is fine. The only other place that I know of is Chidambaram where men have to take their shirts off.

4. Behaviour:

This pertains to those who visit these places to experience the art and architecture and are non-Hindu or not religious. As the more active temples are places of worship to many including the local population, it is important to maintain a certain level respect and decorum. Soft speech and an unhurried manner are important inside temples.

5. Footwear:

Footwear are not allowed inside temples. Most locals will walk in with bare feet after taking off their footwear at the entrance. Some temples will have dedicated foot wear safety stations where a minder will look after your foot wear for a token sum. Many of the smaller temples do not have a designated station and you can leave it at the entrance or with one of the vendors if you buy something from them. It is better not to wear expensive footwear although I have never heard of anyone losing their shoes at a temple. If your feet are sensitive or you have any queasiness about walking bare feet, you could wear a pair of clean, cheap socks inside the temple which is all right and you can discard them after a few uses.

6. Photography:

Photography is generally frowned upon inside a temple. Lugging a big camera inside a temple is a sure ticket to being thrown out. You could unobtrusively take some pictures using a device such as a mobile phone. Even then, do not take pictures of the deities without express permission. You can take as many pictures as you want of the outside structures.

7. Touts:

Touts are ubiquitous in some temples.  It is useful to know who a tout is to deal with them. A tout is a person, usually a man, who will approach you just as you are about to enter a temple. They might introduce themselves as guides and act as if they are part of the temple administration or someone appointed by them. They will offer to show you around the temple and quite often will not take no for an answer and will impose their services on you. If you ask them whether there is a fee, they will ignore the question. They are useful because they know the temple and its specialties, peculiarities, significance etc. They will have a good relationship with the priests and get you close to the inner sanctum. They are not always accurate with their facts as they are often not very educated and they are not licensed guides. They will demand a fee when you are done and will not name a fee. They will ask you to come up with an amount knowing fully well that you will not know what is appropriate. Whatever amount you come up with, they will demand more and will not let go till it is at least double what you initially offered. Most people get annoyed with this whole experience and it makes them angry. They hold it against the temple where as the temple has little to do with it. If you know about this practice ahead of time you can use it to your advantage or simply avoid it. If you want to use a tout, use them by all means because they are useful. When it comes to payment find out what the usual payment is and offer less and be prepared to pay a bit more.

8. Entry to Non-Hindus: 

This is quite variable. Most temples have no restrictions. Some restrict entry to only Hindus to certain parts of the temple including the sanctum. It is actually a bit discriminatory as any Indian or Indian-looking person can enter as there is no verification process. It only ends up barring foreign looking people. However most temples will not restrict entry as long as the visitor is respectful of the customs.  

9. Entry Fees: 

Entry is free in temples. Some temples have a fee for fast lanes to the sanctum or to certain parts of the temple. However this is usually found in the more popular temples. It is essentially a crowd control mechanism as the crowds can become quite large and unmanageable in some of the well known temples. The lesser known temples usually do not have this problem. If you donate money through the many tills or Hundials, the money will go to the government which owns most temples. It is a form of revenue to the government and the collected funds may not benefit that particular temple or any temple for that matter. If you pay for a Pooja at the temple office at the entrance, the money will again go to the government  Giving money to the priest is not condoned by the administration as they are salaried, although the salary is quite meagre. But giving a small sum of money to the priest will buy you goodwill. Paying a tout is entirely up to you. Professional guides are available at the more well known temples.

10. Beggars:

Beggars are ubiquitous at temple entrances. It is customary for temple devotees to give alms to beggars at the entrance. It is a long tradition and it is the belief of many that giving to the poor at a temple will bring them blessings. There is no obligation. Usually they will leave you alone if you ignore them. If you do give money, be discreet or you can get swarmed.

11. Time Allocation:

This depends on your interest, time available and the size of the temple. An hour is minimum and 3 hours are maximum time needed for most people.

Being aware of the cultural aspects and customs of these temples will better prepare you and make your visit pleasant without any untoward surprises. 

Thiruchendur - Murugan Temple

One of the Aru Padai Veedu (6 abodes) of Lord Murugan, this is certainly not a lesser known temple to many and a popular pilgrimage site. We have included it here as it is not as well known to others.One of the largest temple complexes and one of the richest in Tamil Nadu, it is an ancient site. It is located on a seashore. It is the second most important Aru Padai Veedu. Although there is plenty of inscriptional evidence of Pandian benevolence towards this temple, much of the architecture that you see today is relatively recent and was built by private donors over the centuries rather than by royal grant or decree. The Rajagopuram is on the west, away from the seashore and is only about 300 years old. In most temples the main gopuram is on the east.

In the mid 1600s the Dutch occupied this area. The story goes that one day the Dutch soldiers raided this temple and took the idol out to sea thinking that it contained gold or precious stones. When they did not find any, they threw into the sea. A few years later one of the ardent devotees of Lord Murugan had a dream about its location and divers dove to the sea bed and found the idol and reinstalled it.

Thiru means holy and Chendur means red land. The legend is that Lord Murugan slew the evil demon Surapadman here in a classic battle between good and evil. The land became blood soaked and red by the epic fight. Today the land around here does not look red. But we will explore a few kilometres west of here for an explanation in a subsequent post.

Visited Aug 2019 Base Thoothukudi

The South Indian Temple - Architecture

Before we go on to the next temple, we will familiarize ourselves with the basic plan and architectural elements of a South Indian temple. This is a simple approach for the benefit of those who have rarely or never visited one of these temples. To others this will be of little value or a refresher.

The architecture of South Indian temples belongs to the Dravidian style and is distinctly different from those found in other parts of India, although they follow the same principles. The Dravidian style is the predominant style of temples in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana, Kerala and Sri Lanka. 

Those who have followed these posts may feel that most of these temples look very similar and they are. That is why I have tried to show photos of different angles of these temples to keep it interesting. Of course there are important differences and every temple is unique. They look similar because they were built according to a certain set of principles that were codified in the 8th century. There are several texts called the Shilpa Sastras and the Agamas that clearly lay out how a temple should be built. These temples are built according to the coordinates of Yantras, ancient and mystical diagrams that represent the universe. 

The most important part of a temple is the moolasthaanam or sanctum sanctorum. It is the womb of the temple or the Garbagraham. The primary deity resides here. It is usually a fixed, stone idol. This space is quite small in older temples. In Sivan temples it is usually but not always a lingam. In other temples it is a stone idol. This small space can be square, rectangular, circular or apsidal and is capped by the Vimanam which also comes in many shapes. Just in front of this is an ante-chamber that is called the Arthamandapam. Surrounding these two structures is the great hall or Mahamandapam that has several subsidiary shrines. This complex has one or 3 entrances and is enclosed. Surrounding these are a series of often rectangular walled enclosures that are the circumbulatory pathways or Prakarams. The inner ones are enclosed while the outer ones are exposed to the sky. They are in a sequence of odd numbers and are up to 7 in larger temples. The outermost is usually not surrounded by a wall. The enclosures house several subsidiary shrines and the Uthsavamoorthy the processional idol which is usually a movable metal idol. The walls have alcoves or recesses that house a wide variety of deities.

As you enter the temple the first structure is the gopuram or temple tower. It is usually built over the entrance of a walled enclosure. These were mostly later additions in time and in a lot of temples dwarf the height of the Vimanam. You then encounter the Kodimaram (the flagstaff), the Balipeedam (the sacrificial altar) and the Vaahanam ( Vehicle - Nanthi in Sivan temples and Garuda in Vishnu temples). The entrance to the Arthamandapam is flanked by two large guardian statues usually called the Dwarapaalakar.

Hope this gives people the context to appreciate these temples. Below are some examples. Of course there are many variations.

Kailasanathar Koil - Srivaikuntham

Very close to the Kallapiran temple in Srivaikuntham that we just saw in the previous post, is this ancient Sivan temple. It is again one of nine Sivan temples along the Thamirabarani river called the Nava Kailasam temples. The Sivan in all these temples carries the name Kailasanathar and each one is dedicated to a Navagraha. This one is the Saneeswaran temple dedicated to Saturn.

It is a beautiful old temple originally built by the Pandian kings and added on to by Vijayanagar and Nayakkan kings. The sculptures here although less in number than at the Perumal temple, are equally awe inspiring. Note the intricate work done in granite on the warrior sculpture in the Muhamandapam. To the right is the shrine for a beautiful Nataraja idol that is called the Santhana Sabapathy covered in sandalwood paste. Also note that this temple has a large flat topped granite entrance way without the customary gopuram on top. Perhaps the builders never got around to building one or they never meant to build one. 

You may have noticed most temples that we went to were rather empty and devoid of people, which was nice for us to experience these places in peace. These are small towns and villages after all. But the people do flock to these temples on special days and times. We visited this particular temple during the Pradosham, which is the 13th day of every fortnight and occurs twice a month. The 3 hours that span the sundown are auspicious to worship Sivan.

Srivaikuntham - Kallapiran Thirukoil

This is an ancient Divya Desam Vishnu temple on the Thamirabarani River. There are nine important Vishnu temples along the Thamirabarani which are called the Nava Thirupathi Temples, each associated with a Navagraham. Some of the best granite sculptures of the 16th century Nayakkan era are found here at Srivaikuntham. The life size sculptures are exquisitely carved in granite which is a difficult medium to carve as it fragments easily.

The Lord here is known as Kallapiran because he once aided a bunch of robbers who stole from the rich and aided the poor. A Robin Hood kind of story. 

Solidly built granite temple, it is indeed worth visiting both for the blessings and to admire the art. 

The Thiruvengadamudayan hall to the right as you enter through the main entrance way is very beautiful.

Look for the simple elegant columns or pillars of the Pandian era and the more elaborately carved ones from the Nayakkan era. 

AlwarThirunagari is another one of the beautiful Nava Thirupathi temples very close to here which unfortunately we could not visit due to the lack of time.

Srivaikuntam